Japan’s International Surge Set to Accelerate
Aichi, Japan: APGC Board member Akira Wakabayashi believes Japan will continue to ascend as a golfing force across both the men's and women's games.
Aichi, Japan: Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) Board member Akira Wakabayashi believes Japan will continue to ascend as a golfing force, with more players taking the international plunge at early stages of their careers.
“There are a lot of young professional players who are willing to go overseas and play, because they know they’re competitive, and they're actually getting the results,” said Wakabayashi, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Japan Golf Association (JGA).
“This year‘s AIG Women’s Open was won by Shiho Kuwaki, and last year Miyu Yamashita won it. And in 2024, the Evian Championship was won by another Japanese player, Ayaka Furue. The girls are doing really well.
“Among the boys, we have quite a few players doing well in the United States, following 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama’s path. There are players like Takumi Kanaya and Ryo Hisatsune. Matsuyama is still playing very well on the PGA Tour. Hideki and Ryo were both in this year's Presidents Cup International Team, which is very positive for Japanese golf. Yuta Sugiura won a Korn Ferry Tour event two weeks ago, and I hope he gets into the PGA Tour next year. Japanese golf for both women and men is getting very competitive,” he added.
These professional successes are complemented by a wave of young Japanese talent at the elite amateur level, fuelled by the JGA’s well-structured development programme and a strong emphasis on sports within the schooling system.
“The school system has created a development pathway that is a gradual slope, from elementary school to junior high school and on to high school,” noted Wakabayashi. "Quite a number of golf clubs are also playing their part by allowing juniors to play, for instance on Sunday afternoons, and not charging the juniors. But they must have a parent walking with them to ensure safety.
“Among the amateur girls, we have bright young talents such as Ai Goto, Yurina Hiroyoshi, Aira Nagasawa and Anna Iwanaga. Every year during The Royal Junior, we see new girls coming up from high schools. For the boys, we have quite a few good players in university, like Masato Sumiuchi, Takumi Kobayashi, Taishi Moto and Shoon Kobayashi. The juniors and high school boys are also looking very promising with players like Taisei Nagasaki and Mao Matsuyama,” he elaborated.
Wakabayashi was speaking during the 20th Asian Games golf event at Kasugai Country Club in Aichi Prefecture in early October, when Japan picked up a silver medal in the men’s individual event through Kazuki Higa and a bronze in the men’s team event.
With next year's Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship being played at Taiheiyo Club Minori Course in Ibaraki, Wakabayashi is optimistic that home-ground advantage and crowd support will give the Japanese girls an edge. As hosts, Japan will be allocated an additional two spots, taking their total number of entries to eight players.
In eight editions of the WAAP, Japanese players have triumphed twice so far – through Mizuki Hashimoto at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in 2021, and Yuka Yasuda on home soil at The Royal Golf Club in 2019.
“We hope that one of the Japanese girls will win it on home soil again. That would be another huge boost for the game,” said Wakabayashi.
