JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK | Rugby: Yokohama Powerhouse Nabs Title in the 105th National High School Tourney
Toin Gakuen High School players and staff pose for photos after the team's triumph in the 105th All Japan High School Rugby Tournament final on January 7, 2026, in Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture. (©KYODO)
Yokohama's Toin Gakuen High School defeated Kyoto Seisho High School 36-15 in the 105th All Japan High School Rugby Tournament championship match on Wednesday, January 7.
The final was held at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture.
It was Toin Gakuen's sixth overall title and third in a row in the annual competition. Longtime coach Hideyuki Fujiwara's team became the sixth school in the rugby tournament's rich history to earn a championship three-peat.
"After winning here last year, I never imagined we could actually win the [2026] championship," Fujiwara said, according to Sports Nippon. "I'm stunned."
A total of 528 schools participated in the 47 prefectural tournaments, with 56 squads qualifying to compete in the national tournament.
There's no simple formula for success, according to Fujiwara, who's in his 24th season at the helm. But Toin Gakuen has now won five of the last 10 national tournaments.
"When the team starts, we want to build on the previous year's strengths, but we usually fail," Fujiwara commented, according to Sports Nippon. "Then it disbands, and the cycle repeats."
Highlights from the High School Rugby Final
The 2026 All Japan High School Rugby Tournament final was knotted at 5-5 at the end of the first half.
However, Toin Gakuen dominated the second half, outscoring Kyoto Seisho 31-10. This included a trio of successive tries, beginning early in the second half, to seize control of the match. Yoshiki Adachi ignited that pivotal stretch with the first try of a 10-minute span.
Teammate Fumito Takeyama's try and Toin Gakuen's successful conversion extended the lead to 26-5 in the 14th minute of the second half. And the Yokohama school maintained its strong form for the rest of the contest.
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Baseball
Veteran Pitcher Sawamura Retires at 37
Pitcher Hirokazu Sawamura has decided to retire, making an announcement on Instagram on Friday, January 9.
"It's time to accept that my career is nearing its end and to say goodbye," the 37-year-old wrote on the social media platform.
Sawamura was the 2011 Central League Rookie of the Year. He had an 11-11 record and a 2.03 ERA with 174 strikeouts in 200 innings for the Yomiuri Giants that season. He went 10-10 in 2012.
In the 2012 Japan Series, Sawamura was the winning pitcher in Game 2 against the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, tossing seven scoreless innings and allowing just three hits. The Giants triumphed 1-0 and then sealed the title in Game 6, which Sawamura also started.
Yomiuri converted him to reliever a few years later, and he had success as the team's closer.
Sawamura had 36 saves in 2015 and led the CL in saves (37) in 2016.
He was traded to the Chiba Lotte Marines in September 2020.
A 2-Year Stint in the Majors
After becoming a free agent, he signed a two-year deal with MLB's Boston Red Sox and played for the American League club in 2021 and '22. Sawamura appeared in a total of 104 regular-season games for Boston. He compiled a 6-2 record and had a 3.39 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 103⅔ innings across the two seasons.
Sawamura resumed his career in Japan with Lotte in 2023 and pitched three more seasons in NPB. In 2025, he appeared in 20 games and finished the year with an 0-1 record and a 3.93 ERA.
For his entire NPB career, Sawamura made 445 pitching appearances. He recorded 99 holds and 79 saves. Sawamura had a 53-58 record and a 2.88 ERA.
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Soccer
Mitoma Notches 2nd Goal of EPL Season
Kaoru Mitoma delivered a match-tying goal for Brighton in the 60th minute against English Premier League opponent Manchester City on Wednesday, January 7.
It was Mitoma's second goal of the 2025-26 campaign. Brighton earned a 1-1 draw.
Controlling the ball on the left wing in the 60th minute, Mitoma blasted a shot into the lower right corner of the net.
Mitoma, 28, missed more than two months of the season, starting in late September, due to an ankle injury. But Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler believes the now-healthy winger can make a strong impact for the club for the rest of the season.
"He can be a game-changer for us," Hurzeler said, according to Brighton's official website. "We need to push him so he's 100%. But in the second half [against Manchester City], he showed he is trying to get back on track as quickly as possible."
Mitoma has played in 11 of Brighton's 21 Premier League matches this season.
Golf
A Quick Look at the Start of Japan's 2026 Season
The ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship will be held March 5-8 at the Royal Auckland & Grange Golf Club in New Zealand. After that, the men's professional Japan Golf Tour will stage its first tournament of the 2026 season on domestic soil from April 9-12 at Token Tado Country Club in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture.
In women's golf, the JLPGA is set to launch its 2026 campaign with the Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf Tournament (March 5-8) at Ryukyu Golf Club in Nanjo, Okinawa Prefecture.
Tennis
Nishikori Withdraws From Canberra Tournament
Kei Nishikori pulled out of his round of 32 men's singles match against top-seeded Czech Vit Kopriva at the Canberra International, an ATP Challenger event, on Tuesday, January 6.
Kopriva was leading (6-1, 2-2) when Nishikori withdrew due to shoulder pain, according to published reports. It was the 238th-ranked Nishikori's first match of 2026.
Qualifying for the Australian Open main draw begins on January 12.
The timing of the 36-year-old Nishikori's injury raises doubts about whether he'll be able to participate in the first Grand Slam event of the year.
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Quotes of the Week
"Imai-senshu's arrival in Houston is more than a roster move — it is a powerful example of how [the] sport continues to serve as a bridge between cultures. Baseball has long been a shared passion of the United States and Japan, fostering mutual respect, admiration, and people-to-people connections across generations."
―The Japan America Society of Houston, welcoming the arrival of pitcher Tatsuya Imai to the Houston Astros. He attended an introductory news conference on January 5.
"It's been two years, so I'm just really happy. I still cannot believe ([it]. [And] I just want to say thank you to everyone who supported me, I really appreciate it."
―Mitsuki Ono, on winning her first FIS Snowboard World Cup women's halfpipe competition since February 2024 in Aspen, Colorado, on January 9. Ono, 21, made her Olympic debut at the 2022 Beijing Games, placing ninth in the same event. She'll also compete at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games in Italy.
Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
