Everyone knows what it's like to stand on the podium! Women's Team L League.
The women's L League at the third venue features Toin Gakuen (Kanagawa), which has finished runner-up three times in the Inter-High women's team event, Suzuka (Mie) which finished third in the 2021 Inter-High, and Toridedaiichi, which won the prefectural qualifier this year by defeating Moriya, a five-time national champion. All three schools know what it's like to stand on the national podium or a place comparable to it. A round-robin format with two matches per school, and only one school can advance to the final tournament.
These three schools.
- Suzuka（鈴鹿）Mie PrefectureGirls' team.Women's IndividualWomen's Individual: 濱﨑 亜子Players(3Year)
- Toridedaiichi（取手第一）Ibaraki PrefectureGirls' team.
- Toin Gakuen（桐蔭学園）Kanagawa PrefectureGirls' team.
The one school that advanced will play against the K League winner (Nakamura Gakuen(Fukuoka), Konko Osaka(Osaka), Too Gijuku(Aomori)) 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 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 scored. 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 losing even one match means the summer is over. The one school that advances from L league will play against the winner of K league in the first round of the knockout tournament.
All three schools are familiar with being among the top in the nation.
These three schools in this league have all experienced advancing to the upper ranks of the Inter-High women's team event. Toin Gakuen(Kanagawa) was runner-up in 2003, 2005, and 2015, and third place in 2018. Suzuka(Mie) was third place in 2021. While Toridedaiichi(Ibaraki)'s national results could not be confirmed with publicly available information, the opponent they defeated in this year's prefectural qualifying final is a frequent participant at the national level. Schools that know the view from the podium will compete in a round-robin format from the first day to win one spot.
Toridedaiichi defeated in the prefectural qualifying final
According to the results of the Ibaraki Prefectural High School Athletic Federation Kendo Specialty Division's national qualifying tournament for the Reiwa 8th year, Toridedaiichi won the women's team championship and Moriya was runner-up. That Moriya has won the Inter-High women's team championship five times in 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012, and 2023, and has been runner-up in 2017, 2018, and 2025, and is a prestigious school that also achieved a three-peat in the women's team at this year's Kanto Tournament, according to the specialty division's website. Toridedaiichi stopped Moriya, which had dominated Kanto, in the prefectural final. The same school also finished third in the men's team in the same qualifying tournament.
Founded in 1922, a comprehensive high school that has produced Olympic medalists.
Toridedaiichi is a prefectural high school located in Daisuku, Toride City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and was founded in 1922 as an agricultural high school, which was reorganized into a comprehensive high school with a unit-credit system in 2003. Located a 5-minute walk from Toride Station on the JR line, it is known for its particularly active cycling club, and has produced multiple Olympic medalists, including Takamasa Kuremoto, a bronze medalist in the 1km time trial at the Atlanta Olympics, and Tomohiro Nagatsuka, a silver medalist in the team sprint at the Athens Olympics. No national tournament results for the kendo club could be confirmed in publicly available information.
The girls’ team from the academy that won the national championship three times in the men’s division.
Yokohama City Aoba Ward’s private Toin Gakuen High School was founded in 1964. It promotes the school motto of “Let’s be true to ‘makoto’ in all things” and “Let’s cultivate a ‘strong will’ to persevere to the end,” and became coeducational in the 2018 academic year. The kendo club has won Inter-High in the men’s team category in 2002, 2003, and 2012, and has been runner-up in the women’s team category in 2003, 2005, and 2015, and finished third in 2018. At the 64th Kanagawa Prefectural High School Comprehensive Sports Tournament in the Reiwa 8 academic year, the women’s team won on June 27th, securing their participation in this tournament.
With 13 members, experienced 3rd place nationally Suzuka
Mie Prefecture Suzuka City’s private Suzuka High School is a school founded in 1963 by the school corporation Suzuka Kyoey Gakuen, with a founding spirit of “being a person of honesty and trustworthiness.” It has three courses in the general academic program: advanced, inquiry, and comprehensive. The women’s kendo club has 13 members, with advisors Masafumi Adachi, Mayu Nakagawa, and Takuma Kita, and coach Natuko Inoue. They practice for about 3 hours 6 days a week at the budojo, on weekdays as well as weekends and holidays. They placed 3rd in the women’s team event at Inter-High in 2021, and in this tournament, 濱﨑亜子 (3rd year, 3rd dan) will also participate in the women’s individual event.
Live broadcast「Everyone knows what it's like to stand on the podium! Women's Team L League.」
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Messages of support for the participating schools and players.
Suzuka, Toridedaiichi, Toin Gakuen. Schools knowing the view of the national top level and a school that stopped national regulars in the prefectural finals lined up in the same group from the first day. Suzuka, with 13 members stacking up 6 days a week, has player 濱﨑亜子 who can also stand in the women's individual. Toridedaiichi, which won through Ibaraki as a prefectural comprehensive high school. Toin Gakuen, which won through Kanagawa with "Makoto" as its motto. The weight of the names and the size of the clubs are different, but all three schools have the same qualification to step onto this stage. There is only one breakthrough spot. That's why, before the results, I want you to be proud of what you've continued to do until now. Give it your all.
To the five members from Senpo to Taisho.
Thirteen members, six days a week, three hours even on weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays—this is the practice that the Suzuka girls' kendo club has repeated in the budojo. Of the five who will stand from there, only 濱﨑亜子 is listed in the girls' individual competition. Toridedaiichi and Toin Gakuen are not on the list of girls' individuals, but that is because each prefecture has two slots, and it is a different story from the team competition. The five who won Ibaraki, and the five from Toin Gakuen who overcame Kanagawa with the school motto of "makoto," will both put on their armor on the day and fight to take ippon. Their names just haven't been announced yet. On August 2nd, the names of all fifteen will be called. Please let us hear those names in Nara.
School Information
Suzuka（鈴鹿）
- Official name
- 鈴鹿高等学校
- Reading
- Suzuka
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private (coeducational). Established by Suzuka Kyoei Gakuen.
- Location
- Mie Prefecture Suzuka City Shono-cho 1260
- History
- Opened in April 1963 (Showa 38). Initially, the school offered general academic courses and commercial courses, with the commercial course being discontinued in 1989. A part-time program was operated from 1970 to 1979. A new gymnasium was completed in 2003, and a sub-arena in 2009.
- School motto/philosophy
- Founded on the spirit of "to become a person of honesty and trust." We place importance on mutual trust between students and teachers.
- Department.
- Full-time general academic courses (Comprehensive Course, Research Course, Advanced Course)
- Kendo Club
- The women’s kendo club has 13 members. The advisors are Masashi Adachi, Mayu Nakagawa, and Takuma Kita, and the coach is Natuko Inoue. They practice for about 3 hours a day, 6 days a week, on weekdays, weekends, and holidays, using the martial arts dojo as their base. They placed 3rd in the 2021 National High School Kendo Tournament (Inter-High) for women’s teams. This time, they qualified for the tournament by winning the Mie prefectural preliminaries for the Reiwa 8 academic year, and will participate in the women’s team and women’s individual events (濱﨑亜子 player, 3rd year, 3rd dan).
- Notes
- Not a prefectural Mie high school, but a private one. Be careful, as there are multiple high schools including "Suzuka" in their school name.
Toridedaiichi（取手第一）
- Official name
- 茨城県立取手第一高等学校
- Reading
- Toridedaiichi
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Ibaraki Prefectural (Co-educational)
- Location
- 4-1-2 Daishuku, Toride, Ibaraki Prefecture.
- History
- Founded in 1922, it boasts a long history as an agricultural high school, and was reorganized into a comprehensive curriculum based on a credit system in 2003. It is located a 5-minute walk from JR Toride Station.
- Department.
- Comprehensive high school (offering academic and vocational courses)
- Kendo Club
- According to the results of the Ibaraki Prefectural High School Sports Federation Kendo Section's national qualifying tournament for the Reiwa 10th year, the women's team won (runner-up was Moriya), and the men's team finished third. They are a strong team representing the prefecture's women's kendo. The kendo club's national tournament results could not be confirmed in publicly available information. The school's cycling club is particularly active, having produced multiple Olympic medalists, including Takamori Toshinobu, who won a bronze medal in the 1km time trial at the Atlanta Olympics, and Nagatsuka Tomohiro, who won a silver medal in the team sprint at the Athens Olympics.
- Notes
- The same Toride Shoho High School and Toride Seidoku Girls' High School, both located in Toride City, Ibaraki Prefecture, are different schools.
Toin Gakuen（桐蔭学園）
- Official name
- 桐蔭学園高等学校
- Reading
- Toin Gakuen
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private school. Became co-educational in the 2018 academic year.
- Location
- Kanagawa Prefecture Yokohama City Aoba Ward Tetsumachi 1614
- History
- Opened in April 1964 (Showa 39) simultaneously with the establishment of the school corporation Toin Gakuen. First appearance and first victory in high school baseball in 1971. Became coeducational from the 2018 academic year, and reorganized the general course into a three-course system of Progress, Advance, and Standard.
- School motto/philosophy
- Our school motto is to “strive for sincerity in all things” and to “cultivate a strong will to persevere until the end.” We aim to nurture individuals who are free yet fulfill their obligations, founded on a spirit of social solidarity.
- Department.
- General studies (Progress Course, Advanced Course, Standard Course)
- Kendo Club
- Both men’s and women’s kendo clubs are established. The women’s team was runner-up at Inter-High in 2003, 2005, and 2015, and placed third in 2018. The men’s team won Inter-High in 2002, 2003, and 2012. On June 27th, they won the women’s team event at the 64th Kanagawa Prefectural High School Comprehensive Sports Festival (Inter-High Kanagawa Prefecture Qualifiers), securing their place in this tournament.
- Notes
- Separate course from the Toin Gakuen secondary education school of the same corporation
・National High School Kendo Tournament Official Website ↗
・Let's Kendo [Matchups] August 2nd - 5th, 73rd All Japan High School Kendo Tournament / Nara Inter-High 2026. ↗
・Wikipedia National High School Kendo Tournament (Women's Team - Historical Results) ↗
・Wikipedia Suzuka High School ↗
・Suzuka High School Official Site ↗
・Wikipedia Ibaraki Prefectural Toridedaiichi High School ↗
・Ibaraki Prefectural High School Athletic Federation Kendo Specialist Division - Results of the Reiwa 8 National Qualifying Tournament. ↗
・Ibaraki Prefectural High School Athletic Federation Kendo Section Top Page ↗
・Wikipedia Toin Gakuen High School ↗
・Toin Gakuen High School Club Activities ↗
・Notion Participating School Library Suzuka High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Notion Participating School Library Toridedaiichi High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Notion Participating School Library Toin Gakuen High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・72nd All Japan High School Kendo Tournament (Hiroshima 2025) – Tournament Quick Report ↗
Which fact comes from which source?
- League structure (Suzuka・Toridedaiichi・Toin Gakuen), third venue, individual competition participants from each school, the L vs. K match in the final tournament is in data/2026/league_briefs.json and data/2026/kumiawase.json (based on the official PDF).
- Each school's official name, type of institution, location, pronunciation, and qualification for participation can be found on the school-specific page in the Notion "2026 Inter-High Kendo Participating Schools Library."
- Toin Gakuen's Inter-High Women's Team Runner-up (2003, 2005, 2015) and 3rd Place (2018), Suzuka's 3rd Place (2021), Moriya's Championship (2005, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2023) and Runner-up (2017, 2018, 2025) are from the Wikipedia "All Japan High School Kendo Tournament" Women's Team Historical Results Table.
- The Ibaraki Prefecture preliminary for the Reiwa 8 academic year: Women's team champion = Toridedaiichi, runner-up = Moriya, and the men's team finished 3rd = Toridedaiichi is the Reiwa 8 national preliminary results page of the Ibaraki Prefectural High School Sports Federation Kendo Specialty Division. Moriya’s three consecutive wins in the Kanto Tournament women’s team event is announced on the top page of the same specialty division.
- Toin Gakuen’s boys’ team Inter-High championship (2002, 2003, 2012)・founding year・school motto・co-education・course structure are on Wikipedia. The Kanagawa Prefecture qualifying round for girls’ teams in fiscal year 2026 (June 27) is on the Notion school page (derived from the school’s official Facebook).
- Toridedaiichi’s founding year (1922), transition to a comprehensive high school, location, and producing Olympic medalists are on Wikipedia.
- The founding corporation (school corporation Suzuka Kyoey Gakuen), year of establishment, founding spirit, and course structure are available on Wikipedia and the school's official website. The number of members in the girls' kendo team is 13, and information on the advisor, coach, and activities can be found on the school's girls' kendo team page.
- 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)).
- School names are read as indicated in the Notion participating schools library’s reading column. Player names have not been confirmed, so readings are not included.
- Regarding the kendo club of Toridedaiichi, no nationwide tournament results could be confirmed in publicly available information, so only the prefectural qualifying results and school overview are described.
- 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.
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.