High school volleyball regional finals crown champions in Hokkaido and Tochigi

On June 12, the Hokkaido high school volleyball prefectural finals were held at the Hakodate Salmon Marunama Arena. Sapporo Otani High School won its second title in two years, beating Towano Mori Sanai 2‑0 (25‑13, 25‑18). The victory was highlighted by the return of setter Mitsuya Nanto, who recovered from a foot fracture earlier in the year. The team will represent Hokkaido at the national Inter‑High tournament in Kyoto starting August 4.

In Tochigi, the regional qualifiers also concluded on June 12. Kokugakuin Tochigi captured its fourth consecutive women’s title, defeating Utsunomiya Central 2‑0 (25‑23, 25‑17). The men’s final saw Ashikaga Dai‑Bu overcome Sakushin Gakuin 2‑0 (25‑16, 25‑17) to claim its own championship. Both wins add to the prefecture’s tally of high school sports successes alongside other events such as archery and fencing.

These outcomes determine the representatives for the upcoming national Inter‑High competition, underscoring the continued strength of high school volleyball programs across Japan.