Exciting matches anticipated! Men's Individual Block 19.
The third match area, block 19, has Niigata Meikun’s 酒井煌介 player (3rd year, 2nd dan) seeded and appearing from the second round. In the first round, Chuo Gakuin’s 稲垣颯太 player (2nd year, 3rd dan) and Seizan’s 髙田陽多 player (3rd year, 3rd dan) will compete. Niigata Meikun was founded in 1921, Chuo Gakuin is known as a school strengthening its kendo club, and Seizan has a record of best 8 in the Tohoku Tournament. Players who have won through each prefectural qualifying round have gathered.
The first three players in this block.
- No.55 酒井 煌介新潟県Seeded (advancing from the second round)Niigata Meikun（新潟明訓）／3Year・二Rank.
- No.56 稲垣 颯太千葉県Chuo Gakuin（中央学院）／2Year・三Rank.
- No.57 髙田 陽多山形県Seizan（惺山）／3Year・三Rank.
Round 1: No.56 稲垣 颯太(Chuo Gakuin) vs. No.57 髙田 陽多(Seizan)
Round 2: Winner of round 1 vs. No. 55 酒井 煌介(Niigata Meikun)
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
Seed of 酒井煌介
Niigata Meikun’s 3rd-year player 酒井煌介 (2nd dan) is a strong player, having placed 3rd in the Hokushinetsu Tournament. Niigata Meikun, a school with a tradition dating back to its founding in 1921, boasts the largest kendo hall in the prefecture, equipped with air conditioning and heating. Sakui player will appear from the second round, demonstrating the skills honed in that favorable environment.
Chuo Gakuin 稲垣颯太
Chuo Gakuin2nd-year player 稲垣颯太 (3rd dan) advanced through the Chiba Prefecture qualifiers. Chuo Gakuin, founded in 1970, has kendo as a “school technique” that all students learn. Inagaki player inherits that tradition and has reached the Inter-High stage.
Seizan 高田陽多
Seizan3rd-year player 髙田陽多 (3rd dan) qualified by winning the Yamagata Prefecture preliminaries. Seizan, founded in 1919, has a track record of reaching the best 8 in the Tohoku Tournament. Takada player will challenge Inter-High as a member of the strong school.
Three players advanced after winning the two qualifying spots for the prefecture.
Three competitors who won their prefectural qualifying tournaments in Niigata, Chiba, and Yamagata have gathered. Each represents their prefecture and will take the stage at Inter-High. Carrying the hopes of their respective schools and families, they enter the matches.
Live broadcast「Exciting matches anticipated! Men's Individual Block 19.」
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Messages of support for the participating schools and players.
酒井煌介 player, 稲垣颯太 player, 髙田陽多 player. Each of you represents your prefecture and stands on the stage of Inter-High; you are already victors. Please enjoy this opportunity to the fullest, having overcome rigorous training. Kendo is not merely a martial art to defeat opponents. Cherish self-improvement, respect etiquette, and above all, your love for kendo. Turn the loneliness of standing alone in the competition arena into strength, and may your kendo inspire everyone who watches. We sincerely support your success, as you carry the future of kendo in Niigata Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, and Yamagata Prefecture. Bearing the expectations of your respective schools, teachers, and families, do not give up until the very end. May your kendo pave the way for a brilliant future.
School Information
Niigata Meikun（新潟明訓）
- Official name
- 新潟明訓高等学校
- Reading
- Niigata Meikun
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private coeducational school. Affiliated middle and high school.
- Location
- 1037 北山, Konan Ward, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture
- History
- It began with the "Niigata Evening Middle School Study Group" in 1921 (Taisho 10), started by working youth who borrowed elementary school buildings and asked teachers for help. The school name comes from "Meikun Juku," founded by Niigata Meikun Ichizo Ohashi in Yahiko in 1882. It moved from Kawakishi Town to Kameda (currently Minami Ward) in 2004, opened Niigata Meikun Middle School in 2007 to begin integrated middle and high school education, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021.
- School motto/philosophy
- Founded on the spirit of "love of learning and self-governance." The school motto is "love of learning, self-governance, cooperation, sincerity, and service" (sometimes listed as "love of learning, self-governance, sincerity, cooperation, and service" in the school brochure).
- Department.
- General studies course.
- Kendo Club
- The school particularly focuses on Type III designated reinforced clubs: baseball, track and field, soccer, and kendo (men’s). It boasts a kendo hall, fully air-conditioned and the largest in the prefecture. They won the 47th BSN High School Kendo Championship (35th National High School Kendo Selection Tournament Niigata Prefecture Qualifying) in January 2026 for the third year in a row, their 12th championship overall, defeating Niigata Seiryo 3-0 in the final. In the individual competition, Watanabe Hikoshiro, a first-year student, finished second. They placed third in the national selection tournament in 1993 (the 2nd tournament) in the men’s team event. This tournament saw them compete in the men’s team and individual events, having placed third in the Hokushinetsu tournament; the men’s individual competitor is 酒井煌介 (3rd year, 2nd dan).
- Notes
- The baseball manga *Dokaben* by Shinji Mizushima features Meikun High School, which is named after our school and is depicted as a sister school within the story.
Chuo Gakuin（中央学院）
- Official name
- 中央学院高等学校
- Reading
- Chuo Gakuin
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private (School Corporation Chuo Gakuin). Chuo Gakuin University Affiliated High School
- Location
- 765 Azuma, Abiko, Chiba Prefecture
- History
- April 1, 1970, founded as an affiliated high school of Chuo Gakuin University by the school corporation Chuo Gakuin. A full 6-day week system is implemented for all courses from the 2013 academic year.
- School motto/philosophy
- The founding spirit of the school is “sincerity and health, honesty and brightness, and rich humanity and sensibility.”
- Department.
- General studies (in the first year, there are three courses: S Advanced Placement Course, University Preparatory Course, and Sports Course).
- Kendo Club
- The school teaches kendo to male students and archery to female students as a "school skill" for one hour per week over three years, and holds a school skill tournament every November. The kendo club has decided to participate in Inter-High as a male team by winning the 2026 Chiba Prefecture preliminary round, and is introduced in Let's Kendo as having "decided on consecutive appearances in the Chiba Prefecture selection and Inter-High." 稲垣颯太 (2nd year, 3rd dan) will participate in the male individual event.
- Notes
- A school in Abiko, Chiba Prefecture, not a Chuo Gakuin affiliated school in Kanagawa Prefecture. The student body numbers approximately 1000.
Seizan（惺山）
- Official name
- 惺山高等学校
- Reading
- Seizan
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private (山本 Gakuen Educational Corporation)
- Location
- 7-13, Shiro Nishimachi 3-chome, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture.
- History
- Established in May 1919 as the Watari Sewing School. It underwent several name changes to Takeda Sewing Girls' School (1921), Takeda Technical Arts Vocational School (1948), Takeda Girls' High School (1962), and 山本 Gakuen High School (1987), before becoming Seizan High School in 2022. A correspondence course was established in 2023.
- School motto/philosophy
- The school motto is "Health, Sincerity, and Friendship."
- Department.
- General Studies (Special Advancement Course & Regular Course), Business Studies (Business Course & Creative Course), Fashion Design Course, Correspondence Course
- Kendo Club
- According to Let's Kendo, they achieved a best 8 finish in the Tohoku Tournament and qualified for consecutive appearances in the Spring (National Selection) and Summer (Inter-High) tournaments. They won the Yamagata Prefecture qualifiers for the Reiwa 8 academic year, earning Inter-High berths in both the men's team and men's individual events. The men's individual representative is 髙田陽多 (3rd year, 3rd dan). Past results from national tournaments could not be confirmed from publicly available information.
- Notes
- In 2022, the school name was changed from “Seizan High School” from “山本学園高等学校”. There is an error in the Notion participating schools library, listing the former school name as “山形Johoku High School”, but Wikipedia’s history states the former school name was 山本学園高等学校.
・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 Niigata Meikun ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Chuo Gakuin ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Seizan ↗
Which fact comes from which source?
- Block assignments, seeding (No. 55), and the first round match-up (No. 56 vs. No. 57) and match field (No. 3) 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.