It will open on Monday, January 5th in the new year.“101st Emperor’s Cup/92nd Empress’s Cup All Japan Basketball Championship Final Round”. Introducing the challengers who will be competing in the B League and W League from the first round.
“77th All Japan University Basketball Championship (Intercollegiate)”Yamanashi Gakuin University, ranked 5th in the Kanto region, appeared in the second round as a seeded school.“I was very careful about how I would go into this tournament, and I was focused on that for the first match.”Director Isomi Hayashi prepared carefully for this year’s intercollegiate tournament. The opponent in the first match is Rikkyo University, which has been promoted from the Kanto University Women’s Second Division League and is gaining momentum. Last year, Yamanashi Gakuin University returned to the first division after competing in the Kanto University Women’s League replacement match. The result of the match after a year was lost 62-68, losing the first match. Rikkyo University has now achieved revenge on the national stage.
After the match, captain #5 Yumeko Fujisawa (4th year/161cm/SG/Gifu Girls’ High School) said,“At first, we got carried away by our opponent’s pace. We caught up to single digits in the second quarter, and even after that we tried to catch up, but we couldn’t overtake them, so I feel like we lacked strength. Last year’s intercollegiate team didn’t start the game well, so we talked about focusing on that this year, but since it was our first match, we weren’t able to fully focus on that, and that’s why we lost.”I open my mouth with a heavy heart.
This is not the last competition for the fourth year students, nor for this year’s Yamanashi Gakuin University. Director Hayashi“In the spring (the 59th Kanto University Women’s Basketball Championship), we placed third in the Kanto region, and through our own efforts, we won the right to participate in the Empress’s Cup as a university representative. We must compete in the Empress’s Cup with confidence and pride. This will be the last task for the fourth-year students.”I would like to once again give my players their backs. Although the category and opponent are different, there is still a stage where you can give out everything you have worked hard at Yamanashi Gakuin University.“I feel like I can only say I’m lucky. We lost the first match in the intercollegiate tournament, but we still have the Empress’s Cup, so I’ll make sure to switch things up, review things from practice, and do my best to prepare.”Fujisawa used his frustration as fuel to move forward.
Regarding the challenges at intercollegiate school, Fujisawa said,“There were times when I was feeling a bit weak emotionally. At the Empress’s Cup, I’m just going to be strong, and I want everyone to do their best in basketball. Our goal is to win the first game well. This inter-college game made us keenly aware of how difficult the first match is, so we want to win well and seize the chance to play against a W-League team.”and head towards a new goal. On December 17th, the W League announced early entries for the 2025-26 season. Fujisawa will join Chanson Cosmetics Chanson V Magic, which is led by head coach Masato Ogasawara, who coached this year’s Japan Women’s National Team.
During his playing days, Coach Hayashi played for the JOMO Sunflowers (currently ENEOS Sunflowers) and contributed to two consecutive Empress’s Cup victories (2009 and 2010). If they win the first round of this tournament, they will face the Toyota Motor Antelopes, led by head coach Yuko Ogami, who have built the same era.“New Year’s Day is all about basketball, and when I was an active player, I would celebrate New Year’s Day after the Empress’s Cup. It’s my first time as a coach and I’m going to play in the Empress’s Cup on New Year’s Day, so I’m really looking forward to it. I’m really happy to be able to play basketball on a big stage with my teammates from the beginning of the year. Even as someone who has won championships before, I’m really grateful to be able to play in the Empress’s Cup, where students can take on the challenge.”says Director Hayashi.
As a challenger in a different category,“I think the physical aspects will be completely different, but as a student representative, I want the fans to see us compete fresh and lively, and that is what Yamanashi Gakuin is like.We will not change much in the period leading up to the Empress’s Cup, but we will just stick to our style that we have built up until now.We will reflect on the issues that came up during the intercollegiate tournament and prepare to play a good game.”I restarted.
The opponent in the first round is Kasado Brave Star. For a long time, they competed as Hitachi Kasado, and in April 2024 they changed to Kasado Brave Star, which is based in Kudamatsu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and is now active as a community-based team. They have participated in consecutive tournaments since the 2017-18 tournament, which became a round-based tournament, and have challenged W League teams six times in eight years. #9 Tomomi Yamanaga (173cm/PF/graduate of Kurashiki University of Arts and Sciences) and #10 Yui Kuwabara (157cm/PG/graduate of Nihon Keizai University) have experience. Two tournaments ago, against the Himeji Eagles, Yamaga scored 16 points, and the year before that, against the Mitsubishi Electric Coreers, Kuwabara recorded 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, leaving impressive stats against top teams. Although they have yet to cause an upset, they have gained solid experience on the big stage once a year.
Waiting for the winner between the Kasado Brave Stars and Yamanashi Gakuin University is the Toyota Antelopes, who currently (as of December 18th) lead the W League.
1st and 2nd rounds are fun / Teams from different categories can compete against each other![Tickets on sale now]
January 5th (Monday) 17:00[1st round]Yamanashi Gakuin University vs. Kasado Braves Star (Komazawa Gymnasium)
January 6th (Tuesday) 17:00[2nd round]Toyota Motor Antelopes vs Winner (Komazawa Gymnasium)
