The C League, home to a team aiming for their 12th consecutive victory! Women's Team Competition.
The C league of the first match venue featured Tomioka Higashi, a prestigious school from Tokushima that has won the prefectural general athletic meet women's team competition for 12 consecutive years, Eishin from Hiroshima, which dominated the prefectural general athletic meet women's individual competition with 1st and 2nd place and finished 3rd in the Chugoku tournament, and Shirakawa, the representative from Fukushima Prefecture. All three schools have teams that compete in both the women's team and women's individual events – a “two-way” lineup. Each school will play two matches in a round-robin format, and only one school will advance to the knockout tournament.
These three schools.
- Eishin（盈進）Hiroshima Prefecture.Girls' team.Women's IndividualWomen's Individual: 田村 愛理Players(3Year)、村岡 実紀Players(1Year)
- Tomioka Higashi（富岡東）Tokushima PrefectureGirls' team.Women's IndividualWomen's Individual: 梶岡 円花Players(3Year)、伊藤 寛夏Players(3Year)
- Shirakawa（白河）Fukushima Prefecture.Girls' team.Women's IndividualWomen's Individual: 加藤 穂乃里Players(2Year)
The one school that advanced will play against the winners of D League (Nara Ikuei(Nara), Saku Chosei(Nagano), Tamashima(Okayama)) in the first round of the finals tournament.
Highlights
Round-robin tournament between three schools – only one team can advance.
The preliminary league will be a round-robin tournament between three schools, with each school playing two matches. The team match consists of five members: 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. The school that advanced from League C will play against the winner of League D in the first round of the knockout tournament.
12 consecutive tournaments—Tomioka Higashi continuing to dominate Tokushima
The women's kendo club of Tokushima Prefectural Tomioka Higashi High School in Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture, is described by Wikipedia as "a school renowned as one of the strongest in the country." According to the school's kendo club page, the women's team won the Tokushima Prefectural High School General Sports Meet for the 12th consecutive time in June 2026, qualifying for Inter-High. In the women's individual competition, 伊藤寛夏 won and 梶岡円花 was runner-up, taking 1st and 2nd place, and the two of them will also participate in the individual competition in Nara. They also finished 3rd at the National High School Kendo Selection Tournament in 1994.
Individual first and second place taken for two consecutive years—Hiroshima・Eishin
Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture’s private Eishin High School won the women’s team championship at the Hiroshima Prefecture High School General Athletic Meet in June 2026 and qualified for Inter-High. According to the school’s club activity records, 村岡実紀 won the individual competition, 田村愛理 was runner-up, and Aisa Mishima finished third, occupying the top positions, and it is written that “qualifying for Inter-High with a 1st and 2nd place monopoly is the second consecutive year.” The winning player, Muraoka, is a first-year student. At the Chugoku High School Tournament from June 19th to 21st, the women’s team finished third, and the semi-final was decided by a deciding match against Hiroshimaminami with a score of 0-0.
First-year students who were prefectural champions are also competing in the individual event.
In the women's individual of Eishin, alongside 3rd-year student 田村愛理, 1st-year student 村岡実紀 (2nd dan) also made the list. Having won the individual competition at the prefectural tournament in their 1st year, they secured a spot in the national tournament and are a player to be reckoned with as part of the team. Tomioka Higashi’s two individual spots were filled by 3rd-year students 伊藤寛夏 and 梶岡円花, while Shirakawa had 加藤穂乃里, a 2nd-year student. Representatives from different grades, from 1st to 3rd year, gathered at the same first match venue.
From the former middle school Shirakawa (Fukushima)
Fukushima Prefecture Shirakawa City's prefectural Shirakawa High School was established as the former Shirakawa Middle School in 1922 and became the current school name with the 1948 school system reform. It became coeducational from the 1997 freshman class and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022. The courses are general and science-mathematics. A school that started as a boys' school has reached the national stage for girls' teams about 30 years after becoming coeducational. A second-year student, 加藤穂乃里 player, competes in the women's individual event. Past national tournament results for the kendo club could not be confirmed from publicly available information.
All three schools competed in both team and individual events.
The three schools in League C will all participate in both the women's team and women's individual events. The individual slots total five people: Eishin 2 people, Tomioka Higashi 2 people, and Shirakawa 1 person. The same players who competed in the team event will also take to the court in the individual event in the latter half of the tournament. Only one school can advance from the league, but even if they lose in the team event, there is still a path to advance by winning in the individual event, meaning the summer will not end with just the league results for the players in this group.
Live broadcast「The C League, home to a team aiming for their 12th consecutive victory! Women's Team Competition.」
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
堂島 厳
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
藤堂 大地
藤堂 大地
藤堂 大地
藤堂 大地
堂島 厳
剣持 翔
Messages of support for the participating schools and players.
Tomioka Higashi, you all know better than anyone the weight of continuing to be Tokushima's representative for 12 consecutive tournaments. 伊藤寛夏 and 梶岡円花, enjoy your final summer to the fullest. Eishin, demonstrate the "practical learning" you brought from Fukuyama directly on the first field. 田村愛理 and the 1st-year 村岡実紀, swing without being concerned about the difference in grade level. Shirakawa, a new line of "national for the girls' team" has been added to a history exceeding 100 years from the former middle school. 加藤穂乃里, make that first step. Even if only one school breaks through, all three schools standing here are representatives of the prefecture. Play two matches with no regrets.
To the five members from Senpo to Taisho.
Practice at Tomioka Higashi starts at 7:20 AM. Another two hours after school, building up to a twelve-time consecutive Tokushima victory. Eishin upholds "the acquisition of practical learning" as its founding spirit, and Shirakawa is a school that has surpassed a century since its founding as an old-system junior high school. The players whose names are on the combination chart are Tomioka Higashi’s 伊藤寛夏 and 梶岡円花 players, Eishin’s 田村愛理 and 村岡実紀 players, and Shirakawa’s 加藤穂乃里 player. These five will be joined by ten more whose names have not yet been announced, making fifteen players for the team competition. From Senpo to Taisho, everyone will actually hold a shinai and go for an ippon. Let us hear those fifteen names in Nara on August 2nd.
School Information
Eishin（盈進）
- Official name
- 盈進高等学校(盈進中学高等学校)
- Reading
- Eishin
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private (coeducational). Offers a unified middle and high school education.
- Location
- 487-4 Chida, Chida-cho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture.
- History
- Founded in 1904 by Eishin Kōtarō Fujii as a commercial practice school. The school was renamed to its current name in 1962, and the junior high school was reopened in 1992.
- School motto/philosophy
- The founding spirit of the school is “the acquisition of practical learning.” The school’s name originates from Mencius’s saying, “The spring ceaselessly flows, day and night without pause, filling its channel to overflowing before advancing to the four seas.” The first of the school’s six precepts is, “One should maintain a healthy body, harbor lofty aspirations, and constantly strive for progress.”
- Department.
- General studies (integrated middle and high school course, special university preparatory course, university preparatory course)
- Kendo Club
- In June 2026, they won the women’s team championship at the Hiroshima Prefectural High School General Sports Meet and qualified for Inter-High. In the individual competition, 村岡実紀 won the championship, 田村愛理 was runner-up, and 愛三島 won third place, and the school states that “winning first and second place in the individual competition for two years in a row to qualify for Inter-High.” At the Chugoku High School Tournament from June 19th to 21st, the women’s team finished third, and lost to Hiroshimaminami 0-0 in the deciding match in the semi-finals. They state that they will “be aware of being representatives of Hiroshima Prefecture and work hard on daily practice with the goal of becoming “number one in Japan”” towards Inter-High.
- Notes
- Unrelated to "Eishin College Group" in Niigata and others.
Tomioka Higashi（富岡東）
- Official name
- 徳島県立富岡東高等学校(徳島県立富岡東中学校・高等学校)
- Reading
- Tomioka Higashi
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Tokushima Prefectural High School (co-educational). A junior high school was added in 2010.
- Location
- 102番地2, Hashigose, Ryoke-cho, Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture.
- History
- Opened in March 1912 as the Naka Real High School for Girls in Naka District, Tokushima Prefecture. Renamed Tomioka High School for Girls in 1921, and became the current high school with the educational system reform of 1948. A junior high school was added in 2010.
- Department.
- Full-time courses include general academic and commerce programs, with a nursing program and specialized courses at the Hanoura campus. Part-time courses offer a general academic program.
- Kendo Club
- Wikipedia describes the girls' kendo club as "a school renowned nationwide for its strength." According to the school kendo club page, the girls' team achieved 12 consecutive victories at the prefectural high school general athletic meet in June 2026, earning a spot in Inter-High, and in the girls' individual competition, 伊藤寛夏 won the championship and 梶岡円花 was runner-up, qualifying for Inter-High. The girls' team placed third in the All Japan High School Kendo Selection Tournament in 1994. Activities take place every day except Monday, from 7:20 AM to 8:00 AM and approximately 2 hours after school on weekdays, and approximately 3 hours on weekends.
Shirakawa（白河）
- Official name
- 福島県立白河高等学校
- Reading
- Shirakawa
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Fukushima Prefectural High School (co-educational). Commonly known as "Shiroko."
- Location
- Fukushima Prefecture Shirakawa City Minamori-machi 54
- History
- Established in 1922 as the former Shirakawa Middle School, classes began on September 11, 1923. It became Fukushima Prefectural Shirakawa High School with the 1948 academic system reform. It became coeducational from the new students in 1997 and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022.
- Department.
- General studies and science courses.
- Kendo Club
- In 2026, they will participate in the All Japan High School Tournament as representatives of Fukushima Prefecture in both the women's team and women's individual events. The women's individual representative is 加藤穂乃里 (2nd year, 2nd dan). While the kendo club is active as one of the school's extracurricular activities, past results from national tournaments could not be confirmed from publicly available information.
- Notes
- This school does not have a dedicated page in the Notion “2026 Inter-High Kendo Participating Schools Library,” and the information is based on Wikipedia and the school’s official website.
・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 Eishin High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Tomioka Higashi High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Wikipedia Eishin middle and high school ↗
・EishinMiddle and High School: The Spirit of Founding ↗
・EishinJunior and Senior High School Club Activities Record ↗
・Eishin Junior and Senior High School Official Website ↗
・Wikipedia Tokushima Prefectural Tomioka Higashi Junior High School/High School ↗
・Tokushima Prefectural Tomioka Higashi High School Kendo Club ↗
・Tokushima Prefectural Tomioka Higashi High School Official Site ↗
・Wikipedia All Japan High School Kendo Tournament ↗
・Wikipedia Fukushima Prefectural Shirakawa High School ↗
・Fukushima Prefectural Shirakawa High School Official Site ↗
・72nd All Japan High School Kendo Tournament (Hiroshima 2025) – Tournament Quick Report ↗
Which fact comes from which source?
- League formation (Eishin・Tomioka Higashi・Shirakawa), first match venue, female individual participants from each school, the C vs. D match in the knockout tournament is in data/2026/league_briefs.json and data/2026/kumiawase.json (based on the official PDF)
- Eishin・Tomioka Higashi’s school name reading, participation category, and prefecture are on the school-specific page of the Notion “2026 Inter-High Kendo Participating Schools Library.” Shirakawa does not have a Notion page, so it is based on league_briefs.json and publicly available information only.
- Eishin’s founding spirit of “Acquisition of Practical Learning” and the six school precepts are on the school’s official website’s founding spirit page. Founding (1904, Eishin Commercial Practical School) • Location • Courses are on Wikipedia.
- Eishin’s 2026 Hiroshima Prefectural High School General Athletic Meet Women’s Team Champion, Individual 1st place 村岡実紀 player, 2nd place 田村愛理 player, 3rd place Mishima Ai player, “Winning both 1st and 2nd place individually for 2 years in a row to qualify for Inter-High,” China Tournament Women’s Team 3rd place (0-0 deciding match against Hiroshimaminami in the semi-finals) is the school’s club activity record page.
- Tomioka Higashi’s founding (1912, Naga District Public Naga Practical Higher Girls' School), history, location, departments, and the description of “the girls’ kendo club is one of the strongest schools in the country” are on Wikipedia.
- Tomioka Higashi’s 2026 Prefectural High School General Athletic Meet Women’s Team 12 consecutive victories, Women’s Individual 伊藤寛夏 player champion and 梶岡円花 player runner-up, activity time is on the same school kendo club page.
- Tomioka Higashi’s All Japan High School Kendo Selection Tournament Women’s Team 3rd Place in 1994 is Wikipedia “All Japan High School Kendo Selection Tournament.”
- Shirakawa’s founding (1922, former Shirakawa Middle School)・co-education in 1997・100th anniversary in 2022・departments and location are on Wikipedia and the school’s official website.
- 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 Shirakawa 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.