Akita, Kochi, Shizuoka! Men's Individual Block 4
Akitashogyo, Oko, and Hamana will clash in the first match! Shizuoka Prefecture Hamana High School 3rd-year student 山本悠生 will appear from the second round as a seed. Players from Akita Prefecture 小野翔 and Kochi Prefecture 山口朔空 will face each other in the first round, and the winner will challenge Yamamoto. Strong players who have broken through the prefectural preliminaries from each school have gathered.
The first three players in this block.
- No.10 小野 翔秋田県Akita Sho（秋田商）／3Year・三Rank.
- No.11 山口 朔空高知県Oko（岡豊）／3Year・三Rank.
- No.12 山本 悠生静岡県Seeded (advancing from the second round)Hamana（浜名）／3Year・二Rank.
Round 1: No.10 小野 翔(Akitashogyo) vs. No.11 山口 朔空(Oko)
Round 2: Winner of Round 1 vs. No.12 山本 悠生(Hamana)
In the individual competition, the 96 competitors will be divided into blocks of three. One competitor from each block will receive a bye and begin competition in the second round. One competitor advancing from each match area will advance to the semi-finals.
Highlights
山本悠生, appearing with a seed
Hamana High School 3rd-year student 山本悠生 will enter from the second round having obtained a seeded position. They won the Shizuoka Prefecture qualifying tournament and also boast a second-place result in the Tokai individual tournament. With their stable skill, it is expected they will avoid a match against a strong opponent right away and advance to the final tournament.
Akitashogyo, a traditional kendo powerhouse school
Akitashogyo is known as a kendo powerhouse, having won the Inter-High men's team championship in 1958. The school motto is "Gratitude, Diligence, and Training." 小野翔 will participate as the representative from Akita Prefecture.
Oko, kendo kata achievements
Kochi Prefecture's Oko High School boasts one of the strongest teams in the field of Japanese kendo kata in the prefecture, with multiple wins and placements in prefectural tournaments. 山口朔空 player won through the prefectural qualifiers and secured a spot in Inter-High.
Hamana High School wins Shizuoka Prefecture qualifier.
Hamana High School achieved the remarkable feat of defeating Iwata Higashi High School, the previous Inter-High champion, in the men's team final of the Shizuoka Prefecture qualifiers. 山本悠生 will challenge the national tournament as a player supporting the team.
Three players advanced after winning the two qualifying spots for the prefecture.
Akita Prefecture, Kochi Prefecture, Shizuoka Prefecture. Three individuals who advanced through each prefectural qualifying tournament. Standing on the first match field with pride for having earned their spot and feelings for their hometowns. A heated battle will unfold.
Live broadcast「Akita, Kochi, Shizuoka! Men's Individual Block 4」
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
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堂島 厳
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堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
咲間 ひかり
咲間 ひかり
咲間 ひかり
咲間 ひかり
咲間 ひかり
剣持 翔
Messages of support for the participating schools and players.
Akita’s hero, 小野翔 player! Kochi’s star, 山口朔空 player! Shizuoka’s talent, 山本悠生 player! These three have stepped onto the Inter-High stage representing their respective prefectures. The arena they stand in alone may be lonely. However, their backs must be filled with the hot gazes of their hometown friends, the warm encouragement of the teachers who have supported them, and the unchanging love of their families. The fact that you overcame the prefectural qualifiers is proof of your effort and talent. With that pride in your hearts, grip your swords tightly and pursue your kendo to the very end! Akita Prefecture, Kochi Prefecture, Shizuoka Prefecture. The kendo cultivated in each of these lands is individual, powerful, and beautiful. I hope that kendo will blossom in this tournament. Beyond winning or losing, give your all, respect each other, and strive to improve. That is the spirit of kendo. Now, the three of you, believe in your kendo and aim for greater heights!
School Information
Akita Sho（秋田商）
- Official name
- 秋田市立秋田商業高等学校
- Reading
- Akita Sho
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Akita City (Coeducational)
- Location
- Akita Prefecture Akita City Araya Katto 1-1-1
- History
- In July 1919 (Taisho 8), the Akita City Council resolved to establish 秋田市商業学校 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the city’s founding. Approval for its establishment was granted in 1920 (Taisho 9), and it opened on April 25th of the same year. It was renamed to its current name in 1961. It is the oldest commercial high school in Akita.
- School motto/philosophy
- School motto: "Gratitude, Diligence, and Training." Based on the spirit of the "Three Principles of the School Motto" established in April 1920 by the first principal, Yoshisuke Kuronuma, it was revised to its current form in April 2002 to commemorate the school's 80th anniversary.
- Department.
- The Commercial Department (Accounting Course, Distribution Economics Course, Information Course). As of April 1, 2024, the total enrollment is 622 students.
- Kendo Club
- Won the Inter-High boys' team event in 1958 (5th, Akita), runner-up in 1954 (1st, Tochigi), 1959 (6th, Kumamoto), and 2021 (68th, 石川). In the boys' individual event, 山田薫 won in 1993, and 加藤峻一郎 was runner-up in 2012. In the 15th Koryo Cup National Selected Kendo Tournament in April 2026, they won the boys' team event (final 1-0 Goshogawara Daiichi). This season, they also won the Kaiseiki and the Tohoku tournament. This tournament centers around Taisho 小野翔 and 三浦歩, who placed 2nd in the Tohoku individual event.
- Notes
- Commonly known as "Akisho". The Inter-High men's team consecutive victories of 1967 and 1968 were also at Akita High School in Akita Prefecture, a school separate from Akitashogyo business.
Oko（岡豊）
- Official name
- 高知県立岡豊高等学校
- Reading
- Oko
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Kochi Prefectural (coeducational)
- Location
- Kochi Prefecture Minamiku City Oko Town Nakajima 511-1
- History
- Opened on November 1, 1983, and held its opening ceremony on April 7, 1984.
- School motto/philosophy
- School motto: "Academics, Character, and Health"
- Department.
- General academic course (capacity 240 students), general academic course with an arts focus (capacity 40 students), general academic course with a physical education focus (capacity 40 students). The only school in the prefecture with specialized courses in fine arts and calligraphy.
- Kendo Club
- In the Kochi prefectural qualifiers for fiscal year 2026, the women's team advanced to Inter-High. 山口朔空 (3rd year, 3rd dan) will participate in the men's individual competition. According to Wikipedia, the team boasts one of the strongest kata skills in the prefecture and has multiple wins and placements in prefectural tournaments. No information was found regarding the team's performance in national tournaments.
- Notes
- The school name comes from a place name derived from the Oko castle of the Kōnoike clan. It is read as "Okō".
Hamana（浜名）
- Official name
- 静岡県立浜名高等学校
- Reading
- Hamana
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Shizuoka Prefectural (Public)
- Location
- Shizuoka Prefecture, Hamamatsu City Hamana Ward, Nishimizono 2939-1 (3-minute walk from Enshu-Kobayashi Station on the Enshu Railway)
- History
- Founded in 1913 as Kitahama Sewing Women's Academy. In 1947, Kitahama Higher Girls' School and Kasai Higher Girls' School merged, and in 1948, it became the current Hamana High School. It moved to the present location in 1962, and the new school building was completed in 1996.
- School motto/philosophy
- Our school motto is “A far-reaching ambition is what makes youth precious – cherish these days.”
- Department.
- Full-time course, General Studies; Part-time course, General Studies.
- Kendo Club
- In the boys' team final of the Reiwa 8 Shizuoka Prefecture qualifiers, they defeated Iwata Higashi, the previous (72nd) Inter-High boys' team champion, to win the title and secure a spot in the Inter-High. The boys' individual representative is 山本悠生 (3rd year, 2nd dan). Let's Kendo reports that 野田, who placed second in the Tokai individual competition, supports the team as Taisho. The school's official kendo club achievements page could not be confirmed.
- Notes
- "Hamanaka." A private school in Shizuoka Prefecture, different from Hamamatsu Gakuen Iwata Higashi.
・National High School Kendo Tournament Official Website (Tournament Updates) ↗
・Let's Kendo [Matchups] August 2nd - 5th, 73rd All Japan High School Kendo Tournament / Nara Inter-High 2026. ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Akitashogyo ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Oko ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Hamana ↗
Which fact comes from which source?
- Block formation, seeding (No. 12), first round (No. 10 vs. No. 11), and match arena (No. 1) were determined according to the bracket in the official PDF “R8奈良総体≪男子個人戦≫” and the rule of odd-numbered blocks having the top seed/even-numbered blocks having the bottom seed.
- The names, prefectures, schools, grade levels, and ranks of three players are available in data/2026/kumiawase.json (based on the official PDF).
- School profiles for each school will reuse verified information from existing organization/individual articles (gakko_gaiyo) or be sourced from the Notion participating schools library and Wikipedia.
- The individual competition qualifying spots are two per prefecture, which determines the structure of the bracket.
- Note: The pronunciation of players' given names has not been confirmed, so only the family name is announced in the video audio.
Please note that the commentary and analysis are AI-generated content based on the facts listed above. As this is before the tournament, there is no description of the matches, attacks and defenses, or wins and losses. Please excuse any errors in reading or notation.