The A League awaits the queens of Kyushu! Women's team event.
League A at the first court featured the prestigious Shirayuri Gakuen (Yatsushiro Shirayuri Gakuen) from Kumamoto, which boasts five titles at the National High School Kendo Selection Tournament, alongside 山口・Sakuragaoka, who have a record of winning the Chugoku Tournament girls' team event, and Akitakita, representing Akita Prefecture. In a three-school round-robin, each school plays two matches, and only one school can advance to the final tournament. This is also a group where the lineage of women's kendo overlaps, as all three schools have girls' high schools as their predecessors.
These three schools.
- Sakuragaoka（桜ケ丘）山口 PrefectureGirls' team.Women's IndividualWomen's Individual: 杉山 渚紗Players(3Year)
- Shirayuri Gakuen（白百合学園）Kumamoto Prefecture.Girls' team.Women's IndividualWomen's Individual: 楢橋 美絢Players(2Year)、石河 日月Players(3Year)
- Akitakita（秋田北）Akita PrefectureGirls' team.
The one school that advances will face the winners of B League (Kogota Norin(Miyagi), Tokaidai Sapporo(Hokkaido), Imabari Seika(Ehime)) in the first round of the final tournament.
Highlights
Round-robin tournament between three schools – only one team can advance.
The preliminary league will be a round-robin between three schools, with each school playing two matches. The team match consists of five players: Senpo, Jiho, Chuken, Fukusho, and Taisho. The winner is decided by the number of wins, and if tied, by the number of points. In the official results of the previous tournament, the number of wins and points were listed together, such as "3(6)-1(2)". Only one school from each league can advance to the knockout tournament, and if they lose even one match, their Inter-High run is over. The one school that advanced from League A will play against the winner of League B in the first round of the knockout tournament.
Five-time national selection champion · Shirayuri Gakuen (Kumamoto)
Yatsushiro Shirayuri Gakuen High School, a private girls' school in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, follows the tradition of the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres, a Catholic order. The kendo team has won five times at the All Japan High School Kendo Selection Tournament in 1996, 1999, 2003, 2006, and 2022, and also won the women's division of the Tamaryokuki High School Kendo Tournament in 1999. The school motto is "Obedience, Diligence, and Benevolence." This is the only team in this league to have experienced the pinnacle of the national tournament.
Having conquered Kyushu, on to Nara—Shirayuri Gakuen’s 2026
Shirayuri Gakuen won the Kumamoto Prefecture High School General Athletic Meet on May 31, 2026, and qualified for Inter-High. According to the school's official website, they competed against Shokei, Kikuchi Girls', and Aso Chuo in the final league, winning the final match against Aso Chuo 3-1 to claim the championship. Furthermore, they won the women's team event at the 73rd All-Kyushu High School Kendo Tournament held in Satsuma-Kawainashi, Kagoshima Prefecture in July. In the individual event, 楢橋美絢 won the championship, and 石河日月 finished third, and the two of them will also participate in the women's individual event.
Sakuragaoka (山口), who won the Chugoku Regional Women's Team Championship
山口 Prefecture's private 山口 Prefecture Sakuragaoka High School, located in Shunan City, 山口 Prefecture, was founded in 1940 as 山口 Prefecture Sakuragaoka Girls' High School. The school motto is "Life is Art." The kendo club's goal is to "Master the Way of the Sword." According to the official school website, the women's team won the 70th China Region High School Kendo Championships in the 2024 academic year, competed in the women's team event at the Inter-High that same year, and the women also competed in the National Sports Festival. In the 2025 academic year, both the men's and women's teams competed in the All Japan High School Selected Kendo Tournament. For the women's individual event, there is 杉山渚紗.
Akita Prefecture representative・Akitakita—Founded in 1901 as the former Akita Prefectural Higher Girls' School
Akita City Chishu-Nakajima’s prefectural Akitakita High School was established in 1901 as Akita Prefectural Higher Women’s School and became coeducational in April 2008. Its school motto is “Seek Truth, Goodness, and Beauty,” and it has a general academic course. In this tournament, they are only participating in the women’s team event and are the only team in League A not to send a player to the women’s individual event. Past results in national tournaments for the kendo club could not be confirmed from publicly available information, so only the fact that they are participating as the Akita Prefecture representative is noted here.
All three schools began as “Higher Girls’ Schools.”
The three schools in this group all originate from pre-war girls' educational institutions. Shirayuri Gakuen was the private Yatsushiro Girls' Technical and Arts School founded in 1909 (promoted to Yatsushiro Practical Higher Girls' School in 1921), Sakuragaoka was the 山口 Prefecture Sakuragaoka Higher Girls' School founded in 1940, and Akitakita was the Akita Prefecture Higher Girls' School founded in 1901. Shirayuri Gakuen remains a girls' school, while Sakuragaoka and Akitakita have since become coeducational. In the first match of the women's team event, these three schools with a lineage of girls' education compete for the first slot.
Live broadcast「The A League awaits the queens of Kyushu! Women's team event.」
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Messages of support for the participating schools and players.
Shirayuri Gakuen everyone, the training you’ve built up in Kyushu won’t betray you. 楢橋美絢 player, 石河日月 player, unleash that sword in Nara, both in team and individual events. Sakuragaoka everyone, I want you to paint the “Life is Art” you brought from Shunan directly onto the first match venue. I’m waiting for an ippon from 杉山渚紗 player. Akitakita everyone, you’re stepping onto the national stage carrying the name of a school that has continued since 1901—that alone is something to be proud of. As this is a league match competing for one spot, two schools will inevitably experience regret. Still, no one can take away the path you’ve walked so far. I wish all three schools two matches with no regrets.
To the five members from Senpo to Taisho.
In 1901, it began as Akita Prefectural Higher Girls' School Akitakita. Sakuragaoka opened in 1940, and Shirayuri Gakuen was founded in 1909. All three schools carry on the lineage of girls' education. Listed on the combination chart are Sakuragaoka’s 杉山渚紗 player, and Shirayuri Gakuen’s 楢橋美絢 and 石河日月 players. Players who will also participate in the individual competition are listed first, so the name of Akitakita has not yet appeared. However, the team competition is a five-person system, and all five members will compete. On August 2nd, when the lineup is announced, the names of fifteen players, from Senpo to Taisho, will echo throughout the venue. There won’t be a single player without a name. We just don’t know them yet. Please tell us those names in Nara.
School Information
Sakuragaoka（桜ケ丘）
- Official name
- 山口県桜ケ丘高等学校
- Reading
- Sakuragaoka
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private coeducational school. It is affiliated with 晃英館中学校 and provides a unified middle and high school education.
- Location
- 山口 5626-1 Tokuyama, Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture
- History
- Opened in 1940 as 山口 Prefecture Sakuragaoka Higher Girls' School. In 1947, it was renamed Sakuragaoka Girls' Academy and established a new-system junior high school, and in 1948, it transitioned to 山口 Prefecture Sakuragaoka High School. Combined middle and high school education began in 2005, and the affiliated junior high school was renamed Koeikan Junior High School in 2009.
- School motto/philosophy
- The school motto is "Life is art."
- Department.
- General studies (Kōeikan Course, Special Advancement Course, University Preparatory Course, Sōsaku Course). The Sōsaku Course has career-focused, artist-focused, business-focused, and electrical-focused streams.
- Kendo Club
- According to the school’s official website’s club introduction, their motto is “to master the way of the sword” and they aim to be the best in Japan. In fiscal year 2024, they won the women’s team championship at the 70th China High School Kendo Championships, qualified for the women’s team event at Inter-High, and the women’s team participated in the 78th National Sports Festival. In fiscal year 2025, both the men’s and women’s teams will participate in the 35th All-Japan High School Invitational Kendo Tournament, and the men’s team will participate in the 79th National Sports Festival. In fiscal year 2026, they will participate in Inter-High in both the women’s team and women’s individual events.
- Notes
- The Notion page lists the location as "山口 City," but both the official website and Wikipedia state it is Tokuyama, Shunan City.
Shirayuri Gakuen（白百合学園）
- Official name
- 八代白百合学園高等学校
- Reading
- Shirayuri Gakuen
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private all-girls school. A Catholic school founded by the Sisters of the Chartres Saint Paul Convent.
- Location
- 727-1 Inoue-machi, Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture
- History
- In 1900, the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres began activities in Yatsushiro City, and in 1909, the school was founded as Yatsushiro Private Girls' Vocational School. In 1921, it was promoted to Yatsushiro Practical Higher Girls' School, and in 1926, it was renamed Yatsushiro Narumi Higher Girls' School. In 1948, Yatsushiro Shirayuri Gakuen High School was established. It celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009 and relocated to Inouemachi.
- School motto/philosophy
- The school motto is "Obedience, Diligence, and Love of Virtue." The school website states its aim is "to nurture women who will be active in a wide range of fields in society."
- Department.
- General studies (including special advanced placement course, college preparatory course, and standard course, etc.)
- Kendo Club
- Won the All Japan High School Kendo Selection Tournament Women’s Team event in 1996, 1999, 2003, 2006, and 2022. Also won the Tamaryu Flag High School Kendo Tournament Women’s event in 1999. In 2026, they won the Kumamoto Prefecture High School General Athletic Meet on May 31st, securing a spot in Inter-High (playing against Shokei, Kikuchi Women’s, and Aso Chuo in the final league, winning against Aso Chuo 3-1), and also won the Women’s Team event at the 73rd All Kyushu High School Kendo Tournament held in Satsuma-Kawainashi, Kagoshima Prefecture in July. In the same tournament’s individual event, 楢橋美絢 won and 石河日月 finished third.
- Notes
- A different school from Morioka Shirayuri Gakuen High School in Iwate Prefecture. The location of the Notion page, "Kumamoto City," is incorrect; it is actually Yatsushiro City.
Akitakita（秋田北）
- Official name
- 秋田県立秋田北高等学校
- Reading
- Akitakita
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Akita Prefectural (Co-educational)
- Location
- 8-1, Chishu-Nakajima, Akita City, Akita Prefecture
- History
- Established in 1901 as Akita Prefectural Women's Higher School, its founding anniversary is celebrated on October 16th, the date of the first classes. Following the 1948 educational reform, it transitioned into a new system high school, and became coeducational in April 2008.
- School motto/philosophy
- The school motto is "Seek Truth, Goodness, and Beauty."
- Department.
- General studies course.
- Kendo Club
- In 2026, they will participate in Inter-High as the Akita Prefecture representative in the women’s team event. There are 13 athletic clubs and 18 cultural clubs active at the school, and the kendo club is one of them, but past results from national tournaments could not be confirmed from publicly available information. There are no participants in the women’s individual event in this tournament.
- Notes
- The school's official website was unavailable at the time of research, so the information is based on Wikipedia and a Notion page.
・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: Summary of the history and achievements of Sakuragaoka High School (山口) Kendo Club ↗
・Notion Participating School Library Shirayuri Gakuen High School (Kumamoto) Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Notion Participating School Library Akitakita High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Wikipedia 山口 Prefecture Sakuragaoka High School / Koeikan Junior High School ↗
・山口 Prefecture Sakuragaoka High School Club Introduction ↗
・山口 Prefecture Sakuragaoka High School Official Website ↗
・Wikipedia Yatsushiro Shirayuri Gakuen High School ↗
・Yatsushiro Shirayuri Gakuen High School Official Site ↗
・Yatsushiro Shirayuri Gakuen Kendo Club: All Kyushu Inter-High Team Champions, 楢橋 Champion, 石河 3rd Place ↗
・Yatsushiro Shirayuri Gakuen Kendo Club Report on Participation in the Kumamoto Prefecture High School General Athletic Meet Women's Team - Reiwa 8 ↗
・Wikipedia Akita Prefectural Akitakita High School ↗
・Wikipedia All Japan High School Kendo Tournament (Women's Team - Past Champions) ↗
・72nd All Japan High School Kendo Tournament (Hiroshima 2025) – Tournament Quick Report ↗
Which fact comes from which source?
- League formation (Sakuragaoka・Shirayuri Gakuen・Akitakita), first match venue, female individual participants from each school, the A vs. B match in the knockout tournament is in data/2026/league_briefs.json and data/2026/kumiawase.json (based on the official PDF)
- School names, participation categories, and prefectures can be found on the school-specific pages of the Notion “2026 Inter-High Kendo Participating Schools Library.”
- Shirayuri Gakuen is Yatsushiro Shirayuri Gakuen, the school type (Catholic girls' school) • location • history • school motto • 5 wins at the All Japan High School Kendo Tournament • and the 1999 Tamaryu Flag victory are from the Wikipedia article “Yatsushiro Shirayuri Gakuen High School”.
- Shirayuri Gakuen's 2026 Kumamoto Prefectural High School General Tournament victory (3-1 against Aso Chuo), the All-Kyushu General Tournament team victory, 楢橋's individual victory, and 石河's 3rd place are from the kendo club articles on the school's official website (dated May 31 and July 5, 2026).
- Sakuragaoka’s official name, location (Tokuyama, Shunan City), history, school motto, and departments are available on the school’s official website and Wikipedia. China Regional Championship Women’s Team Victory (2024), National Selection Team Men’s and Women’s Team Participation (2025), and National Sports Festival Participation are detailed on the school’s official website’s club activities page.
- Akitakita’s founding (Akita Prefectural Higher Women’s School, 1901) • Co-education in 2008 • School motto “Seek Truth, Goodness, and Beauty” • General course on Wikipedia
- All three schools have roots as former women's high schools, a description based on historical information gathered about the three schools.
- For team matches with five players, and judging based on the number of wins (points), please refer to the score notation on the official results website for the 2025 Hiroshima Tournament (e.g., 3(6)-1(2)).
- Since this is before the tournament, I have not described any details of the matches – the attacks and defenses, wins and losses, or rankings. Only facts that can be read from the pairings and previously reported results are included.
- Note: The kendo club results for Akitakita could not be confirmed from publicly available information, and only confirmed facts are listed.
- The player names have not been confirmed, so furigana are not included.
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.