2026 Emperor's/Empress's Cup (aka All Japan) Jan 20-25, Doubles Jan 29-Feb 1

[fore.n.back]

where has this Kizukuri been? he played really well today

 

[zeio]

where has this Kizukuri been? he played really well today

Not much on him. A lack of funding like Tanaka, I guess.

「勝ち負けよりやることをやる」。メンタル充実の木造勇人、7年ぶりのランク入りで8強
https://world-tt.com/blog/news/archives/325091
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/cc0df82f4877372351c80cb3a6bf27a583f78d06

 

[driversbeat]

So Yokoi is the interloper while everyone juat defended their seeding.

Kihara also upset seeding by beating Odo

「すごく仲の良い同級生」対決は木原美悠に軍配　試合後は健闘称える熱い握手も＜全日本卓球2026＞ | 卓球メディア｜Rallys（ラリーズ）

木原美悠（トップおとめピンポンズ名古屋）は大藤沙月（ミキハウス）との21歳同級生対決に臨み、各ゲーム先行されるも上手く逆転し、ゲームカウント4-1で勝利を収めた。

rallys.online

Kihara was asked about their warm handshake after the match. She says that she and Odo are good friends. Seems like Odo is well-liked internationally as well as she's always training with different foreign players, although Kaufmann and Gauzy might disagree 😅

 

[Janard]

Kihara also upset seeding by beating Odo

「すごく仲の良い同級生」対決は木原美悠に軍配　試合後は健闘称える熱い握手も＜全日本卓球2026＞ | 卓球メディア｜Rallys（ラリーズ）

木原美悠（トップおとめピンポンズ名古屋）は大藤沙月（ミキハウス）との21歳同級生対決に臨み、各ゲーム先行されるも上手く逆転し、ゲームカウント4-1で勝利を収めた。

rallys.online

Kihara was asked about their warm handshake after the match. She says that she and Odo are good friends. Seems like Odo is well-liked internationally as well as she's always training with different foreign players, although Kaufmann and Gauzy might disagree 😅

Nothing is more surprising than Kihara dating Xu Yingbin, allegedly.

 

[zeio]

Not much on him. A lack of funding like Tanaka, I guess.

「勝ち負けよりやることをやる」。メンタル充実の木造勇人、7年ぶりのランク入りで8強
https://world-tt.com/blog/news/archives/325091
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/cc0df82f4877372351c80cb3a6bf27a583f78d06

Financial burden is the reason.

木造勇人「今は清々しい気持ち」張本智和にフルゲームで惜敗も充実のベスト8＜全日本卓球2026＞
https://rallys.online/topic/alljapan/260124kizukuriyuto/

――張本選手とはもう何回もやり合っていると思いますが、今日はどんな戦術で臨んだのでしょうか。
木造：本当にバックが上手い選手なので、それはもう分かっていました。そのバックをカウンターするか、もしくは自分がフォアから攻めていくか。

試合前にも張本選手の試合をよく見たりしてたんですけど、王楚欽（ワンチューチン・中国）選手との試合を見て、どういった戦い方をしてるのかなと見ながらやっていました。

それが少しは上手くいったのかなと思いますけど、最後はやっぱり相手の我慢強さだったり、気持ちの強さが最後に出た結果なのかなと思います。

(--You've faced Harimoto many times before, so what tactics did you use today?
Kizukuri: He's a player who's really good with his backhand, so I already knew that. I could either counter his backhand, or attack from my forehand.

Before the match I'd been watching a lot of Harimoto's matches, and I'd also seen his match against Wang Chuqin (China), to see how he fought.

I think that worked a little well, but in the end I think it was my opponent's patience and strong will that showed in the end.)

――ファンに「木造ここにあり」を見せられたと思いますが、これからの決意表明を。
木造：正直、国際大会にも出て世界ランキングを上げていきたいんですけど、費用面がかかる部分で多く出られなかったりもします。

今は国内中心でやってるんですけど、目標としては、世界ランキングをまずは2桁に上げて、世界選手権代表になれるように、僕は一生懸命頑張っていきたいと思います。

(--I think you've shown your fans what Kizuku is all about, but what are your goals for the future?
Kizuku: To be honest, I'd like to compete in international tournaments and improve my world ranking, but I can't participate very often due to financial reasons.

Right now I'm mainly competing domestically, but my goal is to first raise my world ranking into double digits and then work hard to become a representative for the World Championships.)

 

[GAOdp]

All Japan Table Tennis Championships-2026 is Japan’s national table tennis championship of 2026, held under the auspices of the Japan Table Tennis Association and contested in seven events: Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and Men’s and Women’s Junior Singles. This year, for the second time since 2025, the tournament will be staged in a split format:

• from 20 to 25 January 2026, the All Japan National Championships-2026 (general/junior, singles)will be held at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in four events (Men’s and Women’s Singles, Men’s and Women’s Junior Singles). These competitions will be staged under the title “Emperor’s and Empress’s Cup 2026”;
  
  
• from 29 January to 1 February 2026, the All Japan National Championships-2026 (doubles) will take place at Sky Hall Toyota (Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture), featuring Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Doubles under the title “Zennō Cup 2026”.

This will be the 86th edition of the All Japan National Championships (the tournament was founded in 1935 and was interrupted during World War II). Japanese championships for cadets and younger age categories are held separately.

Participants

Eligibility criteria for the All Japan National Championships:

• Participants must be registered players of the Japan Table Tennis Association in 2025 and comply with the ranking system regulations;
• Players competing in Men’s and Women’s Singles, Boys’ and Girls’ events, Men’s and Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles must hold Japanese nationality;
• However, juniors, men and women, as well as players in men’s, women’s and mixed doubles events, may be foreign nationals if they meet any of the following conditions. Eligible athletes also include:
  • children (excluding adopted children) of former Japanese nationals who have resided in Japan for three years or longer;
  • individuals born in Japan who have resided in Japan continuously for three years or more, or whose father or mother was born in Japan (excluding adoptive parents);
  • individuals who have resided continuously in Japan for ten years or longer;
  • foreign nationals who are spouses of Japanese citizens, have been married for at least three years and have resided in Japan for one year or longer…
• Prefectural representatives are selected through preliminary qualification tournaments organised by the respective prefectural table tennis associations (federations) or by other approved methods;
• Players who are also registered with the Japan Intercollegiate Table Tennis Federation must register for each event based on the location of their university registration or the high school they graduated from;
• Juniors must have been born on or after 2 April 2008 (second-year high school students or younger);
• The same individual may participate in only one preliminary round of the same event. * Athletes who fail to qualify through the preliminary competitions may still be allowed to participate upon recommendation by their prefectural federation, the Japan School Federation, the High School Sports Federation, etc.;
• Players who have already competed in this year’s All Japan Championships (cadet and lower categories) are also eligible and may participate in junior and senior events;
• Seeded players who do not take part in preliminary qualification tournaments and are announced in advance will also participate in the event.

Singles competition format
Each event is played in a knockout playoff system:
From the Round of 32 onwards in Men’s and Women’s Singles, matches are played best of seven games (first to four wins, 11 points per game).
All remaining matches, including junior events, are played best of five games (first to three wins, 11 points per game).

Doubles competition format
Each event is played in a knockout playoff system:
All matches are played best of five games (first to three wins, 11 points per game).

Qualification for international tournaments
The winners of the Men’s and Women’s Singles events will earn the right to represent Japan at the 2026 Asian Table Tennis Championships (individual events), to be held in October in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
In addition, the Men’s and Women’s Singles champions will qualify to represent Japan at the 2026 World Table Tennis Championships (team events), scheduled for late April to early May in London, Great Britain.

Useful links

Link to the first stage of the tournament (singles events) on the Japan Table Tennis Association website: All Japan National Championships-2026 (general/junior, singles)
Link to the second stage of the tournament (doubles events) on the Japan Table Tennis Association website: All Japan National Championships-2026 (doubles)
Live streaming on the Table TENNIS TV website: 2026 All Japan Table Tennis Championships - LIVE
Regulations of the first stage of the tournament: 2026 All Japan Table Tennis Championships (general/junior singles) implementation guidelines
Regulations of the second stage of the tournament: 2026 All Japan Table Tennis Championships (general doubles) implementation guidelines
Schedule of the first stage of the tournament: 2026 All Japan Table Tennis Championships - general/junior singles (競技日程について)
Schedule of the second stage of the tournament: 2025 All Japan Table Tennis Championships - general doubles (競技日程について)

 

[KiwiPong]

Nothing is more surprising than Kihara dating Xu Yingbin, allegedly.

Waaaat?!

 

[NextLevel]

On the men's side it is pretty amazing that all the players seeded came through, especially Tanigaki in flying colors. As unlikely as such a result is, I would be happy for the young man if he wins it all, Japan needs someone who doesn't think playing on the national team is his birthright amongst its ranks.

 

[NextLevel]

Hayata- Kihara https://tttv.jp/video/13675#gsc.tab=0
Harimoto - Yokoi https://tttv.jp/video/13676#gsc.tab=0

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

G2 would have been a heartbreaker if Yokoi lost after being up 9-3, but fortunately, she hangs on and wins G2 16-14. Wow, she is really playing well.

 

[NextLevel]

Kihara seems to have worked hard on replacing her flat smashing tendencies with loop driving tendencies.

 

[NextLevel]

G2 would have been a heartbreaker if Yokoi lost after being up 9-3, but fortunately, she hangs on and wins G2 16-14. Wow, she is really playing well.

Regardless, the trend of game 2 doesn't bode well for the rest of the match for her.

 

[NextLevel]

Hayata is getting really tight and frustrated. Kihara can take this. Yokoi, not so sure.

PS: And after I write that, Kihara proceeds to lose the next 3 points....

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

G4 was disastrous for Hina, but she takes care of business in the end. Last hope of the golden generation into the finals. As I type this, Miwa and Sakura into a decider.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Respect for Sakura, but I guess it was destined to be Hina vs. Miwa for all the marbles.

 

[zeio]

WS SF
Hayata 4-2 Kihara (4, -5, 5, -9, 8, 8)
G4 83 (?), 87 TO for Hayata, 89, 99, 911
G5 78, 118
G6 98, 118
Kihara still comes up short like Nagasaki due to the gap in experience to handle being pursued.

Yokoi 3-4 Harimoto (8, 14, -5, -3, 6, -3, -7)
G5 14 (?), 116
G6 23, 25, 35, 311
G7 02, 12 Harimoto served off the table, 13, 33, 35, 55, 56, 66, 610, 710, 711
Similar to the match against Nagasaki, Harimoto displayed her TTQ to turn the tables.

 

[NextLevel]

Harimoto looks like a snail when Matsushima starts attacking. I have to blame that on the differences in blade design lol.

 

[NextLevel]

The matches seem to be psychologically over since both of last year's finalists won game 1 to seize dominance. But of course, Harimoto and Tanigaki are fighters so...

 

[zeio]

Leg cramps again for Harimoto.

 

[NextLevel]

Probably the best offensive match I have ever seen Harimoto play and his reward is a loss. Amazing. Arguably losing game 1 after a 5-0 lead and using his timeout cost him. But that is splitting hairs in a close match. Congrats to Sora.