#JapanWrestling

Kinjo earns shot at 4th world title, but it won't be part of sister act

By Ken Marantz

TOKYO, Japan (May 26) -- It may not be Paris, but given what it took for Risako KINJO to get there, the Albanian capital of Tirana will do just fine.

Already denied a chance at winning a third Olympic gold medal, Kinjo created her own chance for some consolation by earning a shot at a fourth career world title by qualifying for Japan's team to this fall's Non-Olympic Weight Class World Championships.

The only downside for Kinjo is that younger sister Yukako TSUNEMURA won't be accompanying her as a competitor, meaning there would be no repeat of their sibling double at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics where they won golds together under their maiden name of KAWAI.

Kinjo needed a dramatic, last-second victory in a playoff over 18-year-old Sakura ONISHI to secure a ticket at women's 59kg to the non-Olympic worlds to be held October 28-31 in Tirana.

jpnRisako KINJO celebrates her victory in the 59kg playoff over teenager Sakura ONISHI. (Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

That win avenged a loss earlier in the day to 2023 world U17 champion Onishi during the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships -- the second of two domestic qualifiers for Tirana held May 23-26 in Tokyo -- to set up the playoff.

"My desire to go to the World Championships was so strong," Kinjo said. "If I didn't do it, I would be regretting it for the next year. It was a desperate situation."

Tsunemura, whose marriage on New Year's Day got off to an ominous start when a devastating earthquake struck her home prefecture hours later, saw her bid at 65kg end with a quarterfinal loss to Miwa MORIKAWA, who went on to win the title and a playoff to get the chance to regain the world gold she won in 2022.

Japan will also have strong representation in the two other women's weight classes, with newly crowned Asian champion Moe KIYOOKA at 55kg and 2022 world 68kg silver medalist Ami ISHII at 72kg -- teammates at Ikuei University -- also making it through the playoff route.

The former Kawai sisters have been through hard times since their dual triumph in Tokyo, where Risako captured the 57kg gold and Yukako triumphed at 62kg.

Both took time off after the Olympics, with Risako getting married, then giving birth to a daughter in May 2022. By the time both returned to the mat, formidable newcomers had emerged in the race to the Paris Olympics.

Both fell in the qualifying process -- Kinjo to world 57kg champion Tsugumi SAKURAI and Tsunemura to world 62kg bronze medalist Sakura MOTOKI (notably also Ikuei wrestlers). Tsunemura also made a long-shot attempt at 68kg, but came up short there as well.

"After the Tokyo Olympics, I couldn't win for awhile," Kinjo said. "It made me realize just what a big deal it is to win at the Olympics."

After giving birth, Kinjo returned to the mat in late 2022 at 59kg in preparation for a run to Paris at 57kg. She won the title at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships that year, but her bid for Paris ended at the 2023 Meiji Cup. She also lost a playoff at 59kg for the 2023 World Championships.

In December last year, Kinjo retained her 59kg title at the Emperor's Cup, which earned her a ticket to the Asian Championships last April in Bishkek. She would take home a bronze after being dealt a tough 1-1 loss by world champion Qi ZHANG (CHN) in a quarterfinal limited to activity points.

As Emperor's Cup champion, Kinjo would have automatically clinched a place on the team to the non-Olympic worlds with a victory at the Meiji Cup. But Kinjo was dealt an 8-4 loss in the semifinals by Onishi, in which she gave up a 4-point front body lock throw. When Onishi won the title, it set up a rematch in the playoff.

Kinjo was emboldened by recalling the grueling qualifying process that she went through to get to the Tokyo Olympics when she had to endure classic battles with four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO to earn the spot.

"Before the playoff, I thought, 'The qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics was a hundred times tougher. To have gone through that, nothing seems difficult."

jpn2Risako KINJO fights off a takedown attempt by Sakura ONISHI in the 59kg playoff. (Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Onishi, currently a freshman at Nippon Sports Science University where Icho is among her coaches, made it as hard as she could, jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the first period with a pair of takedowns, the second off a nice ankle pick, and a penalty point for an illegal knee hold.

Onishi added a stepout to start the second period before Kinjo finally made her presence known, going behind for a takedown and adding a 2-point exposure to cut the lead to 6-4. From there, experience kicked in for the 29-year-old who captured back-to-back golds at the 2016 Rio and 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

"With a minute left, I thought that even if I was the aggressor, it would be to my disadvantage against an opponent who is a student and very lively," Kinjo said. "When 30 seconds, 20 seconds left, I put it all on the line for going to the World Championships."

With :15 on the clock, Kinjo got in on a single and managed to lift up the leg and expose Onishi's back with 8 seconds left, putting her ahead 6-6 on criteria. But Onishi squirmed back to her feet and with a mighty charge, went for a double-leg takedown that forced Kinjo out just as time expired. The referee gave her 1 for a stepout, but after an agonizing wait for the challenge review, it was nullified as Kinjo's foot was just centimeters from the edge when the clock hit all zeroes.

"I didn't have a strategy," Kinjo said. "Having wrestled for over 20 years, at my age, more than what move should I use, or how should I attack, the most important thing is being mentally ready."

jpn3Miwa MORIKAWA, right, keeps the pressure on Yukako TSUNEMURA in the 65kg playoff. (Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Two days earlier, her sister pulled off a similar miracle to start her bid at 65kg, but couldn't make the magic last.

Tsunemura avenged a loss at the Emperor's Cup to Miyu YOSHIKAWA when, like Kinjo, she scored an exposure off a single leg in the final seconds for a 5-4 victory, after having given up a go-ahead takedown with :45 remaining.

But Tsumemura said she heard her knee pop in the match, and the subsequent pain hampered her in a 5-1 quarterfinal loss to Morikawa, who scored three stepouts in the first period and stopped a late front headlock roll attempt for a 2-point exposure. Morikawa went on to win the title, then defeated Emperor's Cup and Asian champion Mahiro YOSHITAKE 8-0 in the world playoff.

"Of course I wanted to go the World Championships, but this tournament was more about erasing the disappointing memories from the last year," Tsunemura said.

New Year of celebration, calamity

Like families throughout Japan, the Kawai clan had gathered for the New Year's holidays at the family home in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, on the snowy northern coast of Japan.

On January 1, Yukako and mixed martial arts fighter Toshinori TSUNEMURA went to the municipal office in the nearby city of Tsubata and registered their marriage.

Four hours later, the ground began to shake violently.

The major earthquake that measured 7 on the Japanese intensity scale left over 200 dead and caused massive damage to homes, buildings and infrastructure, exacerbated by a tsunami and fires. Even now, thousands remain in temporary shelters.

"I'm not going to be so flippant as to say to people, 'I'm fighting hard, so please keep fighting,'" Kinjo said. "Their hardship is completely different. Many homes were destroyed and they can't go back. Someone near us had just finished construction of their house and it was damaged.

"But if [my winning] can give them some good news and it warms their hearts even a little, that would be good."

Tsunemura also was hoping to boost the spirits of her hometown.

"The big earthquake hit in January, but there are many people who suffered much more than me," she said. "Even if I lose, I think there are people who are heartened by seeing me give my best."

The sisters, who both went to then-powerhouse Shigakkan University in central Japan, currently reside in Tokyo. They train at Nihon University, where they are taking online graduate school classes.

Tsunemura said that in her studies of sports psychology, she uses her own notes on her mindset that she kept up to and during the Tokyo Olympics. She also said the program is giving her a broader outlook on life.

"Of course, I credit Shigakkan for making me strong in wrestling," she said. "But the daily schedule at Nihon University allows me to grow as a person. It has widened my view of the world.

"Wrestling is only something you can do when you're young, and the day is going to come when you call it quits. Your life after retirement will be longer. With that in mind, it makes me think that little by little I have to start looking ahead."

For now, the question of when -- or if  -- she will return to competition remains unanswered.

"I don't know when I will enter a tournament," Tsunemura said. "After the Olympics, I had come to despise wrestling, but I really like it. I don't intend to stop any time soon. I will let the injury heal and get back to practice, and if I want to compete again, I'll do it. I don't know whether I will have a match again, but I still like wrestling."

Kinjo, of course, has her dance card filled for October, when she will attempt to win her first world title since winning three straight from 2017 to 2019. (She also has a silver from 2015.)

Her appearance at the Asian Championships in April marked her first international match since the Tokyo Olympics, and as fate would have it, she was paired with China's Zhang right off the bat. The closeness of the loss reassured her that she could still be competitive.

"In the first round, I met the world champion from last year," Kinjo said. "Even though I lost, it was my first international tournament in three years since the Olympics, and it may be rude to say it, but I think it went better than expected. It made me think that I can still do it."

In hindsight, the defeat may have been a blessing in disguise, which was reinforced by her mother Hatsue, a member of Japan's team at the 1989 World Championships.

"Truthfully, if I had won the Asian title, it would have been a good way to go out. But I lost. I talked it over with my mother, and she said, 'You're going to keep going, right?' I felt that way, too."

Japan Wrestling Federation President Hideaki TOMIYAMA, a gold medalist at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, surmises that while motherhood may be an added burden for Kinjo, it is indirectly keeping her in the sport.

"It's likely that she wants her child to be able to see her mother during her career," Tomiyama said. "The Olympics was before she was born. Probably she wants to give the child something to remember. She can see with her own eyes and remember 'Mama was strong.' I think that's what keeps her going."

From the federation's perspective, having a past Olympic champion remain active is always a positive thing.

"Of course, her [making the national team] draws the attention for wrestling from the mass media," Tomiyama said. "Wrestling doesn't usually make the news. Becoming a topic of conversation is important. We're really happy to see her fighting on, and it will help in the spread of wrestling."

jpn4Moe KIYOOKA, right, works for a takedown in the 55kg playoff against world champion Haruna MURAYAMA. (Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Kiyooka inspired by Paris-bound brother

Like Kinjo, Kiyooka went into the tournament as the Emperor's Cup champion, only to lose her opening match -- also to a high schooler -- and have her fate decided in a playoff. One big difference was the level of her opponent.

Having bounced back from an 11-9 loss to 17-year-old Sowaka UCHIDA, Kiyooka proceeded to defeat reigning world champion Haruna MURAYAMA (nee OKUNO) 3-2 in the playoff, thanks to a second-period takedown.

Kiyooka's win over Murayama was a repeat of the Emperor's Cup final in December and allowed her to join Ikuei teammate Ishii on the plane to Tirana.

In Albania, Kiyooka will get a chance to join the small group of wrestlers who have won world titles on all four age levels. She won the U17 gold in 2019, and then captured both the U20 and U23 titles in 2022.

Kiyooka, a winner at the Zagreb Open in 2023, made her major senior debut at the Asian Championships, where her gold-medal performance came a week before brother Kotaro won the Asian Olympic qualifier at freestyle 65kg at the same venue in Bishkek.

"Recently, my brother's accomplishments have been a source of inspiration for me," Kiyooka said. "I believe that if I keep fighting to the end, I know I can definitely win."

Ishii was coming off a heartbreaking, last-second playoff loss in January to Nonoka OZAKI for the 68kg spot in Paris -- which she herself had won for Japan by placing fifth at the 2023 World Championships.

Ishii swept to the Meiji Cup gold at 72kg with a 10-0 victory in the final over former world champion Masako FURUICHI. That gave her the ticket to Tirana as there was no playoff because Emperor's Cup champion Ayano MORO did not enter.

jon4High schooler Taizo YOSHIDA, top, tries to turn Yuji OKAJIMA in the Greco 82kg final of the Meiji Cup. (Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Most noteworthy in the men's styles was the victory at Greco 82kg by 18-year-old Taizo YOSHIDA, who followed up his historic gold-medal run at the Asian Championships by becoming just the third male high school champion in Meiji Cup history.

One year removed from winning the world U17 gold, Yoshida defeated three-time former champion Yuji OKAJIMA 8-0 in the final, then earned the place at the non-Olympic worlds when Hayato TAKAOKA -- who beat Yoshida in the Emperor's Cup final -- defaulted the playoff.

Yoshida will be 18 years and 10 months old when the non-Olympic worlds starts, making it possible for him to eclipse Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Takuto OTOGURO as Japan's youngest-ever male world champion. Otoguro was 19 years and 10 months old when he won the freestyle 65kg gold in 2018.

"At the World Championships, I will give everything I have and aim for a medal," said Yoshida, who will precede that by also appearing at the world U20 in September. "I will be a senior in college at the time of the Los Angeles Olympics. I feel like the fight has just begun."

Three Asian medalists in freestyle also made the cut -- Masanosuke ONO, a bronze medalist at 65kg, earned the spot at 61kg; Yoshinosuke AOYAGI will go at 70kg, where he was the silver medalist in Bishkek; and 74kg champion Kota TAKAHASHI will aim to strike gold at 79kg.

Takahashi will be heading to Tirana early, as he will also compete at 74kg at the world U23 to be held there the previous week.

#JapanWrestling

Fujinami stays on path to Paris, via Belgrade, with 53kg title

By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (June 17) -- A day after vanquishing the Olympic champion, Akari FUJINAMI secured a shot at regaining her world title, which in turn would get her closer to her ultimate goal of gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Fujinami cruised to the women's 53kg title at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Championships on Saturday, clinching a spot on Japan's team to this year's World Championships in Belgrade where the first qualifying spots for Paris will be up for grabs.

Fujinami, the 2021 world champion who missed last year's worlds due to injury, rolled to a 10-0 technical fall in the final over fellow 19-year-old Moe KIYOOKA at Tokyo Metropolitan Gym in the second of Japan's two domestic qualifiers for Belgrade.

"Winning this tournament was my sole objective," Fujinami said. "At the moment that I won, the first thing that came into my head was that I want to win the world title. At the World Championships, I want to take the gold and take home the spot at the Olympics."

Fujinami's victory stretched her current winning streak to 122 matches dating back to her junior high school days in 2017 and followed her title run in December at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships, the first of the world team qualifiers.

For wrestlers in the Olympic weights, titles at both tournaments clinches a spot at the World Championships. In cases in which the winners are different, they will meet in a playoff scheduled for July 1.

Also securing his ticket to Belgrade was Rei HIGUCHI, the reigning world champion at freestyle 61kg who has moved back down to 57kg, the weight class in which he won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Missing out was Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Shohei YABIKU after losing in the final at Greco 77kg, while world bronze medalist Yuka KAGAMI kept alive her hopes of a return trip to Belgrade by defeating Emperor's Cup champion Ayano MORO to force a playoff at women's 76kg.

Akari FUJINAMIAkari FUJINAMI blanked Moe KIYOOKA in the 53kg final at Meiji Cup in Tokyo. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation / Takeo Yabuki)

With the Olympic weight classes being run over two days, Fujinami's title run began Friday with a victory by fall in a long-awaited first-time clash with Tokyo Olympic champion Mayu SHIDOCHI (formerly MUKAIDA). That all but ended Shidochi's dreams of an Olympic repeat, as Fujinami will certainly be the favorite in Belgrade for the gold, much less just a medal.

Against Kiyooka, a world U23 and U20 champion and Emperor's Cup winner last year at 55kg, Fujinami used her unstoppable single-leg to score three takedowns in the first period, then picked up a pair of stepouts before ending the match with a takedown at 4:10.

"We've sparred together often in the past," Fujinami said. "[She knows] the tackle I use and I know she's a wrestler who likes to go on the attack. I kept from being defensive and stayed aggressive."

Her incredible winning streak has particularly caught the eyes of the local press, mainly because she surpassed the 119-match string put together by three-time Olympic champion and national hero Saori YOSHIDA.

But to Fujinami, the streak only holds significance if the gold-medal match in Paris is eventually included, although she appreciates the attention it brings to the sport. "To me, the record means nothing," she said. "But through this, it will spread the word of wrestling, which is a good thing."

After missing the World Championships last year in Belgrade due to a foot injury, Fujinami made up for the lost time and piled up a series of titles starting with her win at the Emperor's Cup.

Her victory on Saturday gave her a fourth championship over a five-month span, following wins at the Zagreb Open in February, the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament in Bulgaria in March, and the Asian Championships in April.

Rei HIGUCHIRei HIGUCHI clinched his spot on the Japan team for World Championships after winning the gold medal at 57kg. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation / Takeo Yabuki)

Higuchi, who missed out on the Tokyo Olympics -- mainly after infamously failing to make weight at the Asian qualifying tournament -- is intent on getting back to the Olympics and making amends for his runner-up finish in Rio.

But he said the Olympic berth at stake in Belgrade will not be the main incentive. Having won the 61kg gold last year in the Serbian capital, he wants to gain another world title there.

"I get more pumped up for matches overseas than in Japan," Higuchi said. "I feel I am better overseas and those matches bring out the best in me. I want to win the world title in Serbia, which I think is a place that suits me."

Higuchi was untroubled in scoring a 4-0 victory in the final over 2019 Asian bronze medalist Yudai FUJITA, but expressed concern over his lack of ability to pad his lead after scoring all of his points in the opening minute.

"There were situations where I could have gotten more points," said Higuchi, who scored with a takedown-gut wrench combination. "He was good enough where he could make it to the final, and I knew I had to be stronger to overcome him. But it turned out that I wasn't doing my wrestling and I'm not very satisfied."

Still, he fared better than Yabiku, who gave up a 2-point exposure in par terre and came up on the short side of a 3-2 decision in the Greco 77kg final against world U23 bronze medalist Nao KUSAKA.

Kusaka had ousted Yabiku at the Emperor's Cup, where the latter was at far less than top shape after suffering a severe knee injury 10 days before the competition. He subsequently underwent surgery and, while still having some limited motion, felt prepared to get the title he needed to earn a fourth career trip to the World Championships.

"Up to yesterday, I was able to defend [in par terre], but today I was turned over," Yabiku said. "I lost to Kusaka the last time, and he has studied me. Standing, on the ground, it was like he was controlling me. At this rate, no matter how many matches we have, it will be the same result."

Yuka KAGAMIYuka KAGAMI won the 76kg final to earn a spot in the playoff against Ayano MORO, her opponent on Saturday, on July 1. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation / Takeo Yabuki)

Like Yabiku, Kagami had been affected by an injury at the Emperor's Cup, where she was forced to default due to a torn shoulder as Moro captured the title.

Kagami also underwent surgery -- the scar runs parallel to the right strap at the front of her singlet -- and after a grueling rehab, only returned to the mat in April.

"In the months after the Emperor's Cup, so many people put in a great deal of effort to get me ready [for the Meiji Cup]," Kagami said. "Because of that, I could get the gold medal."

She hardly showed the effects as she defeated Moro 2-1 in the final, with all points scored on the activity clock. That followed up a 3-2 victory in their Nordic round-robin group on Friday and means the two will go at it again in the July 1 playoff.

"My movement was a bit tighter than yesterday, but that was because winning was everything," Kagami said. "But compared to before, I was more aggressive."

Takuto OTOGURO (JPN)Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO complained of strain in his right foot during his 65kg semifinal win against Kaiki YAMAGUCHI. (Photo: Japan Wrestling Federation / Takeo Yabuki)

Otoguro, Susaki advance, with concerns

Olympic champions Takuto OTOGURO and Yui SUSAKI both advanced to the final of their respective weight classes, but their post-match actions led to varying degrees of concern.

Otoguro's case seems much more serious, as he had to be piggy-backed off the mat following a 3- 2 semifinal victory over Kaiki YAMAGUCHI at freestyle 65kg, during which he took a long timeout when a recent foot injury flared up.

Otoguro, whose only competition since winning the Tokyo gold in 2021 was a triumphant run at the Emperor's Cup, had looked sluggish in his opening match in the quarterfinals but managed to forge out a safe 2-0 victory over Kaiji OGINO.

Against the formidable Yamaguchi, a 2022 Asian bronze medalist and 2019 world U20 champion, Otoguro had to be on his toes, and the strain apparently proved too much for his tender foot.

After whizzering to a stepout and gaining an activity point for a 2-0 lead in the first period, Otoguro managed to fend off a high single-leg attempt. But soon afterward he dropped to the mat clutching his foot and stayed down for an extended time discussing the problem with the tournament medical staff and his coaches. At one point he even took off his shoe and sock and gingerly walked about testing the foot.

The match was eventually resumed, and Yamaguchi went ahead with a stepout and activity point of his own with a minute left. But Otoguro reached down for the drive that made him Japan's youngest-ever male world champion in 2018 and scored a stepout to secure the win and a place in Sunday's final against Asian bronze medalist Ryoma ANRAKU.

Otoguro was not made available to the media, but Kenji INOUE, the head coach of the Self-Defense Force Physical Training School team, issued a statement: "Early this year, he injured his right foot in a match at training camp. Regarding tomorrow's match, it will be decided based on how the treatment goes."

Susaki, aiming for a second straight world title that will propel her into the Paris Olympics, had no trouble on the mat, rolling to a 10-0 technical fall in the women's 50kg semifinals over Riko KASAI.

That sets up yet another clash in the final with Asian champion Remina YOSHIMOTO, who won the 2021 world title while Susaki was on a post-Olympic hiatus. The two met in the Emperor's Cup final, with Susaki winning 8-0 for her fifth win in five career meetings.

It was at the post-match press conference that something went amiss with Susaki. After answering a standard opening question about her performance -- "I still have one more match. I want to win that and keep on track to the Olympics," she answered -- she suddenly stopped, rubbed her stomach and walked over to sit on a nearby bench.

After a few moments, her handlers announced that she would not be answering any more questions. It was not immediately known what the problem was, but speculation is that it is related to a struggle to make weight. Still, it did not seem serious enough to keep her from appearing in Sunday's final.

The other pairing of note decided on Saturday was at women's 57kg, in which world champion Tsugumi SAKURAI stunned two-time Olympic champion Risako KINJO (formerly KAWAI) and earned a chance to avenge her semifinal loss at the Emperor's Cup to eventual titlist Sae NANJO, the world U23 champion.

Sakurai showed no fear in scoring the go-ahead takedown with 1:45 left, then poured it on for an 11-1 technical fall over Kinjo, who had returned to the Olympic weight after winning at the Emperor's Cup at 59kg.

With Kinjo's loss, three of Japan's four women's gold medalists in Tokyo have seen their chances of an Olympic repeat all but end as the depth of Japanese women's wrestling comes to the fore. Kinjo joined Shidochi and younger sister Yukako, the 62kg gold medalist who was aiming to make Paris at 68kg, as those whose fates are now in the hands of others.

Day 3 Results

Freestyle

57kg (13 entries)
GOLD - Rei HIGUCHI df. Yudai FUJITA, 4-0

BRONZE - Toshihiro HASEGAWA df. Tatsuya TSUKAMOTO, 2-1
BRONZE - Yuto NISHIUCHI df. Shotaro TATSUMURA, 8-0

65kg (9 entries)
Semifinal - Takuto OTOGURO df. Kaiki YAMAGUCHI, 3-2
Semifinal - Ryoma ANRAKU df. Makoto HOSOKAWA, 11-9

70kg (8 entries)
GOLD - Yoshinosuke AOYAGI df. Keiji WATANABE, 5-0

BRONZE - Kanata YAMAGUCHI df. Yuma TOMIYAMA, 3-3
BRONZE - Toki OGAWA df. Daishin YAMAJI, 6-1

Semifinal - Yoshinosuke AOYAGI df. Kanata YAMAGUCHI, 8-4
Semifinal - Keiji WATANABE df. Daishin YAMAJI, 4-2

74kg (14 entries)
GOLD - Daichi TAKATANI df. Yuto MIWA by TF, 10-0, 3:45

BRONZE - Masaki SATO df. Kansui OZEKI by TF, 10-0, 1:37
BRONZE - Kirin KINOSHITA df. Kojiro SHIGA, 5-3

79kg (9 entries)
GOLD - Kosuke YAMAKURA df. Shu YAMADA by TF, 10-0, 1:13

BRONZE - Kenshin YAMAJI df. Koki OTA by TF, 11-0, 3:43
BRONZE - Hirotaka ABE df. Kento ITAKURA, 11-9

Semifinal - Kosuke YAMAKURA df. Koki OTA, 7-0
Semifinal - Shu YAMADA df. Kento ITAKURA, 3-2

Greco-Roman

60kg (11 entries)
Semifinal -- Maito KAWANA df. Yu SHIOTANI, 4-1
Semifinal -- Kaito INABA df. Koto GOMI by TF, 11-0, 2:22

77kg (11 entries)
GOLD - Nao KUSAKA df. Shohei YABIKU, 3-2

BRONZE - Minto MAEDA df. Shu YAMADA by TF, 8-0, :45
BRONZE - Taishi TOMOYOSE df. Tatsuya FUJII, 2-1

82kg (8 entries)
GOLD - Yuya OKAJIMA df. Yuya MAETA, 4-3

BRONZE - Hayato TAMAOKA df. Isami HORIKITA, 5-3
BRONZE - Reon KAKEGAWA df. Shotaro OIZUMI by TF, 8-0, 2:14

Semifinal - Yuya MAETA df. Hayato TAMAOKA, 5-1
Semifinal - Yuya OKAJIMA df. Reon KAKEGAWA by TF, 9-0, 2:03

97kg (8 entries)
GOLD - Yuta NARA df. Yuri NAKAZATO, 3-3

BRONZE - Kyo KITAWAKI df. Daisho KATO, 8-7
BRONZE - Masayuki AMANO df. Yudai YONETA by TF, 9-0, 1:55

Women

50kg (13 entries)
Semifinal - Yui SUSAKI df. Riko KASAI by TF, 10-0, 1:56
Semifinal - Remina YOSHIMOTO df. Miu OBATA by TF, 10-0, 1:54

53kg (12 entries)
GOLD - Akari FUJINAMI df. Moe KIYOOKA by TF, 10-0, 4:10

BRONZE - Mayu SHIDOCHI df. Karen SASAKI by TF, 11-1, 4:52
BRONZE - Haruna OKUNO df. Mako ONO by TF, 10-0, 3:31

57kg (13 entries)
Semifinal - Sae NANJO df. Umi IMAI by TF, 10-0, 1:21
Semifinal - Tsugumi SAKURAI df. Risako KINJO by TF, 11-1, 5:05

76kg (7 entries)
GOLD - Yuka KAGAMI df. Ayano MORO, 2-1

BRONZE - Nokoda YAMAMOTO df. Yasuha MATSUYUKI, 6-1

Semifinal - Yuka KAGAMI df. Nokoda YAMAMOTO, 8-2
Semifinal - Ayano MORO df. Yasuha MATSUYUKI by TF, 11-0, 5:28