Meiji Cup

Takatani Takes Title at 86kg to Clinch World Team Spot; Minagawa Denies Kagami in Rematch

Friday, June 14, 2019 - 22:34 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (June 14)---Sosuke TAKATANI showed he could pull his weight by winning a third different weight class in three years, while Hiroe MINAGAWA avenged her previous day’s loss to teen star Yuka KAGAMI to join him on Japan’s team to the World Championships.

Takatani continued to settle into the Olympic freestyle weight class of 86kg, soundly defeating Masao MATSUSAKA 8-0 in the final on the second day of the four-day All-Japan Invitational Championships at Tokyo’s Komazawa Gym.

Takatani, a world silver medalist in 2014 at 74kg, won his third straight title at the tournament called the Meiji Cup and sixth overall. He won his fourth title at 74kg in 2017, then won the 79kg crown last year as he transitioned to 86kg. 

In his first foray at 86kg, Takatani won the gold at the All-Japan Championships (called the Emperor’s Cup) last December. That victory, combined with the Meiji Cup triumph, automatically earned him a place on Japan’s team to this year’s World Championships in Kazakhstan.

In the semifinals at the Emperor’s Cup, Takatani was stretched to the limit in scraping out a 2-1 win over Matsusaka. But on Friday, he was easily the superior wrestler, scoring takedowns with a pair of low tackles in the first period, then adding a 4-point takedown in the last 15 seconds.

Sosuke TAKATANI defeated Masao MATSUSAKA 8-0 in the 86kg finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

“I had a tough match with Matsusaka at the Emperor’s Cup, so to win so solidly in the final shows I’ve made progress,” the 30-year-old Kyoto native said. “I give it a 90 [out of 100]. The other 10 is room for improvement. I’ll start thinking about that from tomorrow.”

As Takatani continues to adjust to the increased power of his new opponents, the two-time Olympian said that not having to worry about weight control eliminates one source of stress.

“I felt no pressure at all,” he said. “Up to now, I had to fight with making weight. But after going up to 86kg, I don’t have to worry about weight and can focus entirely on my wrestling.”

Takatani can now focus on Nur-Sultan 2019, where, by proclamation by the Japan Wrestling Federation, winning a medal will earn a Japanese wrestler a highly desired place on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics team. 

“For the London and Rio Olympics, I made the team by winning a spot in the Asian qualifying tournaments,” Takatani said. “This year, I want to make the team for the Tokyo Olympics at the World Championships.”

Wrestlers who win the same weight class at both the Emperor’s Cup and Meiji Cup earn a ticket to Nur-Sultan. If the winners are different, the two will meet in a playoff set for July 6. 

Hiroe MINAGAWA avenged her previous day’s loss to teen star Yuka KAGAMI to join him on Japan’s team to the World Championships. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka) 

Minagawa, who won a second world bronze medal last year in Budapest, followed up on her victory at the Emperor’s Cup by defeating two-time world cadet champion Kagami 3-1 in the women’s 76kg final.

As the division had only six entries, the Nordic group system was employed, with two pools of three each. Minagawa and Kagami were drawn in the same group, and the 17-year-old Kagami came away with a 3-1 win Thursday over the veteran who is 14 years her senior. 

In the final, however, Minagawa turned the tables, although not without a scare in the closing seconds.

Minagawa scored an activity-clock point and a step-out to take a 2-0 lead into the second period. Kagami received a point with Minagawa on the activity clock with 15 seconds left, then went on the attack.

In an intense flurry at the edge, Kagami seemed to force out Minagawa with 2.6 seconds left on the clock. First, she was awarded a point, then it was taken away. The Kagami side then challenged, and upon further review it was found that the referee had prematurely blown the whistle, negating the final move and giving Minagawa a point for an unsuccessful challenge.

 “Yesterday, my match was pathetic,” Minagawa said. “It was the first time in a while that I lost to a Japanese opponent. The biggest problem was mental, but today I steadied my mind going into the match and I think that was a reason why I could win.”  

Kagami, as the Emperor’s Cup champ at 72kg, remains eligible to enter the world team playoff in that weight class. 

Naoya AKAGUMA won his second consecutive Emperor's Cup by defeating Takeshi YAMAGUCHI, 3-2 in the 97kg finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

In other finals, Naoya AKAGUMA repeated his Emperor’s Cup win in the freestyle 97kg final over Takeshi YAMAGUCHI, scoring a takedown in the last 20 seconds for a 3-2 win and a second trip to the World Championships.

In Greco-Roman, Masato SUMI (87kg) and Yuta NARA (97kg) booked places on the plane to Nur-Sultan, while Shohei YABIKU set up a playoff with Emperor’s Cup winner Naotsugu SHOJI at 77kg by beating him in the final, capping an 8-0 technical fall with a spectacular 5-point back suplex. 

World junior and U23 champion Saki IGARASHI won her first Meiji Cup title by beating Kana HIGASHIKAWA by fall in the 55kg final. She can make her first senior worlds by winning a playoff with Nao TANIYAMA, who missed the tournament due to injury.

Also coming away with her first title was Yumeka TANABE, a former world cadet champion who defeated Kiwa IWASAWA, 11-8, in a nail-biting 59kg final. Tanabe is the daughter of Athens 2004 bronze medalist Chikara TANABE.

Yuki TAKAHASHI, the 2017 57kg world champion, advanced to Saturday's finals. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Takahashi cruises into final; ailing Fujinami falls short

Meanwhile, former world champion Yuki TAKAHASHI remained on track to regain the world crown when he advanced to the freestyle 57kg final.

Takahashi, who had to settle for bronze medals at both last year’s World Championships and this year’s Asian Championships, showed a more aggressive side earlier than usual, and had no need to put on one of patented comebacks.

Takahashi scored takedowns in the opening seconds in both of his matches. He defeated Toshihiro HASEGAWA 7-4 in the semifinals to set up a repeat of the Emperor’s Cup final with Kaiki YAMAGUCHI.

“One thing I was doing was letting the opponent get to my legs too much,” Takahashi said. “In this tense situation with a connection to the Olympics, you can’t make even one mistake. 

Takahashi has long rued his failure to make it to Rio 2014. “I’ve been thinking about it for the last four years. If I win one more match, I’m on the team to the worlds, so I won’t let my guard down.”

Yuhi FUJINAMI, a 2017 world bronze medalist at 70kg, fell to Mao OKUI and will have to earn his ticket to the worlds via a playoff. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

For the second straight year, former world bronze medalist Yuhi FUJINAMI will have to earn his ticket to the worlds via a playoff, although this time he tried to put aside his injuries to compete at the Meiji Cup.

Fujinami showed that his determination to maintain his grip on the freestyle 74kg class could not overcome the effects of a recent back injury, combined with the knee injury he suffered at the Asian Championships.

Fujinami, hoping to cobble together the victories he needed to clinch his place at the World Championships, instead will need to return to action in three weeks for the playoff after losing by fall to Mao OKUI in the semifinals.

“It’s disappointing, and pitiful. It’s an important experience, and all I can do is try to see the positive in it,” Fujinami said. “I’ve just been continually injured. It’s my own responsibility to take care of myself, but I didn’t practice nearly enough, and I had a lot of worries going into this tournament. 

“To be honest, I had a feeling I could lose. It’s not an easy weight class to win. I don’t want to sound like I’m making excuses, but in terms of condition, I feel at about 20 percent.”

Fujinami, a 2017 world bronze medalist at 70kg, injured his right knee in winning his opening match at the Asian Championships in Xi’an, China. He withdrew from the tournament as a precaution in preparation for the Meiji Cup---only to wrench his back a week ago in practice.

His limited mobility could be clearly seen, and after giving up a go-ahead takedown to World University bronze medalist Okui in the second period, his desperation back suplex was easily stopped, leading to a fall at 4:23. 

Assuming he can recover in time, Fujinami, as Emperor’s Cup champion, will face either Okui or Jintaro MOTOYAMA in the playoff for the ticket to Nur-Sultan. Motoyama was a world U23 bronze medalist last year at 70kg.

Fujinami said he considered but decided against skipping the Meiji Cup and putting everything on the line in the playoff, which is what he did last year to make the team to Budapest 2018. 

“I did that last year, and I didn’t want it to seem like I was running away. I thought I would do what I could and see if I could get a good result.” 

Another factor might have been that, as a recent graduate of Yamanashi Gakuin University, he wanted to appear in the uniform of his new employer, Japan Beverage.

Budapest world silver medalist Yukako KAWAI advanced to the women’s 62kg final where she'll take on Yuzuka INAGAKI. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)

Meanwhile, world silver medalist Yukako KAWAI advanced to the women’s 62kg final, where she will face high schooler Yuzuka INAGAKI, the Emperor’s Cup champ at 59kg who is taking a shot at the Olympic weight class. 

Day 2 Results

Freestyle

57kg (12 entries)
Semifinals
Yuki TAKAHASHI df. Toshihiro HASEGAWA, 7-4
Kaiki YAMAGUCHI df. Daiki ARAKI by TF, 10-0, 5:35

61kg (11 entries)
Semifinals
Ken KIKUCHI df. Keita SHIMIZU, 6-4 
Yo NAKATA df. Wataru TADANO by TF, 10-0, 4:40

74kg (12 entries)
Semifinals
Mao OKUI df. Yuhi FUJINAMI by Fall, 4:23 (4-1) 
Jintaro MOTOYAMA df. Ken HOSAKA, 8-1

79kg (4 entries)
Round-Robin, Final Standings
1. Yudai TAKANASHI (3-0)
2. Komei KAWABATA (2-1)
3. Yuto IZUTSU (1-2)
Key match: Yudai TAKANASHI df. Komei KAWABATA, 5-4 in 2nd round

86kg (12 entries)
Final - Sosuke TAKATANI df. Masao MATSUSAKA, 8-0 
3rd place – Hayato ISHIGURO df. Yuya NISHIKIDO, 4-2 
3rd place – Takahiro MURAYAMA df. Shota SHIRAI by Def.

92kg (5 entries)
Round-robin (through 3 rounds)
1. Takuma OTSU (2-0); 2. Takumi TANIZAKI (2-1); 3. Koji YAMANE (1-2); 4. Akinobu TAKEUCHI (1-1); 5. Yudai SHIGYO (0-2) 

97kg (12 entries)
Final - Naoya AKAGUMA df. Takeshi YAMAGUCHI, 3-2 
3rd place – Keiwan YOSHIDA df. Yusuke FUJITA, 2-2 
3rd place – Taira SONODA df. Atsushi MATSUMOTO, 7-0

125kg (12 entries)
Final - Taiki YAMAMOTO df. Katsutoshi NAKAZAWA, 3-2
3rd place - Nobuyoshi ARAKIDA df. Masae TOMIE by Fall, :54 (4-0)
3rd place - Tetsuya TANAKA df. Yasuhiro YAMAMOTO by Def.

Greco-Roman

55kg (8 entries)
Semifinals
Shota OGAWA df. Hiromu KATAGIRI by TF, 9-0, 1:50
Hirokazu ONO df. Kazuto KATO, 5-0

63kg (9 entries)
Final - Yoshiki YAMADA df. Ichito TOKUHIGA, 2-0
3rd place - Kohei YOSHIKAWA df. Naoki GODA, 6-4 
3rd place - Masaki ISHIKAWA df. Ryota KOSHIBA by TF, 9-1, 2:30

67kg (12 entries)
Semifinals
Shogo TAKAHASHI df. Katsuaki ENDO, 2-1
Tsuchika SHIMOYAMADA df. Yamato UI by TF, 8-0, 1:58 

77kg (11 entries)
Final - Shohei YABIKU df. Naotsugu SHOJI by TF, 8-0, 2:24
3rd place - Amane SHIMOYAMADA df. Takeshi IZUMI by Fall, 5:06 (10-4) 
3rd place - Kodai SAKURABA df. Shoma YAMASAKI by TF, 8-0, 5:19 

87kg (7 entries)
Final - Masato SUMI df. Takahiro TSURUDA, 5-3 
3rd place – Ryota NASUKAWA df. Kanta SHIOKAWA, 9-4

Semifinals
Takahiro TSURUDA df. Ryota NASUKAWA by Fall, 2:07 (7-4)
Masato SUMI df. Kanta SHIOKAWA, 2-1

97kg (9 entries)
Final - Yuta NARA df. Masaaki SHIKIYA, 3-1
3rd place – Naoki MATSUMOTO df. Yoshiki SHIRATORI, 5-1
3rd place – Taichi OKA df. Yuri NAKAZATO, 4-1

130kg (8 entries)
Semifinals
Arata SONODA df. Shoma SUZUKI by TF, 8-0, :37
Keita BANCHI df. Sota OKUMURA, 3-1 

Women’s Wrestling 

55kg (6 entries)
Final - Saki IGARASHI df. Kana HIGASHIKAWA by Fall, 1:36 (8-0)
3rd place – Hikari HIGUCHI df. Mizuki ISHIMORI, 10-2 

Semifinals
Saki IGARASHI df. Mizuki ISHIMORI by Fall, 5:26 (6-1)
Kana HIGASHIKAWA df. Hikari HIGUCHI, 5-4

59kg (6 entries)
Final - Yumeka TANABE df. Kiwa IWASAWA, 11-8 
3rd place – Sena NAGAMOTO df. Ayami SUGIYAMA, 3-1

Semifinals
Kiwa IWASAWA df. Sena NAGAMOTO, 7-4
Yumeka TANABE df. Ayami SUGIYAMA by TF, 12-2, 5:08

62kg (12 entries)
Semifinals
Yukako KAWAI df. Kiwa SAKAE, 4-0
Yuzuka INAGAKI df. Kumi IRIE, 2-0

65kg (5 entries)
Round-Robin, Final Standings
1. Misuzu ENAMOTO (4-0)
2. Miki KAWAUCHI (3-1)
3. Saki KAWAUCHI (2-2)
Key match: Misuzu ENAMOTO df. Miki KAWAUCHI, 8-0 in 4th round 

72kg (4 entries)
Round-Robin (through 2 rounds)
1. Mei SHINDO (2-0); 2. Karen SUZUKI (1-1); 3. Mai HAYAKAWA (1-1); 4. Kanon KOBAYASHI (0-2)

76kg (6 entries)
Final - Hiroe MINAGAWA df. Yuka KAGAMI, 3-1 
3rd place – Yasuha MATSUYUKI df. Miki SAITO by Def.

Semifinals
Yuka KAGAMI df. Miki SAITO by Def.
Hiroe MINAGAWA df. Yasuha MATSUYUKI, 2-1 

#WrestleParis

Japan gold medalists meet fans, looking to inspire their successors

Thursday, August 29, 2024 - 14:15 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (August 29) -- It may not compare to the punishing six minutes on the mat in an Olympic final, but standing for over two hours shaking hands, taking photos and signing autographs can take its toll -- and be rewarding in its own way.

Rei HIGUCHI was among five of Japan's eight gold medalists at the Paris Olympics who participated in a meet-and-greet on Sunday in Tokyo, where over 500 people turned out to see this new group of heroes.

"I don't want this to be the last event, so we can help make wrestling more popular," Higuchi said at a press conference following the session. "That's one of the responsibilities of the top athletes. I want to do all that I can."

Higuchi, the freestyle 57kg champion, was joined by fellow freestyle gold medalist Kotaro KIYOOKA (65kg), Greco winner Nao KUSAKA (77kg) and women's champions Tsugumi SAKURAI (57kg) and Sakura MOTOKI (62kg), as well as freestyle 74kg silver medalist Daichi TAKATANI.

The adoring fans came in all ages and sizes, from parents with toddlers to schoolkids sporting their wrestling club t-shirts to senior citizens, all waiting patiently in line for the chance to get up close and personal with a handful of the stars who had brought glory to their country.

For the wrestlers themselves, it was a way to express their thanks for the support they received, and to help inspire the next generation that can hopefully someday match or exceed the wrestling squad's outsized performance in Paris, where it won 11 medals in the 13 weight classes in which it had entries.

"It's amazing, more people showed up than I thought would," Sakurai said. "It really shows the value of the Olympics. I get a sense of how it gives the children dreams to shoot for.

"When I was little, I saw an Olympic gold medal and it really inspired me to work hard in wrestling. In the same way, it makes me happy if it inspires others by seeing my medal."

The event was held in the entranceway at the Komazawa Indoor Ball Sports Arena (Komazawa Gym is being renovated) in conjunction with the third day of the national collegiate championships. Many of the collegians came out for a peek at the medalists, some of whom are still, or until recently were, their teammates.

With the six lined up against a backdrop of posters of the Olympic squad, each person or group would hand their phone to a volunteer, who would snap photos as they were surrounded by the wrestlers.

The wrestlers flashed a smile and held up their medal for each shot, and sometimes one would put their medal around a young fan's neck. They all had no qualms about letting the fans touch the medal and feel its weight (and it's heavy, alright).

"I'm really happy to have so many people come to this and get a chance to touch the medal," Higuchi said. "Kids who are wrestling also came, and I am happy if this helps nurture those who will follow us. It seems that a lot of people watched the Olympics. I wanted to put [the medal] around the neck of every one, and I felt bad that there was a problem with time.

After the photos, they all took a few steps over to a table, where the wrestlers would sign autographs on t-shirts, notebooks or "shikishi," the traditional white cardboard used for such occasions. In some cases, they signed their names directly on a t-shirt that the fan was wearing.

Keito Ota, a 12-year-old from Tokyo whose mother allowed him to stay up and watch the Olympic finals that started at 4 a.m. Japan time, came to meet his favorite wrestler, Kiyooka.

"Kiyooka-san is so cool, so that's why I came to this autograph session," said Ota, a national schoolboy fifth-grade champion who was wearing his Figure Four Club t-shirt. "I was really glad [they are here], I'll work hard to become an athlete like them. The team that will be made up from my generation, we'll try to get more than eight medals."

The six medalists, from left, Rei HIGUCHI, Kotaro KIYOOKA, Tsugumi SAKURAI, Sakura MOTOKI, Nao KUSAKA and Daichi TAKATANI, pose together after the event. The six medalists, from left, Rei HIGUCHI, Kotaro KIYOOKA, Tsugumi SAKURAI, Sakura MOTOKI, Nao KUSAKA and Daichi TAKATANI, pose together after the event.

Needing to spread the word

It some ways, the event could be considered a case of preaching to the choir. There is no way of knowing how many came who had no interest in wrestling prior to the Olympics, but the Japan federation does have a problem when it comes to raising the popularity of the sport to match the country's achievements in it.

Overall, Japan won 20 gold medals in Paris, which means that nearly half were won in wrestling. But the media leans toward highlighting Gen-X favorites like skateboarding and rock-climbing, or gymnastics and table tennis in which the top competitors have become household names.

Going into Paris, the main focus when it came to wrestling was on women's 50kg star Yui SUSAKI, mainly because she was the only Japanese champion from the Tokyo Olympics who was defending her crown in Paris.

The national championships have not been regularly televised since the years when three-time Olympic champion Saori YOSHIDA was a media darling back in the early 2000s. In recent years, the only time it made the airwaves was when Rio Olympic champions Kaori ICHO and Risako KAWAI squared off to make the team to Tokyo.

"We wrestlers won eight of the 20 gold medals [won by Japan in Paris], and overall, we had 13 wrestlers and 11 won medals," the 28-year-old Higuchi said. "But it's not just about that result. From now, we have to use opportunities like this to make more people aware of the sport of wrestling.

"If wrestling stays unknown and is just a sport that comes up once every four years, there will be nobody coming up to follow us. We need to do activities that spread the word.

"It's because of those who support these events and tournaments that we were able to become wrestlers. We appreciate them, which includes the media, as we continue to do everything in our power to promote the sport."

Higuchi pointed out the vast difference between the crowd at the Japan college championships, which was maybe in the hundreds, and those at the U.S. NCAA tournament, which draws in the tens of thousands. "The intensity is completely different," he said.

During and after the Olympics, the wrestlers got valuable chances to publicize the sport on news programs and variety shows, which were only too happy to capitalize on the Olympic enthusiasm by booking appearances from the Paris medalists.

In one segment, Greco 60kg gold medalist Kenichiro FUMITA demonstrated to an unsuspecting host just how tight the waist hold of a gut wrench can be. He also got on the bottom of par terre to show how he resisted his opponents in Paris and kept from being turned. The host could barely budge him.

"The way we are treated, they are so nice, it's like we've become a celebrity," Takatani said. "Even if I made an unusual request, they listened to it. It showed just how highly regarded the Olympics is. It's like I saw a whole new world."

Sakurai, who had won a third straight world title heading to Paris (at 55kg in 2021 and conseeutive titles at 57kg in 2022 and 2023), said she had never gained much attention from the general public for her previous exploits.

"It was very different from the World Championships," Sakurai said. "The responses and the excitement from everyone after the World Championships and after the Olympics are different.

"The Olympics were broadcast on television and everyone knows the results. People [at this event] were so happy, like they were meeting their idols, even just to shake hands...I'm not the talkative type and it's hard for me to respond, but I'll do what I can to make them happy again."

With the abundance of golds, Kiyooka fell under the radar and lamented that he had not been invited onto any TV shows. But he still got some well-deserved recognition back in his hometown, where he was honored with a Citizen's Certificate of Honor from both Kochi Prefecture and Kochi City.

"They even came to greet me at the airport," Kiyooka said, adding that there is a parade planned for him and fellow Kochi native Sakurai -- they both started wrestling in the kids club coached by her father -- in September.

Kiyooka appears to have the fine makings for an ambassador for the sport. Asked what he attributed the success of Japan's team in Paris to, Kiyooka replied, "On the wrestling team of Team Japan, every one of us loves wrestling from the bottom of our hearts. We all want to have an influence and uplift others, and in doing so, it produced this result."

What lies ahead

So what will the champions do for an encore? For the moment, they are content to relish the adulation and take some time for a well-deserved rest.

It looks like Kiyooka and Kusaka will be the first ones to get back on the mat in earnest, as both plan to participate in the German Bundesliga in October.

"It's a place I've always wanted to go and give me a new dream," Kiyooka said. "Then I will get down to the job of defending my title in four years."

Kusaka had prepared for the Paris Olympics by traveling solo using his own money to train in Germany and Hungary. He also took part in the Bundesliga, where now he will have more name recognition as an Olympic champion.

Higuchi said that at 28, he does not feel his age is a barrier at all. He is undecided on trying next year to add to the world gold that he won last year at 61kg, but would like to arrange visits to top U.S. colleges like Iowa in the winter.

More than the World Championships, he said his focus is on the 2026 Asian Games, which remains the only major laurel missing from his collection. Adding to the incentive is that the Games will be held in the central Japan city of Nagoya.

"The one thing that is still missing is the Asian Games title, so I will aim to qualify for that," Higuchi said.

Motoki will be taking a break for awhile, but has her sights on someday completing the Grand Slam of age-group world titles.

She won the world U17 in 2018 and U20 in 2022, but has come up just short on the senior level, winning a bronze in 2022 and silver in 2023. She has yet to enter the world U23, and will still be eligible to enter next year's tournament.

"I went through a tough year up to the Olympics and I like wrestling, so I will take a break," Motoki said. "I don't want to train for records or to win consecutive titles or things like that, but I do want to take a stab at completing the Grand Slam. That gives me a new challenge and it will be nice if I can get it."

Higuchi calls for weight allowance

Higuchi also talked from first-hand experience about the sad saga of Vinesh PHOGAT (IND), and called for some kind of weight allowance for second-day weigh-ins.

Phogat had handed Susaki her first-ever international loss en route to the women's 50kg final, only to be disqualified for failing to make weight on the second day.

Higuchi can certainly sympathize. Looking to make up for his loss in the final at the 2016 Rio Olympics, he infamously failed to make weight for the Asian Qualifier for the Tokyo Games, which indirectly led to him missing out.

"I certainly understand her feelings of despair," Higuchi said. "But we are competing under rules, and you can't reverse a decision that has been made. The second day weigh-in is more difficult than the first, and it's something I would like to have changed."

Higuchi said that giving the wrestlers an allowance of one or two kilograms would make a huge difference, both physically and mentally.

"After the matches are over on the first day, you have to lose two or three kilograms," Higuchi said. "It's tough after the matches, and if you lose in the first or second round, you have to prepare without knowing if you will have a match or not. It's really grueling. I'd really like them to do even a little to help us out.

"But that's something for UWW to decide. All I can do is go along with [the rules]."