Thread about Japanese Players

[zeio]

Kihara is out; its rather normal. Mima takes Hirano's spot !

That's an interesting interpretation. To me, it's Nagasaki taking Kihara's place, Hayata taking Hirano's place, Hashimoto taking Ito's place, Ito taking Harimoto's place, Harimoto taking Hayata's place...

https://web.archive.org/web/20250913074549/https://jtta.or.jp/national/womens

 

[joshmak10]

She was on the national team the previous 6 months. She is no longer on the national team.

So I take it she cannot go to tournaments anymore unless she pays with her own money?

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

So I take it she cannot go to tournaments anymore unless she pays with her own money?

Her own money or sponsor, but smaller tournaments are self paid even for national team members. She's one of the leading candidates to make the national team, but she will have tough competition from the likes of Yokoi, Sato, and others. She is listed for Star Contender London so that's a start.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Mixed Team World Cup (November 30 - December 7, 2025) Players Selected for Japan:

Men:
Tomokazu Harimoto
Shunsuke Togami
Sora Matsushima
Hiroto Shinozuka

Women:
Miwa Harimoto
Mima Ito
Satsuki Odo
Hina Hayata

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Shin Yubin recently signed with T-League team Kyushu Carina... the same team as Kim Nayeong. Joo Cheonhui is on Hina's team, Nippon Life Red Elf.

 

[Catenaccio]

China Smash WS R16
Miwa Harimoto vs Satsuki Odo 3-1 (-6,10,6,3)
Honoka Hashimoto vs Wang Yidi 0-3 (-8,-3,-10)
Hina Hayata vs Wang Manyu 0-3 (-6,-4,-5)

China Smash MS R16
Sora Matsushima vs Liang Jingkun 3-2 (4,-9,8,-8,8)
Yukiya Uda vs Truls Moregard 3-1 (9,6,-7,3)
Kazuki Hamada vs Chen Junsong 2-3 (-11,-8,9,4,-8)

China Smash WD QF
Hayata/Joo vs Sawettabut/Paranang 3-0 (6,5,7)

China Smash MD QF
Matsushima/Togami vs Lebrun/Lebrun 3-1 (7,-5,6,7)

 

[Catenaccio]

Mixed Team World Cup (November 30 - December 7, 2025) Players Selected for Japan:

Men:
Tomokazu Harimoto
Shunsuke Togami
Sora Matsushima
Hiroto Shinozuka

Women:
Miwa Harimoto
Mima Ito
Satsuki Odo
Hina Hayata

I can't find the selection criteria for this tournament, but my guess is that the All Japan Champion 2025 (Hayata) and the 3 highest ranked players (Harimoto, Ito, Odo) as of the cut-off date (1 October) were selected.

 

[tzifos]

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

The CNT are on a mission not to lose to Japan at a Grand Smash held in China. Kudos to Sora Matsushima for his breakthrough.

 

[driversbeat]

Mixed Team World Cup (November 30 - December 7, 2025) Players Selected for Japan:

Men:
Tomokazu Harimoto
Shunsuke Togami
Sora Matsushima
Hiroto Shinozuka

Women:
Miwa Harimoto
Mima Ito
Satsuki Odo
Hina Hayata

No Hashimoto again hmm but might be a good thing seeing how she has been studied already

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

No Hashimoto again hmm but might be a good thing seeing how she has been studied already

I think Catenaccio is right about it being the All Japan winner (Hina Hayata) plus top 3 world ranked players. It takes time to develop an effective attacker/chopper doubles pairing that could be used in teams events. I think national coach Nakazawa should start developing this. It could be useful in teams events when Miwa/Satsuki or Miwa/Sora need a break.

 

[Catenaccio]

It takes time to develop an effective attacker/chopper doubles pairing that could be used in teams events. I think national coach Nakazawa should start developing this. It could be useful in teams events when Miwa/Satsuki or Miwa/Sora need a break.

It seems that he is trying. Miwa Harimoto and Hashimoto are entered to play WD at the Star Contender in London.

When Sato/Yokoi (an example of attacker/chopper pairing) played together their results were decent. For example, they reached the finals of the Contender Zagreb (losing 6:11 in G5 to Harimoto/Odo) and Buenos Aires (losing 9:11 in G5 to Harimoto/Odo).

 

[Catenaccio]

China Smash MS QF
Yukiya Uda vs Lin Shidong 0-4 (-8,-7,-6,-5)

China Smash WS QF
Miwa Harimoto vs Wang Manyu 0-4 (-3,-10,-6,-4)

China Smash MD SF
Matsushima/Togami vs Chen/Zhou 1-3 (-9,-8,8,-10)

China Smash WD SF
Hayata/Joo vs Wang/Xu 3-2 (-9,9,9,-5,9)

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Great China Smash for Kazuki Hamada and Sora Matsushima, but a rough tournament for the Japanese women. Unexpected loss for Mima, Honoka given a bagel by WYD, and WMY doing the most damage handing both Hina and Miwa bagels. I guess one bright spot is the Hina / JCH mixed association pairing making it to the finals of WD. I think both Hina and Satsuki are the best WD players in Japan with Hina perhaps being a bit more stable. This pairing will also be useful in T-League as Joo Cheonhui joined Hina's team this season.

 

[NextLevel]

Great China Smash for Kazuki Hamada and Sora Matsushima, but a rough tournament for the Japanese women. Unexpected loss for Mima, Honoka given a bagel by WYD, and WMY doing the most damage handing both Hina and Miwa bagels. I guess one bright spot is the Hina / JCH mixed association pairing making it to the finals of WD. I think both Hina and Satsuki are the best WD players in Japan with Hina perhaps being a bit more stable. This pairing will also be useful in T-League as Joo Cheonhui joined Hina's team this season.

If Hina maintains stable form, they might end up with her on one of the doubles teams. But the Olympics still needs to declare qualification rules and constraints for countries to know how best to form teams.

 

[JackJohnson]

If Hina maintains stable form, they might end up with her on one of the doubles teams. But the Olympics still needs to declare qualification rules and constraints for countries to know how best to form teams.

I hope they don’t make it so that only 3 players can be utilised for all events. Should allow the teams to utilised as much players as possible as long as they still keep it to the association limit per event.

 

[Catenaccio]

China Smash WD F
Hayata/Joo vs Kuai/Wang 1-3 (6,-8,-11,-10)

China Smash MS QF
Sora Matsushima vs Wang Chuqin 1-4 (-7,-8,-3,9,-7)

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Nice bump in ranking for Sora Matsushima ... now WR#16. Yukiya Uda is now at WR#26.

 

[zeio]

I hope they don’t make it so that only 3 players can be utilised for all events. Should allow the teams to utilised as much players as possible as long as they still keep it to the association limit per event.

The IOC doesn't think that way and is quite anal here. They count the total number of athletes and are very resistant to increasing that number.

Source: Wikipedia (the numbers aren't exact and keep changing depending how they're counted)
OG - Athletes/NOCs
2028 - 11198 quotas
2024 - 10714/204
2020 - 11319/206
2016 - 11180/207
2012 - 10518/206
2008 - 10899/204

 

[Janard]

Hashimoto is now top female whereas Hayata is Tanaka-tier