Tanabe joins Olympic medalist dad as national champion

Thursday, December 21, 2023 - 17:16 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (December 21)--Almost 27 years to the day after his father won his first national championship in the same arena, Kaisei TANABE made his first trip to the top of the podium. Next up will be trying to equal, or better, that Olympic medal.

Tanabe scored a pair of second-period takedowns to defeat Nippon Sport Science University teammate Yuto NISHIUCHI 6-2 in the final of freestyle 61kg on the opening day of the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships on Thursday in Tokyo.

With the victory, Tanabe and his father and coach Chikara, a bronze medalist at 55kg at the 2004 Athens Olympics, became the sixth father-son tandem of national champions in the tournament's 90-year history .

"My father has a bronze medal from the Athens Olympics, I want to do better than that," the 21-year-old Tanabe said.

Naturally, it was a proud moment for dad, too. "I'm more happy than if I won," Chikara said. "When I was also in my third year of college, I won my first All-Japan title. My son now won in his third year of college, so he has caught up to me. Next it will be great if he can get an Olympic medal."

While Kaisei will have to wait for the 2028 Los Angeles Games at the earliest to realize his Olympic dream, for others the tournament is also a qualifier for the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament in April in Bishkek in weight classes in which Japan has not already secured a berth at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In the non-Olympic weights, a title earns a ticket to the Asian Championships to be held a week earlier in the Kyrgyzstan capital. As in recent years, the competition in non-Olympic weights is being completed in a single day, while the Olympic divisions are over two days.

JPN1 Kaisei TANABE scores a late takedown in the freestyle 61kg final against Yuto NISHIUCHI. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

In the 61kg final at Yoyogi Gym No. 2, Tanabe sandwiched a pair of stepouts around a takedown by Nishiuchi to trail 2-2 on criteria going into the second period. But he gained a go-behind takedown to go ahead, then added another in the final seconds to secure the title in his third appearance.

"In the final the opponent was strong, so I wasn't so concerned with how I did it, I just wanted to win," Tanabe said. "But I want to fix those points for my next competition. We practice every day so we both know each other well. I think the difference between us is I have more power, and I wanted to take advantage of that."

Although two years Tanabe's junior, Nishiuchi has already had more international success. This year he dropped down to 57kg and won his second straight world U20 gold and finished second at the Zagreb Open. Tanabe was a world cadet (U17) bronze medalist in 2017, but did little else until this year, when he took third at the Dan Kolov-Nikolai Petrov Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria, which included a win over Olympic bronze medalist and former world champion Thomas GILMAN (USA).

"In the lighter weights, Japan has many strong wrestlers and there are good ones overseas as well," Tanabe said. "I want to get to their level and, if possible, pass them."

Japan has already qualified for the Paris Olympics in freestyle at 57kg, which meant Tanabe could have made a challenge for the open spot at 65kg, where Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO is favored. That's what his main college rival Masanosuke ONO of Yamanashi Gakuin University opted to do, but Tanabe thought the timing was wrong.

"Up to now I've never really done anything at the All-Japan, and I was determined to win a championship so I entered at 61kg," he said.

To get to an Olympics, he knows he will eventually either have to go up or down a weight class. Asked which way he was leaning, "I'm not very good at controlling my weight, so I want to bulk up and become a competitive wrestler at 65kg," he said, adding he has not decided when he will make such a move.

The Tokyo-born Tanabe started wrestling at age 4, and he described his father as "a nice father and a tough coach." Growing up, Tanabe did not gain inspiration from Chikara's Olympic medal--in fact, he never really saw it. "He didn't win [the gold], so the medal was never on display," he said.

Tanabe's older sister, Yumeka, is also an accomplished wrestler who was a two-time world cadet champion. But four third-place finishes at the All-Japan kept the home from having a father-daughter pairing of national champions, like that of the great Saori YOSHIDA and her late father Eikatsu.

Chikara, who won the last of his five national titles in 2003, sees potential in Kaisei. "I wrestle with him and I can feel his power," he said. "From here, he'll keep improving going toward the Olympics. I want him to set a high goal."

JPN3 Shingo HARADA flips over Tomohiro INOUE to finish up a title-winning victory at Greco 72kg. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Harada follows up strong showing in Belgrade

In other finals, Shogo HARADA followed up his eye-catching performance at the World Championships with a title at Greco 72kg in his All-Japan debut, thumping veteran Tomohiro INOUE 9-0 in the final.

After scoring a takedown and 2-point tilt to go ahead 4-0, Harada slammed down Inoue to finish off the match with six seconds left in the first period.

The 23-year-old Harada, who switched from judo to wrestling in high school, made his international debut at last year's worlds in Belgrade and turned heads by placing fifth. While still an amazing feat, it left him rueing that he could have done more.

"At the World Championships, I didn't put out all of my power and I lost in the semifinals," Harada said. "I took that back home and reflected on what happened. I found I was too impatient. I think I've improved on that little by little."

At the moment, Harada says he is not yet at the level of domestic competition in the Olympic weight classes both above and below him. "I won this title, but deep down, I'm not yet at the top level in Japan looking at the weight classes around me." he said.

The 36-year-old Inoue said the loss likely marks the end of a career that featured five national titles dating back to 2012, with the most recent in 2021. It also included a silver medal at this year's World Veterans Championships.

While the loss was one-sided, it only makes a difficult decision a little easier. "If it was a closer match, it might have been tougher to take," he said.

JPN5 Ayano MORO gets behind in the women's 72kg final against Sumire NIIKURA. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

In a battle of a pair of 2022 women's champions, teenager Ayano MORO dropped down to 72kg and dethroned two-time reigning titlist Sumire NIIKURA 6-0.

The 18-year-old Moro twice gained 2-point exposures on counters to add to the title she won at 76kg last year. "I wasn't able to get in on my tackle, which is my strong point, so honestly speaking I'm not so happy," she said.

Moro's chances of making the Paris Olympics ended when the 2020 world U20 champion lost a world team playoff to Yuka KAGAMI, who then clinched her ticket to Paris by winning the gold at the World Championships.

"In December last year at the Emperor's Cup, I entered at 76kg with the goal of the Olympics," she said. "At that time I won the title which was good, but I hurt my shoulder. But I had won, so I had no choice but to keep aiming for the Olympics, although I later lost.

"Now the Olympics is no longer an objective. I had a lot of time to think. Looking at my height and other things, I thought it would be best to drop down, which would allow me to do my tackles. I thought I would give going down a weight class a try."

Moro said that neck problems followed her shoulder injury, keeping her from being in top condition for the tournament. She said she will work to get ready for her senior Asian debut.

"The wrestlers from other countries are strong and I've been to enough international tournaments to know I can't take it lightly," Moro said. "My first priority will be getting healthy. You can't win if you don't practice, but first I need to get my body back in shape."

In the other final, Kagetora OKAMOTO became a first-time champion by beating Kohei YAMAGIWA 6-4 at Greco 55kg. Okamoto made the final by knocking off 2022 world U20 bronze medalist and 2023 world team member Taiga ONISHI.

JPN4 Takahiro TSURUTA works to turn Yuta NARA in the Greco 97kg semifinals. (Photo: Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

The three upper Olympic weights in Greco got the process started to see who will be going to the Asian Olympic qualifier, with the lone surprise coming at 97kg when Takahiro TSURUTA knocked off six-time champion Yuta NARA 3-1 in the semifinals.

"Since I moved up to this weight class, I've been in three tournaments with him, but we never faced each other," Tsuruta said. "Even if I win the title, if I didn't face him I would have felt like something was missing."

Tsuruta, an Asian Games bronze medalist this year, will take on world U23 bronze medalist Yuri NAKAZATO on Friday for the gold and a chance to make the Olympics.

Tsuruta and Nakazato are familiar with each other. When Tsuruta moved up from 87kg in 2021, he promptly won his first and only title with a victory in the final over Nakazato, who knocked off Nara in the semifinals. Nakazato avenged the loss in the final at the Meiji Cup in June 2022, only to see Tsuruta come back and beat him in a playoff for the world team that year.

Meanwhile, world U23 champion Yuzuku INAGAKI, who lost out to Paris-bound Sakura MOTOKI for a place on the Japan team to the World Championships at women's 62kg, will have to get by another Motoki to add to the lone title she won in 2018.

Inagaki overwhelmed Suzu SASAKI by 10-0 technical fall to set up a clash in the final with Motoki's younger sister Hiyori, who is still looking for her first career title at any level. The two met in the first round at the national collegiate championships in August, with Inagaki scoring a first-period fall en route to a third straight title.

It could be said that the de facto final came in the quarterfinals, when Inagaki was trailing on criteria when she scored two late takedowns to defeat 2020 Asian champion Naomi RUIKE 6-2.

Day 1 Results

Freestyle

61kg
GOLD--Kaisei TANABE df. Yuto NISHIUCHI, 6-2

BRONZE--Kodai OGAWA df. Takumi YOSHIMURA, 3-0
BRONZE--Kosei IDE df. Takara SUDA, 6-5

Semifinal--Yuto NISHIUCHI df. Kodai OGAWA, 6-1
Semifinal--Kaisei TANABE df. Takara SUDA by TF, 11-1. 5:24

74kg
Semifinal--Kojiro SHIGA df. Daiju SUZUKI, 14-6
Semifinal--Kota TAKAHASHI df. Shoto KANEKO by TF, 10-0, 2:56

125kg
Semifinal--Taiki YAMAMOTO df. Ryusei FUJITA by TF, 10-0, :46
Semifinal--Koki YAMAMOTO df. Yuji FUKUI, 5-0

Greco-Roman

55kg
GOLD--Kagetora OKAMOTO df. Kohei YAMAGIWA,. 6-4

BRONZE--Taiga ONISHI df. Kenta OGUSU, 9-4
BRONZE--Soken MASUDA df. Seima TOKUHARA, 7-3

Semifinal--Kagetora OKAMOTO df. Taiga ONISHI, 5-2
Semifinal--Kohei YAMAGIWA df. Soken MASUDA, 11-9

72kg
GOLD--Shingo HARADA df. Tomohiro INOUE by TF, 9-0, 1:54

BRONZE--Daigo KOBAYASHI df. Sanshiro ISHIHARA by Fall, 2:34 (5-0)
BRONZE--Akira MITAMI df. Ryoma TOYOTA, 3-2

Semifinal--Shingo HARADA df. Sanshiro ISHIHARA by TF, 11-0, 2:45
Semifinal--Tomohiro INOUE df. Akira MITAMI, 5-3

87kg
Semifinal--So SAKUBE df. Minto MAEDA, 3-1
Semifinal--Masato SUMI df. Tatsuya FUJII, 5-1

97kg
Semifinal--Takahiro TSURUTA df. Yuta NARA, 3-1
Semifinal--Yuri NAKAZATO df. Masayuki AMANO by TF, 11-0, 1:34

130kg
Semifinal--Sota OKAMURA df. Kyo KITAWAKI by TF, 9-0, 1:55
Semifinal--Shion OBATA df. Yuma MIYAUCHI, 7-1

Women's Wrestling

53kg
Semifinal--Rino KATAOKA df. Mako ONO, 1-1
Semifinal--Mihoko TAKEUCHI df. Chiaki KAWAI, 6-4

62kg
Semifinal--Yuzuka INAGAKI df. Suzu SASAKI by TF, 10-0, 1:57
Semifinal--Hiyori MOTOKI df. Kiwa IWASAWA by Fall, 1:37 (4-0)

72kg
GOLD--Ayano MORO df. Sumire NIIKURA, 6-0

BRONZE--Chisato YOSHIDA df. Kokona TAKADA by Fall, 6:00 (9-2)
BRONZE--Yuka FUJIKURA df. Asahi NAKAMURA, 6-2

Semifinal--Sumire NIIKURA df. Kokona TAKADA by TF, 11-0, 5:57
Semifinal--Ayano MORO df. Yuka FUJIKURA by Fall, 2:37 (8-0)

#JapanWrestling

Fujinami cruises in test run at 57kg, earns ticket to World U23

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 - 07:47 By Ken Marantz

TOKYO (April 14) -- Paris Olympic champion Akari FUJINAMI took her new, slightly bulked-up body out for its first spin on Sunday, and it was just as high-performance as ever.

Fujinami, the reigning world and Olympic champion at women's 53kg, made her first official foray into the next Olympic weight class of 57kg, and cruised to victory in the U23 division at the Japan Junior Queens Cup in Tokyo.

"It was my first tournament at 57kg and, as the starting point at [this weight], I feel this was a good tournament to get an idea of my power at 57kg and the method for making the adjustment, all while maintaining the right amount of tension," Fujinami said.

The tournament also saw the return to the mat of Paris 62kg champion Sakura MOTOKI, who also prevailed in the U23 tournament, while recently crowned senior Asian champion Sakura ONISHI earned a chance to repeat as world U20 champion, and one-time heavyweight prodigy Ayano MORO returned in triumph at U20 from a 16-month injury absence.

Fujinami needed just two wins to win her title, winning both matches by 10-0 decision in the first period. That extended her current winning streak to 141 straight victories dating back to a loss in the final at the national junior high school championships in June 2017.

The victory also earned the 21-year-old star a place on Japan's team to the World U23 Championships, to be held Oct. 20-26 in Novi Sad, Serbia, which gives her a shot at one of the few major titles she hasn't already won.

The Junior Queens Cup, held over two days at the Tokyo Budokan in eastern Tokyo, featured competition in the four age-group divisions, U15, U17, U20 and U23, and was serving as the world qualifiers in the latter three and the Asian Championships for all four.

It was Fujinami's first individual competition since winning the 53kg gold medal at the Paris Olympics in August last year, when she added to her senior world titles from 2021 and 2023. She capped the day by finishing off Kanon YAMASHITA 10-0 in the final just inside the first-period buzzer.

"Of course, winning the title here was among my objectives," said Fujinami, who has started her third year at Nippon Sports Science University. "But I wanted to use the time here to get an actual feel for the 57kg weight class.

"In practice, I often train with others in heavier weight classes, but there is a difference between practice and actual matches. And I wanted to get that match feeling. For sure, I could feel the four-kilogram difference, but it didn't seem that big."

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN) makes her debut at 57kg at the Japan Junior Queens Cup. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Her only previous action since Paris was at a collegiate team tournament. Because it had just three weight classes, many participants, including Fujinami, wrestled outside of their usual division. She won both of her matches by fall.

More significantly, it was at that event that Fujinami made the eye-opening announcement that she was moving up to 57kg, citing the difficulty of cutting weight, as well as the historic aspect that no woman wrestler has ever won a second straight Olympic gold after moving to a higher weight class.

Fujinami, who said she never considered making a detour at 55kg, has been spending time looking for the right balance of adding weight while not losing the speed and agility that have become her trademark.

"I won't be making big changes to my style of wrestling and what has worked for me, but I will adopt and add things that fit my style so I can make progress and get to point where I'm stronger at 57kg,"she said.

The Junior Queens Cup provided the first test run in preparation for a much bigger challenge coming up. Fujinami is certain to face a significantly higher level of competition at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships in June, which will serve as the second of two domestic qualifiers for this year senior World Championships.

"The Meiji Cup in June will be the big test, and I realized here the aspects in which I want to get stronger," Fujinami said.

The world champion also said she is working on expanding her repertoire of techniques. "I want to expand my wrestling. I want to raise the level of my attacks so I can score points in different ways.

"There were things that worked and things that didn't work in these two matches. One thing I tried to work on was using an underhook, but it didn't go very well. I'll look at the video and make adjustments. I want to have more ways to score points beyond my specialty tackle."

Akari FUJINAMI (JPN), third from left, with other 57kg medalists. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

One thing Fujinami doesn't want to do is dwell on the past -- she particularly doesn't like to talk about the winning streak. Her focus is forward, and constantly striving to improve.

"The Paris Olympics are done and in the past and I have begun my next challenge," she said. "Of course, there is the next Olympics. But before that, my thinking is to keep making progress and exceed my past self."

The elephant in the room regarding her move up to 57kg is that it puts her on a collision course with Tsugumi SAKURAI, the Paris gold medalist in that weight class. Fujinami has already beaten Sakurai, but not for such stakes as will be involved in the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Asked if there were any wrestlers at 57kg that she looked forward to facing, she replied, "Actually, there are not really any particular wrestlers that I think like that. It's more about me finding out what kind of wrestling I can do at 57kg. I have my own expectations, and I want to exceed who I was at 53kg."

One aspect of her move to 57kg that appeals to Fujinami is that she no longer has to spend time obsessing over her weight, time that can be put to much better use.

"When I was at 53kg, I would have to start focusing on cutting weight from one month before [a tournament] and that would dictate my lifestyle," she said. "But at 57kg, I can continue my regular life, which allows me to focus on the wrestling aspect."

Sakura MOTOKI (JPN), left, won the 62kg gold at the Junior Queens Cup to qualify for the World U23 Championships. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Motoki stays on track to 'Golden Grand Slam'

For Motoki, the hiatus she took after the Olympics allowed her to enjoy some culinary excesses that she normally has to avoid. She was able to get back into decent enough shape, although for better or worse, it did not play much of a factor as her weight class only had two entrants.

"I had a half-year blank since my last match at the Olympics," said Motoki, who defeated Nagisa ITO by fall in 1:02. "After getting back into shape, I thought this was good timing for getting my body back into live-match mode. I was a bit nervous.

"Partly due to cutting weight, I felt my movement was dull in the morning, but I had a long time until my match, so I was able to recover. When I was warming up, I thought, 'I feel good.' Physically, I was in pretty good condition."

Motoki also plans to enter the Meiji Cup, where she could renew her rivalry with Paris 68kg bronze medalist Nonoka OZAKI, whom she beat out for the Olympic 62kg spot. But, she said, her focus is actually more on the U23 worlds.

"This year is the last I can compete in U23," she said. "You can wrestle at the senior worlds at any age, so I'm in no rush for that. I think it's best to do it when I'm ready, both physically and technically."

A victory at the world U23 would keep Motoki on track to a feat accomplished by just two other wrestlers in history. Only compatriot Yui SUSAKI and Amit ELOR (USA) have achieved the "Golden Grand Slam" of titles on all four age-group levels along with an Olympic gold.

Motoki already has world U17 (2018) and U20 (2022) titles, and arguably got the hardest one out of the way by winning the gold in Paris. She came up short twice previously at the senior worlds, taking a bronze in 2022 and silver in 2023.

Among the other U23 winners on Sunday were senior world 55kg champion Moe KIYOOKA, who returned to that weight class after taking a silver medal at 53kg at the Asian Championships in March, and Ami ISHII at 68kg. Ishii, the world 72kg champion, has recovered from the injury that caused her to become a late withdrawal in Amman.

Sakura ONISHI (JPN) wrestles at the U20 tournament of the Junior Queens Cup. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Onishi adds to hectic schedule

In the U20 tournament on Saturday, Onishi said it was a bit difficult to turn the switch back on so fast following her golden run at 59kg at the Asian Championships.

"There was a bit of pressure," Onishi said. "After returning from the Asian Championships, I wasn't sure how to get back into the mode. That made the matches tougher here. But I was able to come around with advice and support from those around me and win the title."

Onishi, a teammate of Fujinami's at NSSU, won all three of her matches by fall or technical fall, although in the final, she gave up a 4-point counter back roll to high schooler Sae NOGUCHI as she was driving for a takedown. "That scared me for a second," Onishi said. "Finishing up my tackles has been an issue and she found an opening."

Onishi, winner at the Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships last December, will also look to clinch a ticket to the senior worlds with a victory at the Meiji Cup. That makes for quite a hectic schedule looking ahead.

"I have collegiate events also, but my ultimate goal is to definitely win the championship at the senior worlds," Onishi said. " To do that, I have to win the title at the Meiji Cup. I know that I've set a hard schedule for myself."

Ayona MORO (JPN) Ayana MORO (JPN) won the 76kg gold in the U20 tournament, her first since the 2023 Emperor’s Cup. (Photo: Ikuo Higuchi / wrestling-spirits.jp)

Moro, who won the U20 title at 76kg with three wins in a combined 89 seconds, has spent much of the past year rehabbing from a serious neck injury and other ailments.

The 2022 world U20 champion was competing for the first time since winning the 72kg gold at the Emperor's Cup in December 2023. She had hurt her neck in the playoff with eventual Paris Olympic chamion Yuka KAGAMI for the 2023 world team in July of that year.

She decided to put the pain temporarily aside to enter the Emperor's Cup, then started rehab. She returned intermittently to the mat, but kept reinjuring the neck. On top of that, she is asthmatic and had a bout of pneumonia that left her with a constant cough. She finally returned to full-fledged training in March this year.

"I wasn't able to do much sparring [in training], I did some light rolling around and weight training, and kept up with my rehab," said Moro, who this year left Yamanashi Gakuin University and currently trains at her high school alma mater Abe Gakuin.

"I knew I wouldn't lose on strength. I tend to think negatively, but today I was unusually confident I could do well."

When told about the aggregate quickness of her victories, including a victory in the final by fall in 19 seconds over Chisato YOSHIDA, she responded, "I didn't know that. I was too nervous, it was my first time on the mat in a long time. It was so scary on the mat. I don't remember anything."

Yuu KATSUME (JPN), a world U17 champion at 46kg, won at 49kg. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

Potential future stars to keep an eye on

For those wanting a hint of potential stars of the future, they would be well advised to keep in mind this name: Yuu KATSUME.

Katsume swept to the U17 title at 49kg, putting her in position to win a second world title in that age group after striking gold at 46kg last year. She preceded that by winning back-to-back Asian U15 golds in 2022 and 2023.

Katsume, now a third-year student at the high school affiliated with Shigakkan University, is in the midst of putting together a Fujinami-esque winning streak.

Her most recent loss came in the fifth grade of elementary school, and that was when she entered a boys' tournament just to get a higher level of competition.

While she doesn't know the exact number of consecutive wins she has -- she added four more on Saturday, which she won by a combined score of 37-0 -- she figures it is "around 70."

Katsume will turn 17 in May, making her eligible to compete at the Emperor's Cup in December, which will also mark her senior-level debut.

Another potential star has a quite familiar name. The newly crowned 50kg champion in the U15 division was Tsukino SAKURAI, who had Paris Olympic gold medalist -- and older sister -- Tsugumi in her corner.

Tsukino is a product of the same Kochi City wrestling club run by her father in western Japan that produced not only Tsugumi, but fellow Olympic gold medalist Kotaro KIYOOKA as well as his sister Moe.

"Everyone on the team put in a lot of time and effort to help make me stronger," Tsukino said. "I'm happy to win a qualifier for an international tournament for the first time."

As is common among younger siblings, her goal is to not only catch up to her older sister, but to exceed her. (A middle sister, Hanano, recently retired after a modestly successful career at 50kg.)

"She's been to a lot of international tournaments, even the Olympics, and has won them," Tsukino said. "That makes me happy, but she has also become my goal and I want to do better than her."

Tanabe joins Olympic medalist dad as national champion

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Fujinami cruises in test run at 57kg, earns ticket to World U23