My All Japan Table Tennis Championships Experience
I was fortunate enough to watch the final day of the All Japan Championships live last Sunday during my vacation to Japan. It my first time watching the pros live and the experience was just incredible. Just wanted to share my thoughts and experience with you guys.
I was late in buying tickets, so I was left with non-reserved seats, which were much farther away from the table. The premier seats were sold out as early as December to Early January! Fortunately, I was still able to get a good view despite arriving a few minutes before the start of the first match. I think what separates my experience watching on the computer from watching live in the arena is the atmosphere. The arena last Sunday was packed and you could tell the fans really enjoyed table tennis. Sometimes, we see on TV replays that the fans in the arena are busy with their phones even while the matches are on-going, but there was none of that last Sunday as the fans were really focused on each match.
Ito vs Hayata
I've seen Ito play better matches, but was glad to still see some of Ito's signature punches. There were some good rallies, but not as many as the other games I watched, so I guess this match was more "tactical." In my opinion, the turning point of the match was Game 5 where Hayata's side called an unconventional timeout. She called a TO at 8-8 after winning the 2 previous points to tie the game. It's rare to call a TO after winning 2 straight points, but this was a good decision as after the TO, Hayata shutdown Ito's next two serves to take a 10-8 lead and eventually won the game.
Ishikawa vs Hashimoto
Despite the match only lasting 5 games, I enjoyed the rallies in this match more than the Ito v Hayata match. With Ishikawa's consistency and Hashimoto's ball-retrieval skills, the rallies were long and exciting with the ongoing suspense of wondering when the point would end. Hashimoto showed some of her good attacks against Ishikawa and they were landing during the first 3 games. Unfortunately, her percentages went down as the match progressed and Ishikawa took control late. If Hashimoto uses weaker but more consistent attacks, Ishikawa is consistent enough to block them back on the table while Hashimoto's stronger attacks are lower percentage and prone to missing. The turning point was game 3 with Ishikawa getting an early 4-0 lead then Hashimoto coming back to make it 10-7 in Hashimoto's favor. Then, it was Ishikawa's turn to come back, and she saved 5 game points to win the game.
Harimoto vs Togami
Amazing match and both players made so many incredible shots that you can literally sense the awe in the crowd. I honestly don't remember the match in detail because there were just too many spectacular shots to take note off. I just consider myself lucky to have witnessed it live. This match seems to be the first time I can remember where Harimoto successfully overcomes a 1-3 game deficit, so this is definitely a growing moment for him despite the close scoreline.
Uda vs Yoshida
After two 7-game matches and one attack vs defense match, the program was behind schedule. It was nearly 2pm and I hadn't eaten yet. Unfortunately, my stomach caved and I decided to use this match as my lunch break. I'm glad Uda won though as I was looking forward to another battle between the Japanese Juniors for the Final.
Hayata vs Ishikawa
Hayata was in the zone this match and made a lot of winners. The crowd was in awe with the speed and power of her shots that even Ishikawa supporters couldn't help but applaud. An interesting thing I noticed in this match was that Ishikawa won more points with her BH than her FH, which can't happen in order to beat Hayata. Hayata is better in the BH-BH exchange and while Ishikawa won some of those points, Hayata won more. I think Ishikawa was forced to use her BH because her FH just wasn't on target this match. A lot of her FH shots went out. If Ishikawa went with a less powerful but more consistent FH attack, Hayata would just counter with a more powerful forehand, so I can understand why Ishikawa tried riskier FH shots. Hayata's emotional celebration really touched me, and after following her progress in the past years, I can understand why this win was so important for her given so many "almost" moments.
Harimoto vs Uda
Similar to the Harimoto vs Togami match, there were so many incredible rallies. What I learned from this match and the previous Harimoto match was how much Japan loves Harimoto. When Harimoto was trailing and when he was down match points, there would always be someone in the crowd shouting "Harimoto!" to give him encouragement in difficult times during his game. The crowd was never disrespectful towards Harimoto's opponent and applauded when his opponent made good shots, but with Mizutani retiring from the All Japan Championships, Harimoto is looking like the next Japanese "fan-favorite." The crowd helped Harimoto save 2 match points and I'm sure they'll be providing a tremendous boost again come Olympic time. However, Uda played fantastic this time and deserved the victory.
Final Thoughts
Watching the All Japan Championships Live was the highlight of my trip to Japan, as it was something I've never experienced before. The crowd, the players, the shots, and the atmosphere were all surreal. On top of that, I'm very pleased with the results. Some may express concern that the winner on both the men's and women's side are not Olympians, but I don't see it as a problem. The Olympians who lost still have 6 months to improve and these losses are just something to learn from. The winners, in Hayata and Uda, are both teenagers who have bright futures ahead of them. Winning the nationals just gives them more opportunities to improve and gain experience as they'll be selected more for more major international competitions like the WTTTC this March. This will be instrumental in preparing them for the next Olympic cycle.
Some Random Photos (Log-in to see enlarged photos)
There was a Nippon Life booth outside the stadium where fans could write any message. Spot my message in ugly handwriting on the top right. It's the only message in English haha. It says: "All the best Miu and Hina from your TTD fans."
Went to the Zen-Noh Booth too and got myself some Ishikawa rice porridge.
The stadium was already packed before the start of the game. Those empty seats are those who went to the bathroom or got a meal during the break between the Uda v. Yoshida match and the Hayata v. Ishikawa match. Unfortunately, some of the reserved seats were never filled meaning some people bought tickets but were no shows. Those could have gone to some of us at the back.
Hard for your eyes not to tear up when Hayata herself is emotional. She couldn't close out some opportunities last year. She got the result she needed one year late, but it's better late than never.
Hayata never faces our side of the Arena when holding the trophy so had to be content with taking a picture of the big screen.