Japan’s Freestyle Wrestling Team for the 2025 World Championships Announced: Who’s Going to Zagreb?

On June 22, the qualification cycle for Japan’s men’s freestyle team concluded ahead of the 2025 World Championships, set to take place from September 13 to 21 in Zagreb, Croatia. As in previous years, the selection process included multiple stages: domestic tournaments, the Meiji Cup, and playoff matches. Details below from Sportaran.

Japan’s World Team Selection System

The Japan Wrestling Federation (JWF) uses one of the most layered and transparent selection systems in the world:

• First, athletes earn points at the All-Japan Championships and the NHK Cup (April–May).

• The top wrestlers qualify for the Meiji Cup (June, Tokyo), where one winner per weight class is determined.

• If the Meiji Cup winner differs from the All-Japan champion, a playoff match is held for the sole World Championships berth.

Meiji Cup 2025 Results
57 kg: Rin Sakamoto
61 kg: Toshihiro Hasegawa
65 kg: Kotaro Kiyoka
70 kg: Shoya Miura
74 kg: Kota Takahashi
79 kg: Keyvan Garedaghi
86 kg: Hayato Ishiguro
92 kg: Takashi Ishiguro
97 kg: Arash Yoshida
125 kg: Taiki Yamamoto

Playoff Matches for Team Selection
Since Meiji Cup winners didn’t always match All-Japan champions, playoff bouts were held. Some were won by technical superiority:
65 kg: Kotaro Kiyoka def. Kaisei Tanabe 10:0 (5:45)
70 kg: Yoshinosuke Oayagi def. Shoya Miura 11:0 (3:50)

Final Japanese Men’s Freestyle Team (Worlds 2025)
57 kg – Rino Sakamoto
61 kg – Takara Suda
65 kg – Kotaro Kiyoka
70 kg – Yoshinosuke Oayagi
74 kg – Kota Takahashi
79 kg – Rinosuke Kamiya
86 kg – Hayato Ishiguro
92 kg – Takashi Ishiguro
97 kg – Arash Yoshida
125 kg – Taiki Yamamoto

“Olympic champion Rei Higuchi, Olympic medalist Daichi Takatani, and world champion Masanosuke Ono skipped the trials. Still, this is a strong lineup. All athletes are capable of medaling. Especially Suda, Kiyoka, Oayagi, Takahashi, and Yoshida,” wrote Petr Pavlov of Dzulurgan.ru.

Japan has once again demonstrated a transparent and systematic approach — from open trials to decisive playoffs. Most team members have international experience. Now, full focus shifts to preparing for the September Worlds in Zagreb.