Meiji Cup

Motoki emerges at next potential star by filling Japan's opening at women's 59kg

By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (June 16)--After the 2021 world silver medalist retired, Sara NATAMI stepped up and appeared to fill Japan's hole at women's 59kg by winning the gold at the Asian Championships in April. Just two months later, she's out, and a potential new star has emerged for the preeminent powerhouse. 

Sakura MOTOKI, who had only recently returned after undergoing knee surgery just under a year ago, demolished Natami in the final of the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships on Thursday, then returned to the mat to beat her again for a spot on Japan's team to this year's World Championships.

"Coming up to this, I had an injury, I couldn't enter the All-Japan Championships, I had tournaments canceled by the coronavirus," Motoki said. "So many things happened, but because of the support of so many people, I was able to make it this point, so I'm really happy."

The 20-year-old Motoki, a 2017 world U17 champion whose father competed in Greco-Roman at  the 2000 Sydney Olympics, put on a takedown exhibition in storming to a 10-3 victory over Natami in the final on the opening day of the four-day tournament at Tokyo's Komasawa Gym.

Natami put up a stiff defense to thwart Motoki's attacks in the world team playoff, but that kept her from making any offensive overtures of her own and the aggressive Motoki won 2-1 with all of the points scored on the activity clock. 

The tournament is the second of the two domestic qualifiers for this year's World Championships, along with the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships that were held last December. Winners of both tournaments earn an automatic ticket to Belgrade; if the champions are different, the two meet in a playoff at the end of that day's action.
 

JPNSakura MOTOKI attempts a takedown in the women's 59kg world team playoff with Sara NATAMI. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

The wrestle-off at 59kg between Motoki and Emperor's Cup champion Natami was one of three in the eight weight classes in action on Thursday. 

Motoki's Ikuei University teammate Ami ISHII will be joining her on the flight to Belgrade after winning the title and playoff at 68kg--and after first beating world silver medalist Rin MIYAJI in the semifinals. Miyaji was competing for the first time since the 2021 World Championships, where she suffered a severe knee injury in the final. 

Natami had won six consecutive tournaments dating back to the Japan Women's Open in October 2019 and was fresh off her triumph at the Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar. She won her first two matches by technical falls, but was no match for the aggressive Motoki, who prepped for the tournament by winning the U20 title at the Junior Queens Cup in April--her first tournament in 10 months.

Motoki said she felt rusty in her first two matches--a fall and a 4-0 victory--but made the necessary adjustments for the final. 

"My movement in the quarterfinal and semifinal was as bad as it gets, so before the final, I talked with coach [Yoshimaro] YANAGAWA and we looked at what to fix," she said.  "In the final, I was able to do what I have always worked on in practice, so that was good."

Motoki used the time away from the mat to watch videos of some of the sport's top stars. She said that among those whose techniques she studied were compatriots Akari FUJINAMI and Rei HIGUCHI, as well as former world champion and constant blur of action Haji ALIEV (AZE). 

"When I couldn't wrestle, I used that time to watch many videos of wrestlers with excellent technique," said Motoki, who executed a textbook-perfect duck under against Natami. "It made me think of what was the ideal type of wrestling I want to do. When I came back, I felt I was physically better than before I was injured, and I had had better techique and was a better wrestler."

While all conversations in Japan eventually shift to which Olympic weight class a wrestler will move into, Motoki is content for now to stay in the non-Olympic weight, albeit with eyes on the 2024 Paris Olympics.

"At this point, I don't have the confidence to compete in an Olympic weight class," Motoki said. "To win the title here, then win the title at the World Championships, will give me confidence, and then I'll decide if I want to go up or down."

Motoki, who started wrestling at age 3 in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, and attended powerful Saitama Sakae High School, said her parents encouraged her during the depressing times of her injury, and that her father Yasutoshi, who placed ninth at Greco 63kg at Sydney 2000, is always offering wise advice.

"He said to not make excuses for not doing things," Motoki said. "Like 'Today, I'm wrestling poorly, so I'll stop practicing.' He would always tell me, don't look for a reason to avoid doing something."

Japan got a silver medal at 59kg at the 2021 World Championships from Akie HANAI, who has since retired. 

JPN 2 Ami ISHII celebrates her victory in the world team playoff at women's 68kg. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

At 68kg, Ishii, the 2020 Klippan Lady Open champion at 65kg, scored a first-period takedown in the final and held on for a 2-1 victory over Emperor's Cup champion Naruha MATSUYUKI. The playoff was a virtual repeat, with Ishii again winning 2-1 with a first-period takedown.  

Ikuei University, which was only founded in 2018, could place a third member on the team to Belgrade if Tsugumi SAKURAI, the world 55kg champion, can win the title at 57kg on Friday.

Earlier Thursday, Miyaji fell victim to her own sloppiness and lost 9-6 to Ishii in the semifinals. She came back to win the bronze-medal match by fall over Kumi KOBAYASHI.

"I won the third-place match, but I practiced with the goal of winning the championship, so it's disappointing to finish third," said Miyaji, a junior at Nippon Sports Science University where she is coached by Olympic legend Kaori ICHO. 

Miyaji had caught the world's attention at last year's World Championships in Nur-Sultan when she posted a stunning victory by fall over Tokyo Olympic champion Tamyra STOCK MENSAH (USA). But in the final against Meerim ZHUMANAZAROVA (KGZ), she had her knee violently twisted outward--some wonder why the match wasn't stopped with Miyaji's knee in an obviously dangerous position--and lost by fall. 

"I feel like there is a gap between the results I have achieved and my actual ability," Miyaji said. "At the World Championships, I defeated the Olympic champion and finished second, but to lose here, it's like I've lost everything I gained at the World Championships.

"The way it is now, with this result I can't say out loud that I'm going to the Olympics. I'm going to have to train like mad for the next five months," she said, referring to this December's Emperor's Cup, which will start the qualifying process for Paris 2024.  

Miyaji, who returned to the mat in April and started live sparring in practice the following month, said she still has some lingering pain, but did not want to use that as an excuse for her performance. 

"There is still some pain. But I don't think there are many wrestlers who are 100 percent at a tournament. Everyone has injuries here or there. I want to be able to win even with an injury." 

In the other women's weight class in action, Yuka KAGAMI, a former world U17 and U20 champion who won a silver medal in April at the Asian Championships, will get her first shot at a senior world title after defeating Yasuha MATSUYUKI 4-0 in the final. 

Kagami, who won her second Emperor's Cup title in December, avoided a playoff for the world team spot when she scored a takedown and gut wrench in the first period, then held off Matsuyuki--Naruha's twin sister--the rest of the way for the victory. 

JPN 3Yudai TAKAHASHI earned his second trip to the World Championships at freestyle 79kg. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Takahashi gains final shot at 79kg

In freestyle, NSSU's Yudai TAKAHASHI will make the World Championships his final tournament at 79kg after defeating Yajuro YAMASAKI 3-1 in the final to complete the Emperor's Cup-Meiji Cup double. 

Takahashi scored the decisive takedown with 1:20 left in the second period to defeat Yamasaki, who had moved down from 86kg--the Olympic weight class that Takahashi said he will move up to upon returning from Belgrade.  

"I went into this deciding it would be my last [national] tournament at this weight class," said Takahashi, who won a bronze medal at the Asian Championships. "I'm glad I could end on a good note."

Takahashi has long been Japan's top hope for success in the middleweights after making his first World Championships team as a high schooler in 2019. He lost his opening match, but the Asian medal has boosted his confidence. 

"I finished third at the Asian Championships, but I lost a match that I could have won, so it's a tournament with some regrets," Takahashi said. "At the World Championships, I'll use what works best for me as much as possible to get a medal." 

With Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO still on hiatus, defending champion and Asian bronze medalist Kaiki YAMAGUCHI filled the void at 65kg, earning a ticket to Belgrade with a 4-3 victory in the final over Ryoma ANRAKU.

Trailing in the second period, Yamaguchi scored a shrug-by takedown just seconds after receiving a second activity point and held on to complete the Emperor's Cup-Meiji Cup double. 

It will be Yamaguchi's third trip to the World Championships, where he previously placed 17th in 2019 and 11th in 2021. 

In Greco, Asian bronze medalist Takahiro TSURUDA lost 3-3 in the 97kg final to Yuri NAKAZATO, but rebounded to beat him 3-1 in the world team playoff. Tsuruda, last year's Meiji Cup champion at 87kg, scored a 2-point throw from par terre for the decisive points.

Nakazato knocked off five-time defending champion Yuta NARA in the semifinals, building up an 8-1 lead before securing a late fall. 

Arata SONODA remained the nation's dominant heavyweight, winning his eighth straight title at 130kg with an 8-0 technical fall in 2:11 over Marin NISHIMURA. That earned Sonoda his seventh trip to the World Championships--where he is still looking for his first victory on the top global stage. 

At 63kg, Ryuto IKEDA defeated Chiezo MARUYAMA 5-1 in the final to secure a place on the world team, as Emperor's Cup champion Kensuke SHIMIZU has moved up a weight class. 

Day 1 Results

Freestyle

65kg (8 entries)
Final - Kaiki YAMAGUCHI df. Ryoma ANRAKU, 4-3

3rd Place - Kotaro KIYOOKA df. Shinnosuke SUWAMA by TF, 17-6, 3:50

79kg (12 entries)
Final - Yudai TAKAHASHI df. Yajuro YAMASAKI, 3-1
3rd Place - Takahiro MURAYAMA df. Takato UCHIDA, 8-7 

Greco-Roman

63kg (12 entries)

Final - Ryuto IKEDA df. Chiezo MARUYAMA, 5-1

3rd Place - Ryota KOSHIBA df. Yuki YOSHINAGA, 10-5

97kg (10 entries)
Final - Yuri NAKAZATO df. Takahiro TSURUDA, 3-3 
3rd Place - Yuta NARA df. Masayuki AMANO by TF, 8-0, 4:17 

World team playoff - Takahiro TSURUDA df. Yuri NAKAZATO, 3-1

130kg (7 entries)
Final - Arata SONODA df. Marin NISHIMURA by TF, 8-0, 2:11
3rd Place - Shion OBATA df. Yuma MIYAUCHI by TF, 8-0, :38

Women's Wrestling

59kg (10 entries)

Final - Sakura MOTOKI df. Sara NATAMI, 10-3 
3rd Place - Himeka TOKUHARA df. Yumeka TANABE, 3-1

World team playoff - Sakura MOTOKI df. Sara NATAMI, 2-1

68kg (4 entries)
Final - Ami ISHII df. Naruha MATSUYUKI, 2-1 
3rd Place - Rin MIYAJI df. Kumi KOBAYASHI by Fall, 2:21 (12-1)

World team playoff - Ami ISHII df. Naruha MATSUYUKI, 2-1 

76kg (4 entries)
Final - Yuka KAGAMI df. Yasuha MATSUYUKI, 4-0
3rd Place - Nodoka YAMAMOTO df. Mizuki NAGASHIMA, 2-0

Meiji Cup

Irie, Icho Aim to Clear Big Hurdles, Move Closer to Tokyo 2020 with Victories at Meiji Cup

By Ken Marantz

TOKYO---After winning the women's 50kg gold medal at the Asian Championships in Xi'an, China, in April, Yuki IRIE's first reaction was that she wanted to get back to Japan and into the wrestling room as soon as possible.

The continental championship could be considered just a snack on the way to a main banquet---in this case, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics---and the next stage in the process for getting a seat at that event was fast approaching.  And when it means possible rematches with two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI or Rio 2016 Olympic gold medalist Eri TOSAKA, there's not a moment to spare.

A number of world and Olympic champions and medalists could potentially collide again as Japan's top wrestlers---funneled into the Olympic weight classes---clash at the four-day All-Japan Invitational Championships, referred to as the Meiji Cup, starting Thursday at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym.

The tournament, combined with the All-Japan Championships (Emperor's Cup) held in December, serves as a qualifier for the World Championships in Kazakhstan in September. A victory in both gives the wrestler an automatic berth on the team to Nur-Sultan; if the victors are different, they will meet it a playoff on July 6.

Making the team to the World Championships has even larger ramifications this year, as the Japan Wrestling Federation has decreed that any wrestler winning a medal there will automatically fill a spot on the Tokyo 2020 team. While that will be a tall task for the men, there is certainly a strong possibility of Japan medaling in all six women's Olympic divisions in the Kazakh capital, so getting there is of the utmost urgency.

Thus, Irie's comments after defeating SUN Yanan (CHN) in the Asian final were echoed by many others: "I uncovered many issues, so I want to get home right away and start practicing. If I don't win at the Meiji Cup, it doesn't mean anything...To aim for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, winning this tournament was essential. I was glad to clear that. To me, June is the real deal."

Two-time world champion Yui SUSAKI will be making her return to action after skipping the Emperor's Cup due to a dislocated elbow. (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne)

Irie will renew her rivalry at 50kg with Susaki, who was forced to skip the Emperor's Cup due to a dislocated elbow. Irie is the only wrestler in the world who has defeated Susaki multiple times, with her most recent win coming at last year's Emperor's Cup.

Not to be counted out are Tosaka, who lost in the semifinals to Irie at the Emperor's Cup, and 2017 world cadet champion Remina YOSHIMOTO, who gave Susaki a tough fight in losing 2-1 in the final of the Junior Queen's Cup in April.

Four-time Olympic champion Kaori ICHO (JPN) and Rio Olympic champion Risako KAWAI (JPN) are both entered at 57kg. The pair split their two matches at the Emperor's Cup. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Icho, Kawai to likely go at it again
At the Emperor's Cup, fans were treated to not just one clash between Rio 2016 champions Kaori ICHO and Risako KAWAI, but two.

Icho defeated her younger rival in a thriller for the 57kg title, scoring a takedown in the last 10 seconds for a 3-2 victory. That came after Kawai stunned the four-time Olympic gold medalist 2-1 in a preliminary group match, handing Icho her first loss to a Japanese opponent since 2001.

Kawai, the 2018 world champion at 59kg, moved down to 57kg, rather than up to 62kg, where she would have to displace her younger sister Yukako. But it meant risking her shot at the Olympics by putting her on a collision course with Icho, who returned to competition in late 2018 for the first time since winning the gold in Rio.

Icho, who will turn 35 on Thursday, got a dose of reality in Xi'an, where she lost in the semifinals to JONG Myung-Suk (PRK) and had to settle for a bronze medal. But that defeat might have been the wakeup call that she needed, as it showed that she could not take any opponent for granted.

According to a Japanese press report, Icho has been below par physically since returning from Xi'an and only participated one day in a recent national team training camp. Kawai, determined to exact revenge, attended the entire camp. Still, one Japan federation official said, "I think [Icho] will definitely be ready."

World champion Mayu MUKAIDA (JPN) and Haruna OKUNO (JPN) could meet at 53kg. If they do, Mukaida holds the upper hand in head-to-head meetings, having won all eight previous bouts between the two. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

The other big showdown on tap could come at 53kg between Shigakkan University teammates Haruna OKUNO, the world champion at that weight, and Mayu MUKAIDA, the gold medalist at 55kg who has dropped to the Olympic weight.

An anticipated meeting at the Emperor's Cup never came about after Okuno withdrew due to a stomach virus. Mukaida holds the upper hand in head-to-head meetings, having won all eight previous bouts between the two, most recently in 2017.

Like Icho, Mukaida fell short of a gold medal at the Asian Championships, where she gave up a last-second takedown and fell 4-3 in the final to PAK Yongmi (PRK). While that may have exposed a weakness, it also will serve to make her more determined to avoid making the same mistakes.

Olympic champion Sara DOSHO (JPN) has won gold medals at both the Emperor's Cup and Asian Championships since returning from shoulder surgery. (Photo Sachiko Hotaka) 

Japan's other reigning Olympic champion, Sara DOSHO, will look to fight off a challenge from fellow Rio Olympian Rio WATARI at 68kg. Dosho was unable to defend her world title last year after undergoing shoulder surgery, but showed she was on the right track in her return by winning titles at both the Emperor's Cup and Asian Championships.

World bronze medalist Hiroe MINAGAWA's stranglehold on the 76kg division will be put to the test by high school phenom Yuka KAGAMI, a two-time world cadet champion. Having captured the Emperor's Cup and Asian titles at 72kg, the 17-year-old Kagami decided to take a shot at making the Tokyo Olympics by challenging the veteran Minagawa.

Takuto OTOGURO (JPN) will make his return to competition since becoming Japan's youngest-ever male world champion when he won the gold in Budapest 2018. Otoguro has been sidelined with a bursitis in his right knee.   (Photo: Max Rose-Fyne) 

Injury concerns shadow Otoguro

In freestyle, world champion Takuto OTOGURO will need to show he has recovered from recent knee problems to win his second straight Meiji Cup title at 65kg and earn his ticket to Nur-Sultan.

Otoguro, who became Japan's youngest-ever male world champion when he won the gold in Budapest 2018 at 19 years 10 months, came down with bursitis in his right knee earlier this year, which caused him to withdraw from both the World Cup and Asian Championships.

He returned to the mat to wrestle one match for Yamanashi Gakuin University at the East Japan collegiate team tournament in May, which he won. But he will have to be sharp to beat Asian Games silver medalist Daichi TAKATANI, world U-23 champion and Rio 2016 57kg silver medalist Rei HIGUCHI, and a number of others who help make this one of Japan's deepest weight classes.

Sosuke TAKATANI, Daichi's older brother, seems to have settled in at the Olympic weight of 86kg after a two-year progression from 74kg, in which he won a world silver in 2014.

The 30-year-old Takatani won his eighth straight national title and first at 86kg at the Emperor's Cup, then showed he could be a factor on the international stage in the heavier division when he defeated world silver medalist Fatih ERDIN (TUR) at the World Cup.

Shota SHIRAI, who lost in the Emperor's Cup final to Takatani, spent January training in Russia and will be looking for revenge, along with the two bronze medalists, Masao MATSUSAKA, who fell to Takatani 2-1 in the semifinals, and teenager Hayato ISHIGURO, the world junior champion at 79kg.

World bronze medalist Atsushi MATSUMOTO (JPN), who normally competes at 92kg, will be bumping up to the Olympic weight of 97kg. (Photo: Unknown)

One high-profile man who has switched to an Olympic weight class for this tournament is Atsushi MATSUMOTO, the world bronze medalist and Emperor's Cup winner at 92kg who has moved up to 97kg.

Matsumoto, who finished third at 92kg in Xi'an, had previously demonstrated just how strong his desire is to make an Olympics---in 2017-18, he switched to Greco-Roman after failing to qualify for Rio 2016. (He later switched back to freestyle after a rule change worked against him.)

Looking to stop Matsumoto's bid at 97kg are Emperor's Cup champion Naoya AKAGUMA and runner-up Takeshi YAMAGUCHI, who reportedly paid his own way to the Mongolian Open in April, where he won the silver medal.

At 74kg, Yuhi FUJINAMI, a 2017 world bronze medalist at 70kg, suffered a knee injury during a first-round victory at the Asian Championships, then opted to pull out rather than jeopardize his chances of being ready for the Meiji Cup.    

Fujinami's readiness will be tested by Emperor's Cup runner-up Ken HOSAKA and third-place finisher Yuto MIWA, who had a key win in Japan's victory over Cuba at the World Cup. Adding depth to the field are Keisuke OTOGURO (Takuto's older brother), who has moved up from 70kg along with teenager Jintaro MOTOYAMA, last year's Meiji Cup champ at that weight.

World champion Kenichiro FUMITA (JPN) will likely meet his former teammate and Rio 2016 silver medalist Shinobu OTA in the 60kg division. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

In Greco-Roman, the 60kg division will likely see the latest battle between 2017 world champion Kenichiro FUMITA and Rio 2016 silver medalist Shinobu OTA, former teammates at Nippon Sports Science University.

Fumita returned from injury to defeat Ota 7-2 in the final at the Emperor's Cup. That gave Fumita, at 23 two years younger than Ota, a 5-4 advantage in their head-to-head meetings dating back to 2014.

While Fumita went on to win a bronze medal at Xi'an, Ota did not sit around idly waiting for the Meiji Cup. He traveled to Europe, where he won the gold at the Hungary Grand Prix and silver at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov Tournament in Bulgaria, both at 63kg.

En route to the final, either of the two might have to get past world junior bronze medalist Kazuki YABE, who lost to Fumita by technical fall in December.