Empress's Cup All Japan Women's Judo Championships Approaching

 皇后盃全日本女子柔道選手権大会が４月１７日（日）横浜市の横浜武道館で開催されます。
The Empress's Cup All Japan Women's Judo Championships will be held on Sunday, April 17 this year at Yokohama Budokan in Yokohama City.

本大会が桜咲く４月に横浜で有観客開催されるのは３年ぶり。

This will be the first time in three years that this tournament will be held in Yokohama in April, when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

今年は４名の推薦選手、地区予選を勝ち抜いた代表３４名と合わせて３８名の選手が体重無差別で女子柔道日本一の座をかけて競い合います。

This year, 38 athletes, including 4 nominated athletes and 34 representatives who won the regional qualifying rounds, will compete for the number one spot in Japan in women's judo in the weight-neutral category.

１０月のタシケント世界柔道選手権（ウズベキスタン）、２０２４年パリオリンピックへ向けた選手選考への重要な判断材料となる大会です。

This tournament will be an important decision-making event for the selection of athletes for the Tashkent World Judo Championships (Uzbekistan) in October and the 2024 Paris Olympics.

注目の選手は児玉ひかる、橋本朱未、冨田若春、朝比奈沙羅ら４選手。４月２日に福岡で開催した全日本選抜柔道体重別選手権78kg超級にもエントリー。

Four notable athletes, including Hikaru Kodama, Akemi Hashimoto, Wakaba Tomita, and Sara Asahina, were also entered in the All-Japan Selected Judo Weight Class 78+kg Championships held in Fukuoka on April 2.

体重別で日本一を目指し、その二週間後に体重無差別の本大会でも同様に日本一をかけ試合の臨みます。

The team is aiming to be the best in Japan in their weight class, and two weeks later, they will compete in the open weight class tournament, also aiming to be the best in Japan.

心・技・体の全てが最高点に達するパフォーマンスで一戦一戦取りこぼしが無きよう実力を発揮して欲しい。

I hope that they will perform at the highest level in mind, technique, and body, and that they will not miss a single match.

　

また、軽量ながら予選を勝ち抜き出場を決めた能智亜依美（関東）や高校生で出場２回目の渡邉天海（北海道）などからも目が離せません。

Also, keep an eye out for lightweight Aimi Nouchi (Kanto), who made it through the qualifying round, and Amami Watanabe (Hokkaido), a high school student making her second appearance in the event.

体重無差別で女子柔道日本一を決めるこの大会で、「柔よく剛を制す」柔道の醍醐味を体現し栄冠を目指して欲しい。　　

In this tournament that decides the best women's judo player in Japan in the weight division, we hope that she will embody the true appeal of judo, "soft wins over hard," and aim for the crown.　　

今回も最後までご覧いただき誠にありがとうございました。

Thank you again for taking the time to read this issue to the end.

JudoYokohama