Passionate swordsmen! Men's Individual Block 28.
The Nara Inter-High men's individual 28th block will see a fierce clash between three schools: Naradai Fuzoku, Kyushu Gakuin, and Hieizan. Facing the seeded player 木下智貴 (from Hieizan) will be 新垣匠司, the representative from Nara Prefecture, and 田村悠然, the representative from Kumamoto Prefecture. Attention is focused on the heated battle at the fourth match venue.
The first three players in this block.
- No.82 新垣 匠司奈良県Naradai Fuzoku（奈良大附属）／3Year・三Rank.
- No.83 田村 悠然熊本県Kyushu Gakuin（九州学院）／3Year・三Rank.
- No.84 木下 智貴滋賀県Seeded (advancing from the second round)Hieizan（比叡山）／3Year・三Rank.
Round 1: No.82 新垣 匠司(Naradai Fuzoku) vs. No.83 田村 悠然(Kyushu Gakuin)
Round 2: Winner of round 1 vs. No. 84 木下 智貴(Hieizan)
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 木下, from Kinki
Shiga Prefecture's Hieizan High School 3rd-year student 木下智貴 is a seed in this block. A strong player with a best 8 result in the Kinki tournament, their strengths are composure and solid kendo skills. Having experience against strong opponents at the national level, can they demonstrate their ability at Inter-High?
Naradai Fuzoku, contributing to the local area
The Nara Prefecture representative 新垣匠司 (3rd year of Naradai Fuzoku High School) is fired up for the local competition. As a member of a powerhouse school boasting 49 consecutive Inter-High appearances, their aggressive offense is a key strength. They advanced through the prefectural qualifiers to reach the Inter-High stage.
Kyushu Gakuin, strong teams from across the nation
The player from Kumamoto Prefecture, 田村悠然 (3rd year of Kyushu Gakuin High School), is competing from a powerhouse school that has won the Inter-High men's team championship 11 times. They are a strong player, ranking third in the All-Kyushu Tournament, and aims to win with powerful kendo.
Strong kendo schools from each prefecture.
Naradai Fuzoku boasts 44 Inter-High appearances, Kyushu Gakuin has won the boys' team event 11 times, and Hieizan is a frequent participant in the Kinki Tournament – all are kendo powerhouses with a wealth of achievements. Each school’s coaching philosophy and training methods nurture the individuality and ability of its players.
Three players advanced after winning the two qualifying spots for the prefecture.
Having won their respective prefectural qualifying tournaments in Nara, Kumamoto, and Shiga, these three have earned their spots at Inter-High. Representing their prefectures, they will compete in swordsmanship on the national stage. A heated battle is anticipated.
Live broadcast「Passionate swordsmen! Men's Individual Block 28.」
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Messages of support for the participating schools and players.
新垣, 田村, 木下! To all of you who have fought through your respective prefectures to stand on the Inter-High stage, I send you my heartfelt support. Face the solitude of standing alone in the arena, believe in your own sword, and strive for victory. Turn the cheers of your local Nara home, the traditions of Kyushu Gakuin, and the spirit of Hieizan into strength to carve out a brilliant future. With the thoughts of your teachers, families, and everyone supporting you in your heart, please do not give up until the end. I believe that you, who carry the future of the kendo worlds of Nara, Kumamoto, and Shiga prefectures, will surely show us wonderful kendo!
School Information
Naradai Fuzoku（奈良大附属）
- Official name
- 奈良大学附属高等学校
- Reading
- Naradai Fuzoku
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private (coeducational). It is an affiliated school of 奈良大学 and has a system for internal advancement to the same university.
- Location
- Nara City, Akishino-cho, Nara Prefecture.
- History
- In June 1925 (Taisho 14), the history began with the establishment of Nantou Seikyo Middle School within the grounds of Yakushiji Temple in Tsujizato Village, Ikoma District, Nara Prefecture, as a night school for working youth. Following the 1948 educational reform, it became Nara Prefectural Seikyo High School, and co-education was introduced in 1957.
- School motto/philosophy
- Founded on the spirit of "Living Correctly and Strongly" (Seikyo Spirit). School motto: "Effort is genius."
- Department.
- General Studies (Special Advancement Course, Liberal Arts Course, Standard Course)
- Kendo Club
- Inter-High for 49 consecutive years (total of 44 appearances), and the All-Japan High School Kendo Tournament in the spring for 22 consecutive years (total of 29 appearances). They have won the prefectural Inter-High qualifier 44 times in a row for 16 consecutive years. They have been runners-up twice, placed third four times, and reached the top 8 eleven times in national tournaments. They placed third in the All-Japan High School Kendo Tournament in March 2025. The women’s team has won the prefectural tournament 47 times in a row and the overall championship 96 times, and have reached the top 8 at Inter-High four times.
- Notes
- The participating schools from Nara Prefecture, the host location of this tournament.
Kyushu Gakuin（九州学院）
- Official name
- 九州学院高等学校
- Reading
- Kyushu Gakuin
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private (coeducational). School corporation Kyushu Gakuin. A Christian school with the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church as its background.
- Location
- 5-2-1 Ooe, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture.
- History
- Opened in Kumamoto City in 1909 (Meiji 42) as Luther Theological School. In 1911 (Meiji 44), it was authorized as Kyushu Gakuin, and Toshiyoshi Toyama became the first principal. It was renamed Kyushu Middle School in 1943, Kyushu Gakuin Middle School in 1946, and Kyushu Gakuin High School opened in 1948. It transitioned from an all-boys school to coeducation in 1991 (Heisei 3).
- School motto/philosophy
- School motto: "Respect Heaven and Love People (revere God and love humanity)." The educational philosophy is to cultivate "good people who are useful to society" through intellectual, moral, physical, and spiritual education.
- Department.
- General studies (Progress Class, Advanced Class, Athlete Class)
- Kendo Club
- Having won the National High School General Sports Tournament (Inter-High) men's team event a record 11 times. Winning years: 1966 (13th time), 1998 (45th time), 2013 (60th time), 2014 (61st time), 2015 (62nd time), 2016 (63rd time), 2018 (65th time), 2019 (66th time), 2021 (68th time), 2023 (70th time), 2024 (71st time). Also won the Tamaryu Flag High School Kendo Tournament a men's record 11 times (1998, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023). Also won the National High School Kendo Selection Tournament 11 times. In this tournament, they qualified from third place in the All-Kyushu Tournament, and the men's individual player 石橋智紀 won the All-Kyushu Tournament individual event.
- Notes
- This tournament featured participation in both the men’s team and men’s individual events. We have no record of female participation.
Hieizan（比叡山）
- Official name
- 比叡山高等学校
- Reading
- Hieizan
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private coeducational school operated by Enryaku-ji Gakuen, a school corporation affiliated with the Tendai sect.
- Location
- 4-3-1 Sakamoto, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture.
- History
- Founded in 1873 (Meiji 6) as “Tendai Sōgaku” on Hieizan. In 1879, it became a middle school and was split into Hieizan and Tokyo, and in 1888, the first school building was constructed on Hieizan. A new middle school was established with the 1947 educational system reform, and a high school was established in 1948 with the opening of a girls' department. It became a school corporation after 1951.
- School motto/philosophy
- Based on the words of Kobo Daishi (Saicho), “Illumination from a single point,” “Practice what you preach,” and “Selflessness and benefit to others.”
- Department.
- General Studies (Act Course, Bright Course, Crest Course)
- Kendo Club
- Inter-High appearance 9 times, All Japan Selected Tournament appearance 6 times, Kinki Tournament appearance 30 times, Kinki Selected Tournament appearance 8 times, Tamaryu Flag best 32. The club has 15 male members (4 first years, 5 second years, 6 third years) and 11 female members (3 first years, 1 second year, 7 third years). Guided by the principle of “emphasizing character development, which is the philosophy of kendo,” they dedicate a significant amount of time to fundamental practice. In practice matches, they value “respect and friendship through the sword.” The women’s team is a strengthening base school for the 2025 Shiga National Sports Festival. They entered this tournament after achieving a best 8 finish in the Kinki Tournament.
- Notes
- This tournament features competition in the men’s team, men’s individual, and women’s individual events.
・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 Naradai Fuzoku ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Kyushu Gakuin ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Hieizan ↗
Which fact comes from which source?
- Block formation, seeding (No. 84), first round (No. 82 vs. No. 83), and match arena (No. 4) were determined according to the combination chart 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.