Passionate swordsmen! Men's Individual Block 23.
Court 3, Block 23: 向山太智, a 2nd-year student from Kumiyama High School in Kyoto Prefecture, is seeded and will appear from the second round. In the first round, 川崎泰知, a 3rd-year student from Sano Nichidai High School in Tochigi Prefecture, and 酒井新太, a 3rd-year student from Honjo Daiichi High School in Saitama Prefecture, will face off. The three players who advance from these powerhouse schools will engage in a fierce battle.
The first three players in this block.
- No.67 向山 太智京都府Seeded (advancing from the second round)Kumiyama（久御山）／2Year・二Rank.
- No.68 川崎 泰知栃木県Sano Nichidai（佐野日大）／3Year・三Rank.
- No.69 酒井 新太埼玉県Honjo Daiichi（本庄第一）／3Year・三Rank.
Round 1: No.68 川崎 泰知(Sano Nichidai) vs No.69 酒井 新太(Honjo Daiichi)
Round 2: Winner of round 1 vs. No. 67 向山 太智(Kumiyama)
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
Seeded player 向山
Kyoto Prefecture’s Kumiyama High School 2nd-year student, 向山太智 player, gained a seed and will appear from the second round. Kumiyama High School, founded in 1980, has the school motto of “Self-study, Self-discipline, Self-training” and also has a sports course. 向山選手 faces the match carrying those expectations.
Sano Nichidai・川崎 player
Can 川崎泰知, a 3rd-year student at Tochigi Prefecture's Sano Nichidai High School, demonstrate the strength of a powerhouse school? Sano Nichidai High School has a track record of placing 3rd in the Inter-High boys' team event in 2017. 川崎 aims for victory, carrying on that tradition.
Honjo Daiichi・酒井選手
Saitama Prefecture Honjo Daiichi High School 3rd year student, 酒井新太 player, has experienced a team victory at the National Selection Tournament. Founded in 1925, the school boasts a kendo club with strength at the national level, under the slogan "Isshin Buran." Can Sakei player demonstrate his ability?
Three players advanced after winning the two qualifying spots for the prefecture.
Kyoto, Tochigi, and Saitama. These three individuals overcame their respective prefectural qualifying tournaments and advanced to the Inter-High stage. Their dedication to improving and striving for victory will surely inspire many.
Live broadcast「Passionate swordsmen! Men's Individual Block 23.」
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Messages of support for the participating schools and players.
向山太智 player, 川崎泰知 player, 酒井新太 player. Please savor the joy of crossing swords on the stage of Inter-High. Each of you will devote everything to this moment, with your respective kendo lives at stake. Kyoto Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture. The kendo nurtured in each of these lands is full of individuality and captivates the viewer. Beyond winning or losing, their mutual respect and encouragement inspires us. We hope this tournament will be an irreplaceable experience for the kendo lives of these three. And let's deliver a hot cheer to each of their hometowns!
School Information
Kumiyama（久御山）
- Official name
- 京都府立久御山高等学校
- Reading
- Kumiyama
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Kyoto Prefectural (Co-educational)
- Location
- Kyoto Prefecture Kuse District Kumiyama Town Hayashi
- History
- Founded in April 1980.
- School motto/philosophy
- The school motto is “Self-study, self-discipline, and self-improvement.”
- Department.
- General studies (S course = Standard, A course = Academy, P course = Physical & Sports Comprehensive Program)
- Kendo Club
- The kendo club is designated as a "sports comprehensive designated club" of the school. In this tournament, 鵜木丈 (3rd year, 2nd dan) and 向山太智 (2nd year, 2nd dan) will participate in addition to the women's team event, in the men's individual event. The school is nationally known for its soccer club, which was runner-up in the 89th All Japan High School Soccer Tournament, and approximately 80% of all students participate in club activities.
Sano Nichidai（佐野日大）
- Official name
- 佐野日本大学高等学校
- Reading
- Sano Nichidai
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private (School Corporation Sano Nihon University Gakuen). Nihon University’s affiliated high school.
- Location
- 2555 Ishizuka-machi, Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture.
- History
- On May 1, 1964, Sano Nihon University High School (General Course) was founded alongside the establishment of the Sano Gakuen Educational Foundation.
- School motto/philosophy
- The school motto is "Independent Creation," "Harmony of Literary and Martial Arts," and "Walking with Teacher and Student."
- Department.
- General Studies (Special Advancement Course α Class, Special Advancement Course, Super Advancement Course, Advancement Course)
- Kendo Club
- In the 64th All Japan High School Kendo Tournament (Inter-High) of 2017, the men's team placed 3rd (final 4). Introduced as "Kantō champions" in kendo media, they are one of the strongest men's teams in the Kantō region. They won the men's team event at the Japan University Sports Tournament (High School Division) Kendo Tournament in August 2025. In this tournament, in addition to the men's team event, 大河原靖太 and 川崎泰知 (both 3rd year, 3rd dan) will participate in the men's individual event.
- Notes
- The abbreviation is "Sano Nichidai". The school occupies both of Tochigi Prefecture's individual slots for boys.
Honjo Daiichi（本庄第一）
- Official name
- 本庄第一高等学校
- Reading
- Honjo Daiichi
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private (junior high and high school with a Honjo Daiichi website)
- Location
- Saitama Prefecture, Honjo City
- History
- Founded in 1925.
- Department.
- General studies course.
- Kendo Club
- The kendo club was founded in 1989 and made its first appearance at the national tournament in 1998. They won the men’s team championship at the 21st All-Japan High School Kendo Selection Tournament on March 27, 2012 (Heisei 23). They placed third in the men’s team event at the 64th All-Japan High School Kendo Tournament (Inter-High) in 2017. The club’s slogan is “Isshin Buran,” and coach 相川浩一 states, “To play a tenacious match while attacking and enduring” and “To focus on how to make a draw decisive.” The club introduction on the school’s official website states, “What to learn through kendo,” and they go on training trips around the country on weekends and during long breaks. In recent years, they have participated in the team event at the 30th and 31st All-Japan High School Kendo Selection Tournaments. In this tournament, 酒井新太 (3rd year, Sandan) and 長岡律生 (2nd year, Nidan) will participate in the men’s individual event.
- Notes
- The abbreviation is "Honjoichi" or "Honichi." It is a different school from Saitama Prefectural Honjo High School.
・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 Kumiyama ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Sano Nichidai ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Honjo Daiichi ↗
Which fact comes from which source?
- Block arrangement, seeding (No. 67), first round (No. 68 vs. No. 69), and match area (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.