Defending Champion A Tokyo to Enter Emperor's Cup in Second Round as Draw Is Set

The Japan Basketball Association (JBA) announced the draw for the 102nd Emperor's Cup and 93rd Empress's Cup All Japan Championship final round on the 5th. The tournament is organized by the JBA and co-hosted by Kyodo News. The men's final is on the 11th and the women's final on the 10th, both at Yoyogi National Gymnasium.

The men's Emperor's Cup first round begins on Jan. 5. Defending champion A Tokyo, a B.LEAGUE club, enters in the second round on the 6th and will face the winner between the Kyushu block representative and JR East Akita, a corporate team. Nagasaki, last season's B.LEAGUE champion, also opens in the second round, against the winner between the Tokai block representative and the Shikoku block representative.

The women's Empress's Cup first round is played on Jan. 4. ENEOS, seeking a second straight title, enters in the second round on the 5th and will face the winner between the W.LEAGUE's Yamanashi and the Tohoku block representative. The W.LEAGUE is Japan's top women's professional league, with clubs that are mainly based on corporate teams.

The JBA is Japan's governing body for basketball, overseeing the men's and women's national teams, AKATSUKI JAPAN, and the sport nationwide. The Emperor's Cup and Empress's Cup are national championships in which block representatives from each region, corporate teams and professional clubs compete on the same stage in a knockout format leading to the final.

Basketball Press view

With the draw for the Emperor's Cup and Empress's Cup set, the outline of this season's major domestic basketball stage is now visible. The sight of B.LEAGUE champions and defending winners competing in national tournaments alongside their league schedules reflects the depth of the country's competitive level. In the women's event, ENEOS of the W.LEAGUE is aiming for a second straight title. Because block representatives, corporate teams and professional clubs share the same knockout bracket, each team's progress reveals its current form. With the final dates also confirmed, fans can more easily follow the overall flow alongside the results of each match.

This article was written by the Basketball Press editors based on the cited reports. Please check the source for full details and exact figures.