Former champions are here! O League Women's Team.
The O League in the fourth match venue includes a former champion who has won the Inter-High women's team event twice. Yamagata Prefecture’s Aterazawa(Aterazawa) Prefectural High School won the national championship in 1992 and 1998, and has experience as a runner-up in 1983 and 1987. Also in the same group are Kyoai Gakuen from Gunma Prefecture, who repeated as women's team champions in a national-level tournament last year, and Takayama Nishi from Gifu Prefecture, who won the women's team and individual events at the Tokai High School General Athletic Meet. It is a round-robin tournament with two matches per school, and only one school can advance to the knockout tournament. The school that advances will play against the winner of the P League in the first round of the knockout tournament.
These three schools.
- Kyoai Gakuen（共愛学園）Gunma PrefectureGirls' team.
- Aterazawa（左沢）Yamagata PrefectureGirls' team.Women's IndividualWomen's Individual: 山田 芽依Players(3Year)、猿山 桃花Players(3Year)
- Takayama Nishi（高山西）Gifu Prefecture.Girls' team.Men's IndividualWomen's IndividualWomen's Individual: 横山 紗来Players(3Year)
The one school that advanced will play against the P League winners (Iwata Higashi (Shizuoka), Meiho (Oita), Nagasakihigashi (Nagasaki)) in the first round of the finals tournament.
Highlights
Round-robin tournament between three schools; only one school advances.
The preliminary league is a round-robin between three schools, with each school playing two matches. According to the tournament regulations of Wikipedia’s “All Japan High School Kendo Tournament,” the team competition is held as a league match of three teams per group, and the top team from each group—a total of 16 teams—advances to the knockout tournament. If the team points, number of wins, and points are all tied, a deciding match will determine the outcome. The team competition consists of five players: Senpo, Jiho, Chuken, Fukusho, and Taisho. The school that advanced from O League will play the winner of P League (Iwata Higashi・Meiho・Nagasakihigashi) in the first round of the knockout tournament.
Former national champion "Aterazawa" — can you read it?
Yamagata Prefecture Nishimurayama District Aterazawa Town’s prefectural Aterazawa High School. “Aterazawa” is written but read as “aterazawa,” a school name known nationally for its difficulty in reading. This school’s girls’ kendo club has twice achieved national dominance in the women’s team event of the National High School Kendo Tournament, in 1992 (the 39th tournament) and 1998 (the 45th tournament). They were also runners-up twice, in 1983 (the 30th tournament) and 1987 (the 34th tournament). They hold a record of 28 consecutive victories in the prefectural high school general athletic meet until fiscal year 2010, which was broken when they lost in the semi-finals to Yamagata Johoku in fiscal year 2011. They will participate in this tournament in the women’s team and women’s individual events (山田芽依 player・猿山桃花 player).
A prefectural comprehensive high school with a horticultural program.
Aterazawa High School opened in April 1948 as Yamagata Prefectural Takamatsu High School, and the Aterazawa branch school was established in July of the same year. In 1952, with the consolidation of high schools, it became Yamagata Prefectural Aterazawa High School. It moved to the current Fujida area in 1985 and was reorganized into a comprehensive high school in 2013. It has three courses: liberal arts, comprehensive business, and fruit horticulture, and is the only high school in Oe Town. The school's philosophy is "to pursue the well-being of the school and to develop capable people who will support the local community." In the Yamagata Prefecture qualifying round for the National Sports Festival Kendo competition in June 2026, the Aterazawa High School team finished second, and the Yamagata Prefecture selection team, with four additional members, won the championship.
Stacked flags of the national tournament Kyoai Gakuen
Gunma Prefecture Maebashi City’s private Kyoai Gakuen High School is a mission school with the oldest 138-year history in the O League, permitted to be established in 1888 (Meiji 21) as Maebashi English and Japanese Women's School. Its founding spirit is “to nurture people who love themselves and others based on Christian spirit and serve others,” and it has general and English courses. According to the school’s official website, the Kendo club’s results for fiscal year 2025 are: National Sakuramon Flag Competition Women’s Team Championship, Ibaraki Shimbunsha Flag National Selection Tournament Women’s Team Championship, Gunma Prefecture School Team Championship Women’s Team Championship, Gunma Prefecture High School Rookie Tournament Women’s Team Championship, Gunma Prefecture High School General Games Women’s Team 2nd place / Women’s Individual Championship, and participation in the Kanto High School Kendo Tournament as a team and individually.
From Hida, 3 divisions participating schools・Takayama Nishi
Gifu Prefecture Takayama City Shimo-Hayashi Town’s private Takayama Nishi High School was founded in August 1962. The school motto is the five principles of “Sincerity, Health, Common Sense, Effort, and Harmony.” The kendo club states on the school’s official website that its goals are “national domination” for the boys and “number one in Japan” for the girls, and emphasizes the basics of daily life such as greetings and tidiness, based on the idea that “a disturbed mind means a disturbed life.” At the National High School General Athletic Meet (Inter-High), the boys’ team and individual achieved best 16, and the girls’ team and individual achieved best 8. At the Tokai High School General Athletic Meet, the boys’ team was runner-up, and the girls won both the team and individual categories. In this tournament, they will participate in the girls’ team, boys’ individual, and girls’ individual categories.
All three schools had no wins in the women’s team event, and no wins in the men’s team event.
The three schools in O League have not participated in the men's team event. Kyoai Gakuen participates only in the women's team event, Aterazawa in the women's team and women's individual events, and Takayama Nishi in the women's team and both men's and women's individual events, making this a group of schools that have reached the national level in the women's category. Looking at the founding year, Kyoai Gakuen was founded in 1888, Aterazawa in 1948, and Takayama Nishi in 1962, a difference of 74 years. Two are private schools and one is a prefectural school. That prefectural school is the only one in this group with experience winning the Inter-High women's team event, namely Aterazawa.
Live broadcast「Former champions are here! O League Women's Team.」
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Messages of support for the participating schools and players.
Kyoai Gakuen, Aterazawa, Takayama Nishi. A mission school with 138 years of history, the only prefectural high school in Ooe Town that once stood at the peak of the nation, a private school that came from Hida with the slogan “Number One in Japan”—three schools with three different paths will clash at the fourth venue. Aterazawa’s players 山田芽依 and 猿山桃花, and Takayama Nishi’s player 横山紗来 will also compete in the individual competition. The number of flags Kyoai Gakuen has won in Gunma is not easily accumulated. Only one school can advance, but the days all three schools have continued to swing their shinai are equally genuine. Before the results, show everything you have built up.
To the five members from Senpo to Taisho.
In 1888, it began as Maebashi Eiwa Girls' School, Kyoai Gakuen. The five who have swung bamboo swords in that dojo are not yet listed in the individual results for women. From Aterazawa, which reached the national peak in 1992 and 1998, players 山田芽依 and 猿山桃花 will also compete in the individual competition, as will player 横山紗来 from Takayama Nishi, which aims for "number one in Japan." However, the team competition is a five-person system, where Senpo, Jiho, Chuken, Fukusho, and Taisho each fight their own match. There will inevitably be scenes where an unknown player holds their ground as Chuken and turns the tide as Fukusho. On August 2nd, the names of all fifteen players from the three schools will be announced. Please let us hear those names in Nara.
School Information
Kyoai Gakuen（共愛学園）
- Official name
- 共愛学園高等学校(共愛学園中学校・高等学校)
- Reading
- Kyoai Gakuen
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private coeducational school with a Christian ethos.
- Location
- Gunma Prefecture Maebashi City Koyabara-machi 1115-3
- History
- In 1888 (Meiji 21), establishment as Maebashi Eiwa Girls' School was approved.
- School motto/philosophy
- The founding spirit of the school is “to foster individuals who, based on Christian principles, love themselves and others and dedicate themselves to serving others.”
- Department.
- General Studies (Special Advancement Course, College Preparatory Course), English Department (Special Advancement Course, College Preparatory Course)
- Kendo Club
- Guided by the principle of fostering character development for future working life through budo, we dedicate ourselves to basic practice, comprehensive practice, weight training, and running. We practice from 3:45 PM on weekdays, 1:30 PM on Saturdays, and 9:00 AM on Sundays, and also participate in out-of-prefecture trips and practice matches. The team is composed of junior and senior high school students. According to the official school website, our results for the Reiwa 7 academic year are: 2nd place in the Gunma Prefecture High School General Sports Tournament Women’s Team event, 1st place in the Women’s Individual event, participation in the Women’s Team and Individual events of the Kanto High School Kendo Tournament, 1st place in the Women’s Team event of the Zenkoku Sakuramonki Sougata Taikai (All Japan Sakura Flag Tournament), 1st place in the Women’s Team event of the Gunma Prefecture School Team Championship, 1st place in the Women’s Team event of the Ibaraki Shimbunsha-ki Zenkoku Senbatsu Taikai (All Japan Selected Tournament), and 1st place in the Women’s Team event of the Gunma Prefecture High School Rookie Tournament.
Aterazawa（左沢）
- Official name
- 山形県立左沢高等学校
- Reading
- Aterazawa
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Yamagata Prefectural (Coeducational)
- Location
- 816-3 Yamano, Fujida, Oaza Ooe, Nishimurayama District, Yamagata Prefecture.
- History
- Opened in April 1948 as Yamagata Prefectural Takamatsu High School, with a branch school established in July of the same year Aterazawa. Became Yamagata Prefectural Aterazawa High School with the high school consolidation in 1952. Relocated to the current Fujida area in 1985, and reorganized into a comprehensive high school in 2013.
- School motto/philosophy
- The school’s guiding principle is “to pursue the well-being of the school and to develop capable individuals who will contribute to the community.”
- Department.
- Comprehensive Studies (Liberal Arts, Business, and Orchard Horticulture courses)
- Kendo Club
- The women's kendo team is one of the strongest in the nation. They won the women's team event at the National High School Kendo Tournament in 1992 (39th time) and 1998 (45th time), and were runners-up in 1983 (30th time) and 1987 (34th time). They recorded 28 consecutive wins at the prefectural high school general athletic meet until fiscal year 2010, where their winning streak was broken in the semi-finals against Yamagata Johoku in fiscal year 2011. In the Yamagata Prefecture qualifying round for the kendo competition of the National Sports Festival in June 2026, Aterazawa High School team finished second, and the Yamagata Prefecture selection team with four additional members won. This tournament will feature the women's team and women's individual events (山田芽依 player・猿山桃花 player).
- Notes
- "Aterazawa" is read as "aterazawa," a difficult-to-read school name. The only high school in Ooe Town.
Takayama Nishi（高山西）
- Official name
- 高山西高等学校
- Reading
- Takayama Nishi
- Division/Category of Establishment
- Private (coeducational)
- Location
- 353 Shimo-Hayashi-machi, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture.
- History
- Founded in August 1962.
- School motto/philosophy
- The school motto is "Sincerity, Health, Common Sense, Effort, and Harmony." The school slogan is "As a school pursuing both academic and martial arts excellence, we wholeheartedly support students in achieving their dreams!"
- Department.
- General Studies (Special Advanced Course I & II, Keisetsu Course)
- Kendo Club
- Advisor is 前川矩英, vice-advisor is 木伏智仁, and coach is 前川綾. Takayama Nishi Practice is held at the high school martial arts hall from after school until 18:45 on weekdays, and for half a day or for away trips on weekends and holidays. The goals are "national domination" for the men and "number one in Japan" for the women. Based on the idea that "a disturbed mind means a disturbed life," they emphasize the basics of daily life such as greetings and tidiness. Main achievements include best 16 in the men's team and men's individual at the National High School General Athletic Meet, best 16 in the women's team and best 8 in the women's individual, and a runner-up finish in the men's team and a win in both the team and individual events at the Tokai High School General Athletic Meet. The men's team made their Inter-High debut in 2011.
- Notes
- This tournament features competition in the women’s team event, men’s individual event, and women’s individual event.
・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. ↗
・Wikipedia All Japan High School Kendo Tournament (Past Champions & Tournament Regulations) ↗
・Notion Participating School Library Kyoai Gakuen High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Aterazawa High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Notion Participating Schools Library Takayama Nishi High School Kendo Club History and Achievements Summary ↗
・Wikipedia Kyoai Gakuen middle and high school ↗
・Kyoai Gakuen High School Official Site ↗
・Kyoai Gakuen High School Kendo Club ↗
・Wikipedia Yamagata Prefectural Aterazawa High School ↗
・Yamagata Prefectural Aterazawa High School Official Site ↗
・Wikipedia Takayama Nishi High School ↗
・Takayama Nishi High School Official Site ↗
・Takayama Nishi High School Club Activities Introduction ↗
Which fact comes from which source?
- League formation (Kyoai Gakuen・Aterazawa・Takayama Nishi), fourth venue, individual competition participants from each school, the O vs. P match in the final tournament is in data/2026/kumiawase.json and data/2026/league_briefs.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."
- The preliminary league consists of groups of three teams, with the top team from each group – a total of 16 teams – advancing to the knockout tournament. In the event of a tie in points, wins, and total points scored, the outcome will be decided by a deciding match, as per the tournament regulations outlined in the Wikipedia article “全国高等学校剣道大会”.
- Aterazawa’s women’s team Inter-High championships (39th in 1992 and 45th in 1998) and runner-up finishes (30th in 1983 and 34th in 1987) are listed on the Wikipedia page “All Japan High School Kendo Tournament” under the list of past women’s team champions.
- Aterazawa’s history, the comprehensive high school series, and 28 consecutive prefectural championships—which were interrupted by a loss to Yamagata Johoku in 2011—are detailed in the Wikipedia article “Yamagata Prefectural Aterazawa High School.” School policies and the results of the Yamagata Prefecture qualifying tournament for the National Sports Festival in June 2026 (Aterazawa High School team finished 2nd, Prefectural Selection team won) are available on the school’s official website.
- Kyoai Gakuen’s founding year, founding principles, and departments are on Wikipedia. The kendo club’s policies, activity hours, and Reiwa 7 record (National Sakuramoneta victory, Ibaraki Shimbunsha Flag National Selection victory, prefectural school team victory, prefectural newcomer victory, prefectural high school general competition 2nd place) are on the kendo club page of the school’s official website.
- Takayama Nishi’s founding year, school motto, departments, and first appearance in the Inter-High men’s team competition in 2011 are on Wikipedia. Information on the kendo club’s instructors, activity hours, goals, and results in the National High School General Athletic Meet and the Tokai High School General Athletic Meet can be found on the school’s official website’s club activities page.
- 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.
- 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: Aterazawa’s Inter-High championship wins were in 1992 and 1998, and do not claim a direct continuity with the current team members.
- *Takayama Nishi’s Inter-High best 16 and best 8 results are based on the achievements listed on the school’s official website, and the years of achievement are not disclosed, so they are not noted.
- The Let's Kendo article regarding the Nara Inter-High pairings only contained descriptions of individual points of interest for each women’s team league, so this article does not quote from it.
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.