Winter Cup 2026 prefectural qualifiers conclude, with Ehime, Okayama, Nara and Hyogo teams set

On November 1, 2026, the prefectural qualifiers for the Winter Cup 2026 (National High School Basketball Championship) concluded, and schools from across the country were set to compete. Boys' and girls' representative schools from Ehime, Okayama, Nara, Hyogo, Ishikawa, Yamagata, Iwate and Fukushima prefectures were announced.

In Ehime Prefecture, Teikyo Daigo advanced in the boys' division. The final was between Teikyo Daigo and Nitta, and in the girls' division, Saint Catherine Gakuen advanced after a final against FC Imabari. The games were spread across several venues, including Matsuyama Kogyo High School and the Iyo City Gymnasium.

In Okayama Prefecture, two boys' schools, Okayama Rikadai Fuzoku and Okayama Shoka Daifuzoku, earned spots. The boys' qualifier was a round-robin final stage, in which Okayama Rikadai Fuzoku faced Okayama Gakugeikan. In the girls' division, Shujitsu advanced after a final against Kurashiki Suishou. The venue was the Kasaoka City Community Sports Center.

In Nara Prefecture, Nara Ikuei advanced in the boys' division and Nara Bunka in the girls' division, after finals against Prefectural Nara Commercial High School and Nara Women's respectively. In Hyogo Prefecture, Hotoku Gakuen advanced in the boys' division and Mitamatsusei in the girls' division, and the venue was Green Arena Kobe. Hotoku Gakuen beat Saisei Kogyo in the boys' final. Mitamatsusei beat Sonoda Gakuen in the girls' final.

In Ishikawa Prefecture, Hokuriku Gakuin defeated Kanazawa Gakuin 105-99 in the boys' division, and Nihon Koku Ishikawa beat Tsubata 92-84 in the girls' division. In Yamagata Prefecture, Haguro in the boys' division and Prefectural Yamagata Chuo in the girls' division earned spots. In Iwate Prefecture, Prefectural Kurosawajiri Technical High School beat Ichinoseki Kogyo 78-58 in the boys' division, and Ichinoseki Gakuin beat Morioka Shirayuri Gakuen 74-54 in the girls' division. In Fukushima Prefecture, Prefectural Fukushima Nishi advanced in the girls' division after a final against Prefectural Konan.

The Winter Cup is a national tournament organized by the Japan Basketball Association (JBA) and co-sponsored by the National High School Athletic Federation. It is normally held every year in late December in Tokyo. In 2025, 60 teams each competed in the boys' and girls' divisions. The number of schools that can compete varies by prefecture, and only high schools that win their prefectural qualifiers reach the national stage.

The dates of the representative qualifiers may be changed at short notice, and the results could change which schools advance. The focus now shifts to the announcement of national tournament matchups and preparations for the main tournament in December.

Basketball Press view

As the representative qualifiers in each prefecture conclude, the lineup for the winter national tournament is taking shape. The Winter Cup is the flagship national high school basketball tournament, and results at regional tournaments translate directly into national matchups. The fact that boys' and girls' representatives are decided in each region reflects the depth of competitive basketball in each prefecture. The announcement of participating schools marks the starting point of preparations for the main tournament for players and coaches.

This article was written by the Basketball Press editors based on the cited reports. AI is used to assist in writing and translating our articles. Please check the source for full details and exact figures.