Men's Kendo Club reports to President Hirose after winning the team championship at the 71st All Japan Kendo Student Championships

The Men's Kendo Club won the team championship at the 71st All Japan Kendo Student Championships held in Osaka on November 5, 2023, for the fifth time in 30 years. The team's victory was reported to President Hirose.

First, Director Takeo gave a speech, and then Director Yoda introduced the players and reported the results of the match. Director Yoda commented, "The meeting was held in a small room the day before the match, but the atmosphere was very good the moment we entered the room. The atmosphere was moderately tense and friendly, and I felt that tomorrow's game would be a good one.

On the day of the match, the team won the first, second, and third rounds without losing a single game, and the climax came in the semifinal against Tsukuba, where all seven players played aggressively and the game was close until the very end. In the end, the captain, Captain Abiru, won the match against a superior player to advance to the final. In the final against Nichita University, Takahashi, the second spearman, seized the momentum of the match, and to the surprise of the coaches, he went on to win the championship for the first time in 30 years. The previous championship was won by coach Yoda when he was still a university student.

The players then gave their impressions of the tournament. Captain Abiru reported, "It was hard to feel that we had won, but when I saw the other players, staff, and parents who could not attend the games shed tears of joy, I was glad that all our hard work had paid off.

In response to the report, President Hirose said, "I heard that the previous championship was won by Director Yoda when he was in office, so you all have achieved a long-awaited victory. The remaining first through third-year students will be the ones to take on the challenge of winning the title that everyone wants in the future. With that as encouragement, I look forward to your next diligence. First of all, thank you for your hard work," he said, praising their success.

During the chat, the students also mentioned the success of Tatsuya Suzuki (3rd year, Faculty of Letters ), who placed in the top 8 at the All-Japan Championships, the most prestigious tournament in Japan. In response to a question from President Hirose President said that it was difficult for students to win the championship because of all the strong competitors from the business world, Suzuki said, "On the contrary, I was able to play boldly because I am a student. The games against strong players left a lasting impression on me, and I learned a lot from them.

We look forward to your continued support and encouragement for the Athletic Kendo Club.

(From left) Masaki Samejima (2nd year, Faculty of Law ), Kyotaro Takahashi (2nd year, Faculty of Sustainability Studies ), Shinya Fujioka (4th year, Faculty of Law ), Hiroki Abiru (4th year, Faculty of Letters / captain), President Hirose, Director Takefu, Director Yoda, Tatsuya Suzuki (3rd year, Faculty of Letters ), Masatoshi Yano (3rd year, Faculty of Business Administration ), Oshin Nakao (1st year, Faculty of Letters ) 1st year)
Tomoya Yamashita ( Faculty of Sustainability Studies, 4th year) and Ryosuke Miyake ( Faculty of Law, 3rd year), regular players, were unfortunately unable to attend.