Higashiyama High School and Kyoto Seika Gakuen High School secured the boys’ and girls’ titles respectively at the Kyoto Prefecture qualifying tournament for the 79th All-Japan High School Basketball Championship, finishing their final league stages with identical 3-and-0 records on November 3, basketballking.jp reported. The results finalized all five high schools representing Kyoto at the upcoming national tournament, widely known as the Winter Cup.
Kyoto Prefecture Tournament Final League Standings and National Berths
The prefecture’s qualifying tournament awarded two boys’ berths and three girls’ berths to the national competition. In the boys’ division, Higashiyama and Kyoto Seika Gakuen had already secured their national spots after winning their first two matches in the round-robin stage, leaving the final day’s direct showdown to decide the tournament crown. The girls’ division followed a similar pattern, with Kyoto Seika Gakuen and Kyoto Yoyo High School locking in their Winter Cup appearances ahead of the final showdown, while Fukuchiyama Narumi High School claimed the third and final remaining girls’ slot.
Higashiyama Overcomes Early Deficit to Claim Boys’ Title Against Kyoto Seika Gakuen
In the boys’ all-win clash, Higashiyama defeated Kyoto Seika Gakuen 67–49 to capture the prefectural championship. Kyoto Seika Gakuen opened the game aggressively, building a 7-0 run before Higashiyama responded late in the first quarter to take the lead. Higashiyama then seized control by dominating the second quarter 21-7, establishing a 36-19 advantage by halftime. Despite subsequent counterattacks, Higashiyama maintained its cushion through the second half, led by Yuku Suzuki’s team-high 15 points.
Kyoto Seika Gakuen Dominates Kyoto Yoyo to Secure Girls’ Championship
The girls’ tournament finale also featured a battle between two undefeated sides, with Kyoto Seika Gakuen defeating Kyoto Yoyo 65–48. Kyoto Seika Gakuen established an early 21-10 lead in the opening quarter and carried a 36-19 advantage into the break, maintaining control for the remainder of the contest. Ayana Tani scored a team-high 21 points—including four three-pointers—while Odiaka Wellritz contributed 16 points to seal the 3-and-0 sweep.
Fukuchiyama Narumi Claims the Final Girls’ National Berth
In the battle for the prefecture’s third and final girls’ qualifying spot, Fukuchiyama Narumi earned a 74–59 victory over Kyoto Shoei High School. Ogbonna Roots led the charge with 22 points, and Yuina Tanaka added 21 points, securing Fukuchiyama Narumi’s first win of the final league phase and a ticket to the national tournament.
Winter Cup Schedule and National Tournament Details
The Winter Cup determines the high school basketball winter champions of Japan, featuring 60 boys’ teams and 60 girls’ teams for a total of 120 participating squads. The national tournament is scheduled to run from December 23 through December 29, hosted across Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium and Keio Arena Tokyo.
Related reading
:focal(229x58:231x56)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2026/10/29/image-f60628cc-a57e-4348-a7b0-179e6ac6ca96-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
