Yushi Tanaka (田中 湧士, Tanaka Yūshi; born 5 October 1999) is a Japanese badminton player who competes in the men's…
Yushi Tanaka (田中 湧士, Tanaka Yūshi; born 5 October 1999) is a Japanese badminton player who competes in the men's singles event. He achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 17. Hailing from Kikuchi, Kumamoto, he is a member of the Japan national team and plays for the NTT East Badminton Team since graduating from Nihon University in April 2022. In 2024, Tanaka won his first BWF World Tour title at the Super 300 Orléans Masters. He subsequently won two additional Super 300 titles, the 2024 U.S. Open and the 2026 Swiss Open, and finished as the runner-up at the 2025 Australian Open (Super 500). Representing Japan, Tanaka was part of the squad that won the country's first men's team gold medal at the 2026 Asia Team Championships. Domestically, he is a two-time men's singles champion at the All Japan Championships, winning the title in 2021 and 2024.
Famous Alumni of Yatsushiro Higashi High School
Yatsushiro Higashi High School: 10 people
Yuichi Shimogami (霜上 雄一, Shimogami Yūichi; born 5 March 1998) is a Japanese badminton player from Kumamoto Prefecture…
Yuichi Shimogami (霜上 雄一, Shimogami Yūichi; born 5 March 1998) is a Japanese badminton player from Kumamoto Prefecture who specializes in doubles. He is a member of the Japanese national team and plays for the Hitachi Information & Telecommunication Engineering badminton team. Shimogami reached a career-high world ranking of No. 25 in men's doubles with Takumi Nomura, and No. 13 in mixed doubles with Sayaka Hobara. Shimogami won both the men's and mixed doubles titles at the 2024 Northern Marianas Open. In mixed doubles, he finished as runners-up at the 2024 Malaysia Super 100. In team events, he contributed to Japan securing bronze medals at the 2025 Sudirman Cup and the 2025 Asia Mixed Team Championships, as well as the country's first men's team title at the 2026 Asia Team Championships.
Keigo Sonoda (園田 啓悟, Sonoda Keigo; born 20 February 1990) is a Japanese badminton player. He affiliated with the YKK AP…
Keigo Sonoda (園田 啓悟, Sonoda Keigo; born 20 February 1990) is a Japanese badminton player. He affiliated with the YKK AP Yatsushiro, before joining the Tonami team in 2010. Sonoda was part of the national team that won the 2014 Thomas Cup. He captured his first Superseries title at the 2016 Hong Kong Open, and reached a career high of world number 2 in the men's doubles partnered with Takeshi Kamura in January 2017. Sonoda won the silver medal at the 2018 World Championships and a bronze in 2017. In the continental level, he helped the national team to win the 2017 Asia Mixed Team Championships, and he also collected a silver and three bronze medals in the individual men's doubles event. He competed at the 2014 and 2018 Asian Games. He retired in 2021 after competing at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Takeshi Kamura (嘉村健士, Kamura Takeshi; born 14 February 1990) is a Japanese former badminton player. He was selected to…
Takeshi Kamura (嘉村健士, Kamura Takeshi; born 14 February 1990) is a Japanese former badminton player. He was selected to join the national team in 2013 and retired in 2021. Kamura was part of the national team that won the 2014 Thomas Cup. He captured his first Superseries title at the 2016 Hong Kong Open, and reached a career high of world number 2 in the men's doubles partnered with Keigo Sonoda in January 2017. Kamura won the silver medal at the 2018 World Championships and a bronze in 2017. In the continental level, he helped the national team to win the 2017 Asia Mixed Team Championships, and he also collected a silver and three bronze medals in the individual men's doubles event. He competed at the 2014 and 2018 Asian Games.
Hiroyuki Horibata (Japanese: 堀端 宏行; born 28 October 1986) is a Japanese long-distance runner who competes in the…
Hiroyuki Horibata (Japanese: 堀端 宏行; born 28 October 1986) is a Japanese long-distance runner who competes in the marathon. He holds a personal best of 2:08:24 hours for the event, set in 2012. He twice represented his country at the World Championships in Athletics, placing seventh in 2011 but failing to finish in 2013. He won his first half marathon in 2007 at the Kanaguri Hai Tamana Half Marathon. His marathon debut followed at the 2008 Tokyo International Marathon, where he was ninth with a time of 2:11:47 hours. He returned the following year but after a slow run of 2:18:27 he switched to track running for a period. He had renewed success over the longer distance at the 2011 Lake Biwa Marathon and he took third in a time of 2:09:25 hours – the first Japanese finisher behind East Africans Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich and Deriba Merga. This brought him his first national selection. A run of 2:10:05 hours for eleventh at the 2012 Lake Biwa Marathon was not enough for Olympic selection, but he finished the year with his first national title in the marathon through a personal best run of 2:08:24 hours at the Fukuoka Marathon. Only Kenya's Joseph Gitau was faster at the race. His 2012 national title win earned him a place at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics, but he had competed sparingly and failed to finish the distance. He competed in the Grand Tour Kyushu ekiden later that year, but largely missed the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Hirokatsu Hashimoto (橋本 博且, Hashimoto Hirokatsu; born 18 December 1985) is a former Japanese badminton player who…
Hirokatsu Hashimoto (橋本 博且, Hashimoto Hirokatsu; born 18 December 1985) is a former Japanese badminton player who competed in doubles. He is best known for his men's doubles partnership with Noriyasu Hirata. In 2011, Hashimoto and Hirata won the India Open, making history as the first Japanese male players to ever capture a BWF Super Series title. Among his other major international achievements, Hashimoto won a gold medal at the 2014 Thomas Cup with the Japanese men's national team and competed at the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games.
Tadashi Ohtsuka (大束忠司, Ōtsuka Tadashi; born 30 April 1978) is a male badminton player from Japan.
Kōsuke Noda (野田 浩輔, Noda Kōsuke; born December 4, 1977) is a former professional Japanese baseball catcher and current…
Kōsuke Noda (野田 浩輔, Noda Kōsuke; born December 4, 1977) is a former professional Japanese baseball catcher and current coach for the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. Noda played with the Saitama Seibu Lions. He also played for the Japan national baseball team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Haruki Uemura (上村 春樹, Uemura Haruki; born 14 February 1951 in Uki, Kumamoto) is a judoka from Japan, who won the gold…
Haruki Uemura (上村 春樹, Uemura Haruki; born 14 February 1951 in Uki, Kumamoto) is a judoka from Japan, who won the gold medal in the Open class at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. In the final of the Olympic tournament in Canada he defeated Great Britain's Keith Remfry. In 2009 Uemura was elected President of Kodokan and awarded the rank of 9th dan.
Eiko Hirashima (平島栄子, Hirashima Eiko; born 7 October 1950) is a Japanese gymnast. She competed at the 1972 Summer…
Eiko Hirashima (平島栄子, Hirashima Eiko; born 7 October 1950) is a Japanese gymnast. She competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics.