High schooler Yoshida completes historic Japan national title double

Thursday, December 19, 2024 - 15:00 By Ken Marantz

Taizo YOSHIDA, left, battles Yuya OKAJIMA in the Greco 82kg final. (photo by Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

TOKYO (December 19) -- As the wrestling world still buzzes about those four gold medals won by Japanese men at the Paris Olympics, a rising star is emerging who looks capable of showing that there will more of that ahead.

Teenager Taizo YOSHIDA, already a senior Asian champion, became just the fourth high schooler in history to win a men's title at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships when he triumphed at Greco 82kg on Thursday in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, Ami ISHII and Miwa MORIKAWA, who both medaled at the Non-Olympic Weight Category World Championships after failing to qualify for the Paris Olympics, regained the women's 68kg and 65kg titles, respectively.

The 18-year-old Yoshida recorded three straight technical falls before defeating veteran Yuya OKAJIMA 5-0 in the final on the opening day of the four-day tournament at Tokyo's Yoyogi No. 2 Gym that is serving as the first of two domestic qualifiers for next year's World Championships.

The other world qualifier is the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, which will be held in June next year. Having won that tournament this year, Yoshida's victory on Thursday made him the only male high schooler to achieve the Emperor's-Meiji double.

"To win both the Meiji Cup and Emperor's Cup as a high schooler is quite a feat, and I achieved it," said Yoshida, who lost a close match in the final at last year's Emperor's Cup. "To be able to say I was the first makes me really happy."

Yoshida made his first mark on the global stage by winning the world U17 gold at 80kg in 2023. That was just a prelude for what was to come in 2024, as he won the gold at the Asian Championships, then took a bronze at the world U20 and finished fifth at the senior worlds.

He said that working on his par terre wrestling has made a difference. "Up to the Meiji Cup, I was at a level where I couldn't get a roll even once. But I worked on improving my ground wrestling, and I think this was the payoff."

Yoshida is from the same rural high school in western Japan that produced Paris Olympic champion Nao KUSAKA, and he will follow in Kusaka's footsteps and enroll at powerhouse Nippon Sports Science University (known informally as Nittaidai) in the spring as he begins his quest for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"Takamatsu Kita High School is really out in the country, and we had few members on the [wrestling] team and not a good practice environment," Yoshida said. "But out of that an Olympic champion emerged, and that makes me believe that it is possible for me.

"I will be in my senior year of college at the time of the Los Angeles Olympics. The training situation will be at a much higher level at Nittaidai, and as a culmination of my four years, I want to win an Olympic title along with Nao."

While victory laps are not standard procedure at the Emperor's Cup, Yoshida made an exception by taking one that was more a tribute to Kusaka -- instead of a Japanese flag, he ran a quick lap with one of the towels that Kusaka's supporters brandished in Paris.

"It wasn't very exciting, but it made him happy. Maybe he'll buy me something," Yoshida joked.

JPN1 Ami ISHII scores a takedown on Mahiro YOSHITAKE in the women's 68kg final. (photo by Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

Ishii captures 7th straight major tournament title

Ishii, coming off winning her first world title with a victory at 72kg in Tirana -- which she preceded the week before by capturing the world U23 gold at 68kg -- easily plowed through a thin field to regain the 68kg Emperor's Cup crown that she won in 2023.

Ishii, who still feels the sting of a crushing, last-second loss to Nonoka OZAKI in a playoff for the Paris Olympic 68kg berth, won both of her round-robin group matches 10-0, then repeated that score in routing Asian 65kg champion Mahiro YOSHITAKE in the final.

"I lost in the qualifying for Paris, and I have set a goal of going to the Los Angeles Olympics and winning the gold," Ishii said. "My main objective is getting to Los Angeles and it started by winning today at the Emperor's Cup by focusing on each and every match."

The pain of missing out on Paris was so sharp that Ishii revealed that she did not even watch the wrestling competition, with the exception of her Ikuei University teammates Tsugumi SAKURAI and Sakura MOTOKI, who both went on to win gold medals.

"Half of me didn't want to, but I had worked so hard with Sakura and Tsugumi to make us all better, so of course I had to support them. But I didn't watch anyone else," she said, adding that she did watch other Olympic sports.

Since the playoff in January, Ishii has been among the busiest of Japan's top wrestlers. While the Olympic medalists have been barely seen outside of television appearances and hometown events -- only Ozaki is entered in this year's Emperor's Cup -- Ishii entered seven high-level tournaments, as well as a few small regional events, and won them all.

"There was no pressure that if I lost, I wouldn't qualify for something else. I was really happy to take part. And it was half-joking, half-serious, but after my first win after the playoff, I would say I was on my way to beating Akari FUJINAMI's winning streak, which was 127 at the time. Right now I am at 27 in a row."

JPN2 Miwa MORIKAWA, right, holds off Momoko KITADE in the women's 65kg final. (photo by Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

Morikawa, the 2022 world champion at 65kg, had also tried to make the Olympic team at 68kg, a quest that ended with a loss in last year's Emperor's Cup final to Ozaki. She then won a playoff to get to the non-Olympic worlds at 65kg, where she took a bronze home from Tirana.

On Thursday, Morikawa was not overly dominating. In the final, she scored four stepouts -- one with a fleeing point tacked on -- in a 5-0 victory over Momoko KITADE.

"I had aimed for winning by technical superiority, but this whole tournament, nothing went right for me," Morikawa said. "But I think I have some clear issues to work on in the future."

Morikawa has twice been foiled in a bid to make it to the Olympics, and is determined to not have to endure a third time. The domestic qualifying for Los Angeles will start with the 2026 Emperor's Cup, so for now, she will stay at 65kg and work on sharpening her game and rebuilding confidence.

"To be honest, there are strong wrestlers in every weight class. I want to dominate this weight class and, with the qualifying for Los Angeles starting [in two years], I am only thinking about improving."

jpg Yoshinosuke AOYAGI works to turn Toki OGAWA in the freestyle 70kg final. (photo by Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

Aoyagi cruises to 3rd straight freestyle 70kg crown

Another medalist from the non-Olympic worlds who made it to the top of the podium was Yoshinosuke AOYAGI, who won a third straight crown at 70kg by defeating Toki OGAWA by 10-0 technical fall in the final.

For Aoyagi, it capped a productive year in which he won a silver medal at the Asian Championships, won the title at the Meiji Cup, finished third at the world U23 (a year after placing second), then took a silver at the non-Olympic worlds in Tirana.

"I feel like I won because the flow of my matches went really well," Aoyagi said.

Acknowledging that his overseas success this year has boosted his confidence, he added that he feels pressure from within the training group at Yamanashi Gakuin University, from which he graduated last spring. That includes Kaito MORITA, who he faced and defeated 5-0 in the semifinals.

"There are guys coming up from within my own team that are steadily turning up the heat," Aoyagi said. "The semifinal was tough; to be honest, it scared me. In the final, you never know what will happen."

At freestyle 65kg, Kaisei TANABE, whose father Chikara was a bronze medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, defeated world U23 silver medalist Kaiji OGINO 2-0 in the final to add that title to the one he won last year at 61kg.

In the semifinals, Tanabe scored a 7-2 victory over two-time world U20 champion Yuto NISHIUCHI, who had beaten him at the collegiate championships in August.

The 61kg title went to Takara SUDA in the absence of world champion and Yamanashi Gakuin teammate Masanosuke ONO, who is still recovering from a broken foot suffered en route to winning the gold in Tirana.

Day 1 Results

Freestyle

61kg (16 entries)
GOLD -- Takara SUDA df. Hiroyuki ISHIHARA, 5-2
BRONZE -- Akito MUKAIDA df. Toshihiro HASEGAWA, 6-3
BRONZE -- Takeru OIKAWA df. Haruto OURA, 4-0

65kg (17 entries)
GOLD -- Kaisei TANABE df. Kaiji OGINO, 2-0
BRONZE -- Yuto NISHIUCHI df. Reiji UCHIDA by TF, 10-0, 3:15
BRONZE -- Ryuto SAKAKI df. Yuta MIYAZAKI, 7-0

70kg (20 entries)
GOLD -- Yoshinosuke AOYAGI df. Toki OGAWA by TF, 10-0, 1:14
BRONZE -- Kanata YAMAGUCHI df. Kaito MORITA by TF, 11-0, 2:21
BRONZE -- Yuma TOMIYAMA df. Yuto MIWA, 9-6

Greco-Roman

82kg (17 entries)
GOLD -- Taizo YOSHIDA df. Yuya OKAJIMA, 5-0
BRONZE -- Konosuke TANIZAKI df. Yuto SAWADA by TF, 8-0, 1:35
BRONZE -- Reon KAKEGAWA df. Yudai KOBORI by TF, 9-0, 1:46

87kg (9 entries)
GOLD -- So SAKABE df. Daisei ISOE by TF, 8-0, 1:27
BRONZE -- Isshin ONITSUKA df. Kou FUKUSHIMA by TF, 9-1, 4:13
BRONZE -- Akira YOSHIZAWA df. Sora SATO by TF, 8-0, 3:50

97kg (12 entries)
GOLD -- Yuri NAKAZATO df. Takahiro TSURUTA, 2-1
BRONZE -- Kanta SHIOKAWA df. Hikaru ISOTANI by TF, 9-0, 1:11
BRONZE -- Riku NAKAHARA df. Sorato KANAZAWA, 11-5

Women's Wrestling

65kg (9 entries)
GOLD -- Miwa MORIKAWA df. Momoko KITADE, 5-0
BRONZE -- Nana IKEHATA df. Miyu YOSHIKAWA, 4-4
BRONZE -- Rin TERAMOTO df. Horu SATO by TF, 11-0, 4:41

68kg (6 entries)
GOLD -- Ami ISHII df. Mahiro YOSHITAKE by TF, 10-0, 2:24
BRONZE -- Seia MOCHINAGA df. Kaede MATSUYAMA, 3-1

Japan Wrestling

World Silver Medalist Morikawa Adds Punch to Credentials with 3rd National Title

Friday, December 17, 2021 - 17:13 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO, Japan (December 17) -- Against an opponent seeming to channel boxing great Mike Tyson, it was world silver medalist Miwa MORIKAWA who delivered the wrestling equivalent of a TKO.

Morikawa captured her third straight national title with a 10-0 technical fall victory over former world bronze medalist Ayana GEMPEI in the women's 65kg final on Friday at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym.

"I wanted to solidify my hold on 65kg by winning here and having that lead into next year, so I'm content with this win," said Morikawa, a senior at Nippon Sports Science University, which came away with five of the day's eight golds by either current or former students.

The Emperor's Cup is serving as the first of two domestic qualifiers for next year's World Championships in Belgrade, along with the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships slated for the spring. It is also the qualifying meet for Japan's team to the Asian Games in September in Hangchou, China.

Ayata SUZUKI and Kaiki YAMAGUCHI, both members of the Japanese squad at this year's World Championships in Oslo, each won a second national title, but face a difficult path to Belgrade should the Tokyo Olympic medalists in their weight classes return to action as expected at the Meiji Cup. None of the medal-winners in Tokyo entered the Emperor's Cup.

Suzuki, this year's Asian bronze medalist who finished seventh in Oslo, won the gold medal at Greco 60kg -- the domain of Tokyo 2020 silver medalist and two-time world champion Kenichiro FUMITA -- while Yamaguchi triumphed at freestyle 65kg, where he can expect Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO to be the one to beat at the Meiji Cup.

Among the five other champions crowned on Friday across the three styles, Arata SONODA maintained his complete domination of the heaviest weight in Greco-Roman by capturing his eighth straight title at 130kg.

Gempei Miwa MORIKAWA (red) defeated Ayana GEMPEI in the 65kg final. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

For the 22-year-old Morikawa, her exploits at 65kg now are a stepping stone toward her goal of appearing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, for which she will move up to 68kg. She came to a whisker away from making the Tokyo Games at that weight but lost a nail-biting playoff to Rio 2016 gold medalist Sara DOSHO for Japan's spot.

After that, Morikawa dropped back down to 65kg, the weight in which she won the world junior title in 2019, only to be handed a dose of reality in her senior worlds debut when she was dealt an 8-6 loss in the final by Irina RINGACI (MDA), who became Moldova's first-ever female world champion.

The match hinged on a 4-point counter that gave Ringaci an 8-2 lead, a severe blow to the psyche of Morikawa who prides herself on her takedown ability. But it proved a valuable lesson that she won't forget soon.

"At the World Championships, you can't let down," Morikawa said. "I gave up a big 4-point move. My opponent really kept plugging away, and I couldn't hold her off. I was beaten both physically and technically. To become No. 1 in the world is no easy thing. I think there are still things I am lacking."

She looked to be on the right track against Gempei, who is only getting back to form after missing nearly two years due to a knee injury. A 2018 world bronze medalist and world U23 champion, the 25-year-old returned to action at last spring's Meiji Cup, where she placed third.

Morikawa took the initiative from the outset with a pair of stepouts, then after getting Gempei to the mat with a double-leg takedown, she tossed her fellow Abe Gakuin High School alum over for 4 points and an 8-0 lead. Another stepout and a snapdown-spin behind takedown ended the match at 2:51 for her third technical fall of the day without giving up a point.

"My opponent is an older alumni of the same high school and I had never beaten her up to now," Morikawa said. "She is really strong. But I was definitely determined to win. I planned to keep on attacking, and that resulted in my controlling the pace of the match."

Morikawa managed to successfully attack despite a somewhat unique strategy Gempei employed while in the standing position. Instead of tieing up like she used to, Gempei stayed at arm's length and bobbed and weaved, much like a prizefighter in the boxing ring.

"I changed my stance and my movement, without regard for how it looks," Gempei said. "To simply explain it, it's moving so that I can shoot without grabbing my opponent."

Gempei said it was her father who suggested the action, although he himself has no experience in martial arts beyond a passing interest.

"There are different factors, but it's moving like Mike Tyson, and based on principles," Gempei said. "It's an unusual way of moving, and it's still a work in progress. There are times it doesn't work, but I will work out the kinks so that it does work."

Morikawa said that while she noticed the bobbing, it did not dissuade her from going with what works best for her. "I just stuck with my wrestling and martialed the courage to shoot," she said.

She was just following the advice of the coach in her corner, four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO. "She said, 'More than what the opponent does, just stick with your wrestling and fight with a strong will,'" Morikawa said. "I heeded those words and gave everything I had."

In other women's finals, Sumire NIIKURA became the first-ever women's national champion from Kanagawa University when the freshman defeated 2019 champion Mei SHINDO 3-1 in the 72kg final.

Niikura, also a graduate of powerhouse Abe Gakuin High School, scored with a stepout in the second period just seconds after receiving a second activity point to clinch the victory in the weight class missing world champion Masako FURUICHI, who dropped down to 68kg for the tournament.

At 55kg, Nihon University's Umi IMAI captured her first national title, scoring a first-period takedown and holding on for a 2-1 win in the final over Ibuki TAMURA.

Imai has a long list of honors at 53kg to her name, including the world and Asian junior titles in 2018 and victories at the Klippan Lady Open and Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, but was always stuck deep in a depth chart filled with stars like world champions Mayu MUKAIDA and Haruna OKUNO.

Suzuki Ayata SUZUKI won the gold at 55kg. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

In Greco finals, Suzuki scored two gut wrenches in the par terre position to opponent Kaito INABA's one, and that was the difference in a 5-3 victory at 60kg in a battle between an alumnus and current student at NSSU.

Although nearly a repeat of Suzuki's 3-1 win over Inaba in the final of the Meiji Cup last May, it still left Suzuki with a bad taste in his mouth after posting technical falls in his first two matches.

"It was a 'salty' match, the final," Suzuki said. "My first match and the semifinal went well, but a 5-3 score in the final is disappointing. I lost at the World Championships and intended to be more aggressive, but in the final against an opponent I train with, I held back and that was the result."

Suzuki hopes to settle some scores at the Asian Games. He may also go to the Asian Championships, scheduled for April at a place to be determined, but the Japan federation has not decided how or when that team will be decided.

"The Iran wrestler [Mehdi MOHSEN NEJAD (IRI)] who beat me, I've lost to him twice, I'd liketo get back at him," Suzuki said. "The Uzbekistan wrestler [Islomjon BAKHRAMOV (UZB)], I beat him at the Asian Championships, but I lost to him in the final of the international tournament in Poland. That's another one I have to avenge."

At 130kg, Sonoda stormed to his eighth straight gold with an 8-0 technical fall in 4:21 in the final over Sota OKUMURA, a student at his alma mater of Takushoku University.

Unfortunately, Sonoda has not been able to transfer his domestic dominance overseas. He has never won a match in six trips to the World Championships, and his best continental showing was a bronze medal at the 2016 Asian Games.

Looking to buck that trend and qualify for the Paris Olympics "when I will be at my peak," he said he has changed his training routine, including added a rowing machine.

Endo Katsuaki ENDO won the 67kg gold over Kyotaro SOGABE. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

At 67kg, Katsuaki ENDO avenged a loss from the Meiji Cup semifinals to Kyotaro SOGABE, scoring all of his points in the first period of a 6-1 victory to add to his lone national title previously won in 2018, the year he was the world U23 champion at 63kg.

In freestyle, NSSU's Yamaguchi defeated Waseda University's Ryoma ANRAKU in the 65kg final for the second straight year, scoring a stepout and an activity clock point in a tense 2-0 victory.

Yamaguchi, the 2019 world junior champion who finished 11th in Oslo, was also a bit dissatisfied with his performance.

"I'm happy I was able to win the title, but the way the final went was the same as last year, and I felt it ended without bringing out what I had done in training," Yamaguchi said. "The way I wrestled will ensure I lose in Asia, so I have to make more effort."

The 79kg final was also an NSSU-Waseda clash, with the former's Yudai TAKAHASHI notching a 6-1 win over Kosuke YAMAKURA for his first national title.

Last year's champion, Ryuki YOSHIDA, who finished fifth at the World Championships after beating Takahashi in a playoff to make the Japan team, has moved up to 86kg.

The tournament continues Saturday with action in freestyle 61kg, 74kg and 86kg, Greco 63kg and 97kg, and women's 57kg, 62kg and 68kg.

As coronavirus protocols, each weight class is limited to a maximum of 12 entries and are completed in one day, with no repechage and only one bronze-medal match. Spectators are banned from the arena, including family and non-essential team members.

Kaiki YAMAGUCHI won over Ryoma ANRAKU 2-0 in the 65kg final. (Tateo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Day 2 Results

Freestyle

65kg (11 entries)
Final - Kaiki YAMAGUCHI df. Ryoma ANRAKU, 2-0
3rd Place - Yujiro UENO df. Kanta TOKURIKI by TF, 15-4, 4:23
Semifinal - Yamaguchi df. Tokuriki by TF, 11-1, 4:44
Semifinal - Anraku df. Ueno, 6-4

79kg (11 entries)
Final - Yudai TAKAHASHI df. Kosuke YAMAKURA, 6-1
3rd Place - Takahiro MURUYAMA df. Tetsuro MARUME, 8-3
Semifinal - Takahashi df. Marume, 8-1
Semifinal - Yamakura df. Muruyama, 2-1

Greco-Roman

60kg (10 entries)
Final - Ayata SUZUKI df. Kaito INABA, 5-3
3rd Place - Maito KAWANA df. Kosei TAKESHITA, 4-1
Semifinal - Suzuki df. Kawana by TF, 9-0, 2:36
Semifinal - Inaba df. Takeshita, 3-2

67kg (11 entries)
Final - Katsuaki ENDO df. Kyotaro SOGABE, 6-1
3rd Place - Shintaro YOSHINAGA df. Yuji UEGAKI, 7-1
Semifinal - Sogabe df. Uegaki, 5-3
Semifinal - Endo df. Yoshinaga by TF, 10-0, 1:57

130kg (12 entries)
Final - Arata SONODA df. Sota OKUMURA by TF, 8-0, 4:29
3rd Place - Ryuta KONO df. Satoshi KAIZUKA, 3-1
Semifinal - Sonoda df. Kono by Fall, 1:49 (6-0)
Semifinal - Okumura df. Kaizuka, 7-1

Women's Wrestling

55kg (6 entries)
Final - Umi IMAI df. Ibuki TAMURA, 2-1
3rd Place - Misaki YOSHIBA df. Eri SHIMADA, 6-5
Semifinal - Imai df. Yoshiba by TF, 10-0, 3:58
Semifinal - Tamura df. Shimada by Fall, 2:33 (4-2)

65kg (8 entries)
Final - Miwa MORIKAWA df. Ayana GEMPEI by TF, 11-0, 2:51
3rd Place - Miyu IMAI df. Kaede HIRAI by TF, 11-0, 3:29
Semifinal - Morikawa df. Hirai by TF, 10-0, 1:48
Semifinal - Gempei df. Imai, 3-1

72kg (7 entries)
Final - Sumire NIIKURA df. Mei SHINDO, 3-1
3rd Place - Kyoka MIZUSHIMA df. Kanon KOBAYASHI, 6-4
Semifinal - Shindo df. Mizushima by TF, 10-0, 1:29
Semifinal - Niikura df. Kobayashi, 10-2

High schooler Yoshida completes historic Japan national title double

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World Silver Medalist Morikawa Adds Punch to Credentials with 3rd National Title