The prestigious All Japan Open takes place on October 10 and 11—and with the 14th World Championship coming up next year, this should be of interest to everyone.
Link to the full draw further down in the article.
There are four categories—Kata and Kumite, for both men and women. The men’s Kumite division features just over 60 competitors. The number of participants is one thing, but the level of competition they represent is another.
We have touched upon this topic before: how the setup of the All Japan Open is virtually identical to that of a World Championship. While World Championships do have more competitors overall, the number of participants in the All Japan Open is far higher than in any other single event.
To draw a comparison with the upcoming European Open-weight tournament: the men’s division has just over 20 competitors—whereas, as mentioned, the All Japan Open has over 60. Photo by the eminent Piotr Sztencel see more: Pi.Sztencel
The numbers are more balanced on the women’s side, largely because additional qualification is required to compete in the women’s divisions. Unlike the men, who may compete based on their country’s quota, female competitors must qualify individually.
This is a topic open for discussion.
In the 58th edition of the All Japan Open, we find many competitors who will play a major role exactly one year from now—specifically, at the World Championship. Yuki Okada, Ryuji Toda, Yusaku Watanabe, and Kazushi Watanabe are just the tip of the iceberg; we are talking about athletes who finished in the top 16 at the last World Championship.
In addition, there is the next generation—such as Keijiro Tsukamoto—who have already made their mark – and for sure will keep on their development.
Kazushi Watanabe, Yusaku Watanabe, Yuki Okada, Ryuji Toda, Yota Kaneoka, Keijiro Tsukamoto and Daisuke Tada / Byakuren – all of them in top 8 last All Japan Open (57th) and al of them in the line up now.
Once again, there are some very strong outside entries. Daisuke Tada, Yuta Takahashi, and Daiya Katagiri are three names worth noting. In terms of results, Tada has been the most prominent; for instance, he won the 9th All Japan Open JFKO.
Daiya Katagiri / Kenbukai 3rd place holder of the 1st WFKO World Championships, and several othe strong merits. Usually competes in the light-heavyweight division (-90 kg), and expectations will be high. However, he faces “surprisingly” tough opposition right from the first match against Takashi Torihara.
Yuta Takahashi is competing again—and bringing even more fighters from his dojo. Yuta Takahashi himself is a unique talent in full-contact karate. We would love to see him achieve a higher ranking than before, as there is no denying that he has faced an exceptionally tough road to the podium.
As you can see, the stage is set for another tough edition of the All Japan Open—and as mentioned, the top finishers here are the ones we will see at next year’s World Championship.
There are plenty of high-profile names in the women’s class as well, even though the number of competitors is half that of the men’s class. Momo Fujihara, Honoka Inoue, Yuna Mokudai and Mihiro Suzuki.
Suzuki—based on her past performances, she seems unstoppable at the moment. Her physical strength is considerable, and she is also capable of maintaining a very high pace. The pressure she exerts on her opponents is immense and constant.
Yuna Mokudai took first place at the All Japan Open JFKO this spring. She has previously proven herself to be among the best in the world, displaying incredible speed in her techniques. She also possesses highly developed kicking skills, which makes her matches all the more compelling.
The women’s division also features outside entries: Ren Mizutani / Kubota Dojo and Rio Matsuda / Kyokushin Kaikan Hashimoto Dojo. Both have strong track records, but they also face a tough draw.
Matsuda meets Kokona Nomura in the first match, and this will be a very difficult challenge. There is a strong possibility that Nomura will be the one to advance.
