Japan Freestyle Squad Gets Together for 1st National Team Camp in Six Months

Tuesday, October 6, 2020 - 15:05 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO -- Save for a short period when his university was completely shut down, former world champion Takuto OTOGURO has been able to keep up a regular practice routine during the global pandemic.

But finally getting to work out with his fellow national team members takes it to another level. It gets the juices flowing, and raises hopes that the day the wrestling world gets back on the mat for competition won't be far off.

"To be here with the national team gathered together makes me feel grateful again," Otoguro said. "I feel motivated looking toward the Olympics."

The Japan national freestyle team started its first training camp in six months on Oct. 1 at the Ajinomoto National Training Center in Tokyo, with 17 of the nation's best converging for the eight-day conclave being held under strict health protocols.

In principle, the top two placewinners at last year's national championships were invited -- a few were excused due to university or company commitments -- as Japan begins preparation for the tentatively scheduled World Championships in December, Asian Championships in February and the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament in March. Whether any or all of the tournaments will be held is still just speculation.

The freestylers, who last got together in March this year, had been scheduled to have a camp in mid-July, following the women and Greco-Roman squads. While the latter two had their camps, freestyle was left in the lurch when a sudden surge of coronavirus cases in Tokyo caused the Japan federation to cancel.

Takuto OTOGURO ties up former Olympic medalist and national team coach Shinichi YUMOTO. (photo by Sachiko Hotaka/JWF)

"So many times we make a schedule and it's canceled, make a schedule and it's canceled," said freestyle head coach Kenji INOUE. "Under these circumstances, it could not be helped."

Scheduling a national team camp is no easy matter. Wrestlers are scattered around the country, and must be released by their university or club teams. Also, the federation needs to get the green light from its medical commission.

"Even if we [in the federation] want to hold this, we cannot do it without the support and cooperation of many people," Inoue said. "And then when we have to cancel after all the planning, all we can do it apologize to them. This time, along with being grateful for their cooperation, we can repay them by having a camp without incident."

Rei HIGUCHI squares off with former Olympic gold medalist and national team coach Tatsuhiro YONEMITSU. (photo by Sachiko Hotaka/JWF)

Following strict protocols

As with the camps held in July, the freestylers face strict regulations over their movements in the "bubble" of the NTC complex. There are limits on how many can be in the weight room at any one time. In the dining room, they are urged to sit diagonally across from each other, not face to face. Contact with the outside world is limited to an occasional run to the local convenience store.

Upon entering the wrestling room, they have their temperature taken, and sanitize not only their hands, but the bottom of their wrestling shoes. Each wrestler has taken a PCR test for the coronavirus; all came up negative.

"The teams did what they could and each individual did what he could," Inoue said. "I don't know if other countries did the same, but there's no anxiety on our part."

Otoguro has been somewhat fortunate in that Yamanashi Prefecture, where he attends Yamanashi Gakuin University, has been largely spared the brunt of the pandemic. Through Oct. 3, the prefecture west of Tokyo had just 194 cases and six deaths, compared to Tokyo with 26,376 and 411, respectively. As a whole, Japan has had about 1,600 deaths.

Otoguro and older brother Keisuke are the only Japanese in freestyle who have secured berths at the Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed a year to 2021. Takuto, the 2018 world gold medalist, earned his place at 65kg by finishing fifth at last year's World Championships, while Keisuke filled the 74kg spot by winning a domestic playoff, having moved up from 70kg.

Keisuke Otoguro had a slightly better situation coming into camp as he is a member of the Self-Defense Force Physical Training School team, which offers a high level of competition and ordinarily operates within a bubble of its own.

For inspiration, he has to look no farther than the team coaches, three of whom have won Olympic medals. Not only that, but Inoue (bronze, Athens 2004), Tatsuhiro YONEMITSU (gold, London 2012) and Shinichi YUMOTO (bronze, London 2012) are also on the national team staff.

"I am learning from wrestlers with the great experience of having won Olympic medals," Otoguro said. "I think that can be a big advantage for me."

His brother and Rei HIGUCHI, the Rio 2016 silver medalist at 57kg who will try to earn a spot in Tokyo in that weight class at the Asian qualifier, both got to see first hand how the coaches have not lost much since their active days.

Takuto Otoguro had the weight advantage in sparring with Yumoto, who wrestled at 55kg in his prime. But Higuchi faced the opposite situation in squaring off with Yonemitsu, who certainly looks like he would quickly get up to speed if he ever decided to return to competition.

"I have so much I can learn," Higuchi said of facing the muscular Yonemitsu, who has added bulk to the frame that triumphed in London at 66kg. "Naturally, there is a bit of a size difference. I need to overcome that. I'm the type that hates to lose, so it was very tough to take. I don't consider that the situation is hopeless."

Still, he is grateful for being back on the national team, as it gives him the chance for such encounters.

"If I'm not here, I don't have a chance [to wrestle] with Yonemitsu or Yumoto. It's fun, but it's also frustrating. This week, I'll do what I can to beat them."

Keisuke OTOGURO works on a takedown. (photo by Sachiko Hotaka/JWF)

Tough decision ahead

Higuchi had originally tried to make the Olympic team at 65kg, but couldn't get past Otoguro. He then dropped down two weight classes to 57kg to challenge former world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI, and defeated him in the final of the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships last December to earn a ticket to the Asian Olympic qualifier.

He hit a bump in the road when a cluster of infections broke out among the wrestlers at Nippon Sport Science University, his alma mater where he continues to train and serves as a graduate assistant. While it was not revealed whether Higuchi was among those infected, he said he made the best of the situation.

"Because of the coronavirus, the amount of practice was reduced," Higuchi said. "I went back home and had a lot of time off. I felt refreshed with a renewed sense of commitment. So it wasn't so bad."

Veteran Sosuke TAKATANI, a two-time Olympian and 2014 world silver medalist at 74kg who will try to make the Tokyo Games at 86kg, also had his training curtailed. But he is unperturbed about the long span between national team camps, which also saw the cancelation of all competition.

"I don't feel concerned at all," Takatani said. "Everyone in the country has to overcome this crisis. It's not a matter of, they did this or we couldn't do that. I'll just do what I can to get ready for the next competion."

What that competition will be is still up in the air, but even in the best-case scenario, Japan's top wrestlers will be forced to make a difficult decision.

The World Championships, normally held in September, have been scheduled for Dec. 12-20 in Belgrade. But that directly overlaps with the All-Japan Championships, which are slated for Dec. 17-20.

Normally, the team for the World Championships would be decided based on the results from the Emperor's Cup in December and the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in May or June. But the latter was canceled this year, and a Japan federation official said the winners at the Emperor's Cup will be given preference for places on the team to Belgrade. Some, however, may opt to stay in Japan for the Emperor's Cup, which will be their prerogative.

Takatani did not hesitate in saying he will opt for Belgrade. "My goal is to be No. 1 in the world, so if I'm given the chance, I want to definitely win the gold medal," he said, even though missing the Emperor's Cup would end his streak of nine consecutive national titles.

Both Takuto Otoguro and Higuchi said they are undecided at this point.

"I have to talk to my coach, I don't know now," said Otoguro, whose most recent competition was a gold-medal run at the Asian Championships in New Dehli in February. "Tokyo is the goal, that's the standard. Whatever tournament I enter before then, I'll aim to win the title."

Higuchi is playing it by ear as well, leaving it undecided at the moment but assuring he will be on the mat for one of them.

"It will depend on the timing of how I feel in terms of getting back my match sense," he said.

The women and Greco-Roman national teams will hold camps from Oct. 20 and 21, respectively.

#JapanWrestling

Ozaki powers to 4th career national title in return to 62kg

Friday, December 20, 2024 - 15:49 By Ken Marantz

Nonoka OZAKI works the lace lock during the women's 62kg final against high schooler Shirin TAKEMOTO. (Photo: Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

TOKYO (December 20) -- Having made an unintended move up to 68kg that still resulted in an Olympic medal, Nonoka OZAKI is back at 62kg. She can't say for sure that that's where she will be at the time of the next Olympics, but she's off to a good start in a bid to make that happen.

Ozaki, the only one of Japan's 11 medalists at the Paris Olympics entered in the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships, swept to the 62kg gold on Friday at Tokyo's Yoyogi No. 2 Gym for her fourth career national title.

The 21-year-old Ozaki, last year's 68kg champion, completed an unscored-upon run to the gold with a 10-0 technical fall over high schooler Shirin TAKEMOTO in the final to add to the 62kg titles she won in 2020 and 2021.

"I realize that to compete against the top wrestlers, I have to raise my level both technically and physically," Ozaki said. "It was a relief to come out with a win at this stage, but it also made me aware there are many things I need to work on."

In other highlights on the second day of the four-day tournament that is also serving as one of the two domestic qualifiers for next year's World Championships, three-time former world champion Haruna MURAYAMA needed a dramatic last-second victory at women's 55kg to win her first title in five years, and Katsuaki ENDO denied training room collegue's bid for a historic first by regaining the Greco 67kg title.

Ozaki was the world champion at 62kg in 2022 and seemingly on a fast track to Olympic glory when her plans were derailed by Sakura MOTOKI, who moved up from 59kg and snatched the Paris berth in the Olympic weight.

Ozaki famously made the daring decision to bump up all the way to 68kg, and it paid off when she scored a miraculous playoff victory over Ami ISHII at the buzzer for the ticket to Paris. There, she came away with a bronze medal -- below expectations, no doubt, but a solid performance nonetheless.

JPN4 Paris Olympic 68kg bronze medalist Nonoka Ozaki scores a takedown in the women's 62kg final against Shinrin TAKEMOTO. (Photo: Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

The Emperor's Cup marked Ozaki's first competition since Paris, after which she took about two months off and comtemplated which direction she wanted to go. While Japan's other Olympic medalists are still recovering while enjoying the fruits of their labor, Ozaki said she came to the decision in October that it was time to get back into action.

"I really struggled with this decision," she said. "I was coming off the break, so I had to become resolved to do it. If I was going to enter, I didn't want to lose. That was the main thing.

"There was pressure that by coming back and entering the tournament, I was expected to win, and that's tough. But I lived up to the challenge and was in good condition, so I'm glad I did it. I put the Olympics in the past. It was a great experience, but I saw this as a making a new start."

Starting with a victory by fall over world U20 bronze medalist Nagisa ITO, Ozaki faced her toughest challenge in the semifinals from Misuzu ENOMOTO, who had won a bronze medal at the Korean Open in September. Ozaki was never in trouble in carving out a 4-0 win.

The final was vintage Ozaki, as she scored a quick takedown against Takemoto and transitioned to a high-leg roll. From there, she moved down to a lace lock to make it 6-0, then added a takedown to go into the break up 8-0. She needed just 18 seconds of the second period to end the match with a quick shrug-by takedown.

"This tournament, I felt I was in the bracket with strong opponents leading up to the final," Ozaki said. "I thought the semifinal would be the mountain I had to get over. But anyone who makes it to the final will be tough, the key was to not let down my guard. This time it was a high schooler, and they have a lot of spunk and want to knock off those at the top. I remember back to when I was a high schooler. I fought hard with that in mind."

Ozaki makes no secret of her desire to get to and win the gold at the Los Angeles Olympics. She's just not sure in what weight class fate will put her.

"I'm not thinking yet that four years from now I'll be at 62kg, but my weight has come down from its peak and at this time it seemed that 62kg was the most suitable for me and that's what I entered here," she said.

"Looking at my next objectives, there is the Asian Championships next year, the [world] under-23 and qualifying for various tournaments. My goal is to be well prepared and come out with victories."

JPN Haruna MURAYAMA, top, bowls over Sowaka UCHIDA for a 4-point takedown in the final seconds of the women's 55kg final. (photo by Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

Murayama foils high schooler's upset bid

In women's wrestling in Japan, there always seems to be another new prospect coming on to the scene, and Murayama ran headlong into one of the latest rising stars, and only barely avoided a stunning upset.

Murayama, who had won her three world titles (2017, 2018 and 2023) under her maiden name of OKUNO, scored a 4-point takedown in the final seconds of the 55kg final for a 6-3 victory over 18-year-old world U20 champion Sowaka UCHIDA.

In a defensive battle, Murayama was leading 2-1 in the second period, with all of the points coming on the activity clock, when Uchida suddenly charged ahead and scored a stepout as Murayama defended with whizzer. A challenge was unsuccessful, putting Uchida up 3-2 with 11 seconds left.

Murayama was not to be denied and came out charging like a bull, managing to plow Uchida over backwards during the final ticks of the clock for the 4-pointer.

"If I could get one point, I would win, so I didn't need a takedown," Murayama said. "I pressed for one, but she's flexible and can keep from being forced out, so I thought I couldn't get her out. I felt her power making a stand, so I changed direction and got the points."

Uchida, a member of the JOC Academy that produced such stars as Ozaki, Yui SUSAKI and Takuto OTOGURO, had made a name for herself at last year's Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships, when she scored a stunning 11-9 victory over Emperor's Cup champ Moe KIYOOKA.

Murayama has arguably been the biggest victim of the depth of Japanese women's wrestling. First she lost out on a place to the Tokyo Olympics to Mayu MUKAIDA (now SHIDOCHI), then was pushed aside in the race to Paris by phenom Akari FUJINAMI.

JPN2 Katsuaki ENDO launches a throw that was good for 2 points in the Greco 67kg final against Kaisei TANABE. (photo by Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

Endo intervenes in Tanabe's quest for history

A day after Kaisei TANABE successfully defended his freestyle 61kg crown, he set out to become the first wrestler to complete the national freestyle-Greco double in over 50 years. Endo had other ideas.

Endo, competing domestically for the first time since seeing his Olympic dream end with a loss in last year's final to Kyotaro SOGABE, denied Tanabe with a one-sided 8-0 victory in Friday's Greco 67kg gold-medal match.

Endo, last year's Asian Games gold medalist, had stepped away from the mat after his loss to Sogabe, who ended up winning the Asian qualifier to earn a ticket to Paris. Endo came back this fall and headed to the Bundesliga, where he compiled a 12-0 record despite sometimes competing in weight classes over 70kgs.

En route to Friday's final, Endo scored less-than-satisfying victories over a pair of 2023 world U23 bronze medalists, beating Chiezo MARUYAMA (who won a bronze at 63kg in Tirana) 3-2 and Haruto YABE 3-1 in the semifinals.

"My impression is that my matches were pretty disappointing," Endo said. "Last December, I lost here, after which I started thinking about my form and I took a long break. After that, I went over to compete in the Bundesliga for three months. This was the tournament where I was going to turn things around. But I didn't have a match that went as I had imagined and that was disappointing."

In the final, experience paid off for Endo, a graduate of Nippon Sports Science University where he still trains and where Tanabe is currently a student. Their paths do not cross very often as Tanabe focuses more on freestyle.

From par terre, Endo launched two throws that, while not putting Tanabe on his back, were good for two points each, then added a roll for a 7-0 lead. He clinched the technical fall with a stepout midway through the second period, regaining the title he won in 2021. He also won at 63kg in 2018.

Tanabe came up just short of becoming the first wrestler to win freestyle and Greco titles at the same All-Japan since 1973, when Mitsuo YOSHIDA won golds in the 100kg class of both styles. He went on to become a professional wrestler with the ring name Choshuriki.

Endo applauded Tanabe, whose father Chikara was a freestyle bronze medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics and is currently one of the coaches at NSSU.

"I totally respect him," Endo said. "Kaisei is strong in freestyle and strong in Greco. It makes me a bit jealous. This was the final of the All-Japan, and it would have been disrespectful if I hadn't given it my all."

Asked if he also didn't have the urge to show Tanabe that he can't take Greco for granted, Endo replied, "There's a little of that. But once he takes the mat, he's one of us and I respect that."

One reason that there has not been a freestyle-Greco double achieved in so long is that for several decades, no wrestler thought to attempt it. There was no rule against it, but it was never encouraged.

No wrestler since the 1980s had entered both styles until last year, when 2022 world 70kg freestyle champion Taishi NARIKUNI did it as part of the quest to also become a world Greco champ, only to pull out of both due to an injury.

Along with Tanabe, among the 20 or so that tried this year was Waseda sophomore Leon KAKEGAWA, who for the second straight year came home with medals in both styles -- and the same ones, in fact.

A day after taking bronze at Greco 82kg, he secured the silver in freestyle 92kg, losing to Takashi ISHIGURO 5-0 in the final. Ishiguro had moved down from 97kg, where he won back-to-back titles in 2021-22.

JPN3 Arash YOSHIDA gets in deep on a single-leg takedown against Yohei SHINADA in the freestyle 97kg final. (photo by Takeo YABUKI / JWF)

Yoshida continues dominance of upper weights

In other action, 2023 Asian champion Arash YOSHIDA, Japan's top hope to end a global medal drought in the men's upper weight classes, won a second straight title at freestyle 97kg with a first-period victory by fall over Yohei SHINADA.

Yoshida, a junior at Nihon University, opened with a takedown, then took Shinada down again directly to his back before securing the fall at 1:49.

Yoshida's father is Iranian and runs the kids club in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, where he and his siblings got their start in the sport. Arash first showed his potential by winning the gold at last year's Asian Championships, where he beat an Iranian in the first round. He followed that by making the semifinals before placing fifth at the World Championships in Belgrade.

But he came up short in the Olympic qualifiers, showing he still has a way to go.

"Watching the [Olympic] matches, I gained the feeling that I'm not yet at that level. Both from the technical and physical aspects, there is still much that I need to do. I have to build my strength, then firm up my techniques, then I think I can get there. It's still an unknown world for me. Anyway, I need to practice more."

Since Akira OTA won a silver medal at freestyle 90kg at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Japan has had only a handful of wrestlers over 90kg qualify for the Olympics, and none since London 2012.

Looking closer ahead, he is aiming for this year's Asian Championships and perhaps a chance meeting with one of the sport's newest stars.

"At the Asian Championships, I'm not sure, but the Olympic champion [Akhmed TAZHUNIDOV (BRN)] might be there. That would give me an idea of where I'm at, which I can take into the Meiji Cup and then on to the World Championships."

The Meiji Cup, to be held in June, is the second of the two domestic qualifiers for the World Championships.

Day 2 Results

Freestyle

92kg (16 entries)
GOLD -- Takeshi ISHIGURO df. Leon KAKEGAWA, 5-0
BRONZE -- Hiroto NINOMIYA df. Sorato KANAZAWA, 6-4
BRONZE -- Takato UCHIDA df. Yusuke SUZUKI by TF, 10-0, 1:45

97kg (9 entries)
GOLD -- Arash YOSHIDA df. Yohei SHINADA by Fall, 1:49 (6-0)
BRONZE -- Genki HOKI df. Ryusei FUJITA by Inj. Def.
BRONZE -- Takuma TACHIOKA df. Akinobu TAKEUCHI by Inj. Def.

125kg (13 entries)
GOLD -- Taiki YAMAMOTO df. Taira SONODA by TF, 10-0, 3:40
BRONZE -- Hosei FUJITA df. Koei YAMADA, 2-1
BRONZE -- Sota NAGANO df. Kaito UTSUNOMIYA, 5-1

Greco-Roman

67kg (17 entries)
GOLD -- Katsuaki ENDO df. Kaisei TANABE by TF, 8-0, 4:22
BRONZE -- Haruto YABE df. Chiezo MARUYAMA, 6-2
BRONZE -- Ryoma HOJO df. Taisei MAEDA by TF, 11-0, 2:24

72kg (13 entries)
GOLD -- Issei HONNA df. Yuji UEGAKI, 3-3
BRONZE -- Hajime KIKUTA df. Sanshiro ISHIHARA, 8-4
BRONZE -- Rei NAGAMATSU df. Kensaku ONO by TF, 14-4, 5:19

77kg (15 entries)
GOLD -- Kodai SAKURABA df. Shunsuke MIZUGUCHI by TF, 9-0, 1:38
BRONZE -- Shu YAMADA df. Isami HORIKITA by Inj. Def.
BRONZE -- Naoki KADODE vs Yuki AOYAGI by TF, 9-0, 1:56

Women's Wrestling

55kg (12 entries)
GOLD -- Haruna MURAYAMA df. Sowaka UCHIDA, 6-3
BRONZE -- Minami MARU df. Karen SASAKI, 6-4
BRONZE -- Ruka NATAMI df. Risa MOTOHARA, 3-0

62kg (10 entries)
GOLD -- Nonoka OZAKI df. Shirin TAKEMOTO by TF, 10-0, 3:18
BRONZE -- Hiyori MOTOKI df. Ayana HISHINUMA, 6-5
BRONZE -- Misuzu ENOMOTO df. Nagisa ITO by TF, 10-0, :59

72kg (7 entries)
GOLD -- Masako FURUICHI df. Sumire NIIKURA, 2-0
BRONZE -- Haruka KOBARU df. Yuka FUJIKURA, 3-3

Japan Freestyle Squad Gets Together for 1st National Team Camp in Six Months

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Ozaki powers to 4th career national title in return to 62kg