Yoshimura knocked out due to COVID-19

Last year’s champions repeated as the 2023 Japan Curling Championships wound up at Tokoro.

In women’s play, Hokkaido’s “Loco Solare” skipped by Satsuki Fujisawa won their third title in the past four years, defeating Karuizawa’s Asuka Kanai 7-5 in the final.

Two-time national champion Ikue Kitzatawa of Nagano placed third.

Sapporo’s Sayaka Yoshimura, who defeated Fujisawa in the 2021 final, did not compete as team members earlier contracted COVID-19, which had prevented their competing in district playdowns.

On the men’s side, Riku Yanagisawa and his mix of veterans and youth defeated Kosuke Hirata’s Hokkaido team 6-2 in the men’s final.

Hokkaido’s Consadole led by Tetsuro Shimizu lost the semifinal to Hirata and finished third for the second year in a row.

Last year’s men’s champions made international waves due to the extent of the age variety amongst team members. Third Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi is now 38, while second Takeru Yamamoto is just 16.

The squad then notably toured Canada for three months last fall.

“Last year I was so excited that I cried,” said Yamaguchi. “But this time, I wasn’t supposed to because we thought we could win again and be champions.

“The tour of Canada gave us good confidence.”

Team Fujisawa starts play at the women’s worlds in Sandviken, Sweden on Mar. 18. Team Yanagisawa opens the world men’s championship in Ottawa on Apr. 1.