(Nakamura won 15th AKF Cadet, Junior & U21 Karate Championship)
Itosu-kai Japan produced two national team members in this year. The first competitor is Kotaro Nakamura from Fujita dojo in Osaka. The second competitor is Tatsuki Hashimoto from Kurose branch in Kure, Hiroshima. They are both in the Junior Kumite division. Nakamura is in the category -68kg, and Hashimoto is in – 76kg’s class.
Nakamura started practicing karate when he was 5 years old at Fujita dojo in Osaka, and he is currently a member of the karate club of prestigious Namihaya High School. In 2016 he won 15th Asia Cadet, Junior & U21 Karate Championship held in Makassar - Indonesia and also got 3rd place in WKF Youth Cup in 2017. He is already an international competitor and he is considered as one of the strongest kumite fighters in Japan now.
(Hashimoto and his father, Sensei Yasuto Hashimoto at JKF Headquarters)
In contrast, Hashimoto is a rising sun competitor. He has the only record of the 3rd place in High School Karate Championship in Japan, but his skill is suddenly growing in last one year. This time, he showed a precise technique at the national team selection, and he was picked up as a national team member first time.
His father, Sensei Yasuto Hashimoto, was also once a national team member and an international competitor. He once visited Denmark as an assistant of Soke Sakagami for the international seminar. Now he is a coach of a karate club of Kure Minato High School, and Hashimoto is also taking a lesson from his father. His older sister, Mizuki Hashimoto was a female kumite champion at Itosu-ryu International Karate Championships in Shang Hai, China, 2017. So, some of you might remember her. The whole family dedicate themselves to karate.
Japanese karate population has over 2 million 500 thousands. From this number, you can tell how much competitive it is to be a member of National Team. Itosu-kai Japan produced 2 members this year. Some people might think it is small, but it is very hard job and it is as well great honor to have even one person in it.