# 2023 All Japan High School Soccer Tournament

The 2023 All Japan High School Soccer Tournament (第102回全国高等学校サッカー選手権大会; All Japan JFA 102nd High School Soccer Tournament) marked the 102nd edition of the referred annually contested cup for High Schools over Japan, contested by all 48 prefectural qualifications' winning schools.
The defending champions were Okayama Gakugeikan, from Okayama Prefecture, who won the 2022 final with a 3–1 win over Kyoto Prefecture's Higashiyama in the Final, becoming the first high school from Okayama to ever win the competition. They won the title despite not playing at the top tier of Japan's youth league system, having finished the previous season as a mid-table team in the Chugoku Prince League, one of the nine regional leagues that composes the second tier.
As the norm, from the first round to the quarterfinals, the matches had a duration of 80 minutes, split into two halves of 40 minutes each (not counting injury time). The semi-finals and the final had matches the traditional format of around 90 minutes, however, matching the standard match length of professional football. During the tournament, if a match should be tied, it directly required a penalty shoot-outs, except for the final, where extra-time would be played if the match was kept tied for 90 minutes.
The entire tournament, including the prefectural tournament finals, was streamed on SportsBull and TVer free of charge. The semi-finals and the final were aired on NTV. Alongside it, NTV G+ in cable TV., NTV and Nippon News Network (NNN) local stations has also shown selected games from the first round to the quarter-finals.

## Calendar

The tournament took place in a 12-day span, with the tournament split into a total of 6 stages. The draw to decide the tournament schedule and the match pairings was done in 20 November.
| Round | Date | Matches | Clubs |
| First round | 28–29 December 2023 | 16 | 32 (32) → 16 |
| Second round | 31 December 2023 | 16 | 32 (16+16) → 16 |
| Third round | 2 January 2024 | 8 | 16 → 8 |
| Quarter-finals | 4 January 2024 | 4 | 8 → 4 |
| Semi-finals | 6 January 2024 | 2 | 4 → 2 |
| Final | 8 January 2024 | 1 | 2 → 1 |

## Venues

The venues for the tournament were split into four different prefectures. In total, nine different stadiums hosted matches for the tournament. Two stadiums are located for each of the Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama prefectures, while three stadiums are located in Tokyo.
* Tokyo – Japan National Stadium, Komazawa Olympic Park Stadium and Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka
* Kanagawa – Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium and NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium
* Saitama – Urawa Komaba Stadium and Saitama Stadium 2002
* Chiba – Kashiwanoha Stadium and ZA Oripri Stadium

## Qualifying rounds

All the 47 prefectures holds knockout stage qualifiers for their respective High Schools. Tokyo's qualifiers is the only to qualify two teams to the competition, as they have the largest amount of registered High Schools affiliated with the All-Japan High School Soccer Federation. Teams playing at national/regional-level leagues earns a bye from the early stages, getting automatically allocated into the third or fourth round of their respective qualifiers, specially to accommodate their busier schedule.

## Participating schools

Notable absentees from the tournament were Premier League high schools Asahikawa Jitsugyo, Riseisha, Higashi Fukuoka and RKU Kashiwa, respectively Hokkaido qualifiers' runner-up, Osaka qualifiers' runner-up, Fukuoka qualifiers' runner-up and Chiba qualifiers' semi-finalist. Prince League's Higashiyama, who last year was the national tournament's runner-up ended also as a runner-up on this year's Kyoto qualifiers, and one of Tokyo's qualifiers semi-finalists Teikyo, who since 2009 was unable to qualify for the national tournament, despite being the only school from Tokyo to reach the 1st division of the Kanto Prince League since 2015, playing on it since 2019.
Meanwhile, 8 of the 11 high schools that on 2023 played on the Premier League were able to qualify to the national competition. Defending champions Okayama Gakugeikan qualified for the third consecutive time, and for the sixth-ever time in their history. Waseda Jitsugyo and Nago, competition debutants, were both the lowest-ranked teams in the tournament, as they played the 2023 season in their respective prefecture's 2nd divisions, which are part of the 5th tier of U-18 football in Japan.
| Prefecture | High School | League (U-18) | L. | Apps. |
| Hokkaido | Hokkai High School | Hokkaido Prince League | 2 | 13th |
| Aomori | Aomori Yamada High School | Premier League East | 1 | 29th |
| Iwate | Tono High School | Iwate Football League | 4 | 30th |
| Miyagi | Sendai Ikuei Gakuen High School | Miyagi Football League | 4 | 37th |
| Akita | North Asia Univ. Meioh High School | Akita Football League | 4 | 6th |
| Yamagata | Yamagata Meisei High School | Yamagata Football League | 4 | 1st |
| Fukushima | Shoshi High School | Premier League East | 1 | 14th |
| Ibaraki | Meishu Gakuen Hitachi High School | Ibaraki Football League | 4 | 5th |
| Tochigi | Yaita Chuo High School | Kanto Prince League D1 | 2 | 13th |
| Gunma | Maebashi Ikuei High School | Premier League East | 1 | 26th |
| Saitama | Shohei High School | Premier League East | 1 | 6th |
| Chiba | Ichiritsu Funabashi High School | Premier League East | 1 | 24th |
| Tokyo A | Horikoshi High School | Tokyo T1 League | 4 | 5th |
| Tokyo B | Waseda Jitsugyo School | Tokyo T2 League | 5 | 1st |
| Kanagawa | Nihon Univ. Fujisawa High School | Kanagawa Football League | 4 | 7th |
| Yamanashi | Teikyo Daisan High School | Yamanashi Football League | 4 | 11th |
| Nagano | Matsumoto Kokusai High School | Hokushinetsu Prince League D2 | 3 | 6th |
| Niigata | Teikyo Nagaoka High School | Hokushinetsu Prince League D1 | 2 | 10th |
| Toyama | Toyama Daiichi High School | Hokushinetsu Prince League D1 | 2 | 34th |
| Ishikawa | Seiryo High School | Hokushinetsu Prince League D1 | 2 | 32nd |
| Fukui | Maruoka High School | Hokushinetsu Prince League D2 | 3 | 34th |
| Shizuoka | Shizuoka Gakuen High School | Premier League West | 1 | 14th |
| Aichi | Nagoya High School | Aichi Football League | 4 | 1st |
| Mie | Yokkaichi Chuo Kogyo High School | Mie Football League | 4 | 35th |
| Gifu | Teikyo Univ. Kani High School | Gifu Football League | 4 | 10th |
| Shiga | Ohmi High School | Kansai Prince League D1 | 2 | 3rd |
| Kyoto | Kyoto Tachibana High School | Kansai Prince League D1 | 2 | 10th |
| Osaka | Tokai Univ. Osaka Gyosei High School | Kansai Prince League D1 | 2 | 6th |
| Hyogo | Kobe Koryo Gakuen High School | Kansai Prince League D2 | 3 | 12th |
| Nara | Nara Ikuei High School | Nara Football League | 4 | 16th |
| Wakayama | Hatsushiba Hashimoto High School | Wakayama Football League | 4 | 17th |
| Tottori | Yonago Kita High School | Premier League West | 1 | 19th |
| Shimane | Rissho Univ. Shonan High School | Chugoku Prince League | 2 | 20th |
| Okayama | Okayama Gakugeikan High School | Chugoku Prince League | 2 | 6th |
| Hiroshima | Hiroshima Kokusai Gakuin High School | Hiroshima Football League | 4 | 1st |
| Yamaguchi | Takagawa Gakuen High School | Yamaguchi Football League | 4 | 29th |
| Kagawa | Otemae Takamatsu High School | Shikoku Prince League | 2 | 3rd |
| Tokushima | Tokushima Ichiritsu High School | Shikoku Prince League | 2 | 20th |
| Ehime | Imabari Higashi Secondary School | Shikoku Prince League | 2 | 3rd |
| Kochi | Meitoku Gijuku High School | Kochi Football League | 4 | 9th |
| Fukuoka | Iizuka High School | Kyushu Prince League D2 | 3 | 2nd |
| Saga | Saga Higashi High School | Kyushu Prince League D2 | 3 | 13th |
| Nagasaki | Nagasaki Inst. of Applied Sciences High School | Kyushu Prince League D1 | 2 | 9th |
| Kumamoto | Ohzu High School | Premier League West | 1 | 20th |
| Oita | Yanagigaura High School | Oita Football League | 4 | 2nd |
| Miyazaki | Nissho Gakuen High School | Kyushu Prince League D1 | 2 | 17th |
| Kagoshima | Kamimura Gakuen High School | Premier League West | 1 | 11th |
| Okinawa | Nago High School | Okinawa Football League D2 | 5 | 1st |

## Schedule

The schedule was announced on 20 November 2023, after the draw was conducted by the JFA, following the completion of the competition's prefectural qualifications.

### Final

| GK | 1 | Shoei Suzuki |
| RB | 2 | Takuto Kobayashi |
| CB | 5 | Kaito Koizumi |
| CB | 4 | Tora Yamamoto (c) |
| LB | 3 | Soju Konuma | 90+2' |
| CM | 10 | Rei Shibata |
| CM | 6 | Toki Sugasawa |
| RM | 14 | Hidetaka Sugimoto | 85' |
| AM | 13 | Kenta Fukushima | 78' |
| LM | 8 | Ryosuke Kawahara | 78' |
| ST | 11 | Soji Yoneya | 90+2' |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 12 | Ryuya Hasegawa |
| DF | 19 | Yuki Ikeda |
| DF | 23 | Kai Ogawa |
| MF | 7 | Yushi Tanikawa | 78' |
| MF | 15 | Kazuki Saito | 90+2' |
| MF | 16 | Raichi Goto | 78' |
| MF | 17 | Ikuma Beppu | 90+2' |
| FW | 9 | Takumi Tsushima | 85' |
| FW | 18 | Tokiya Yamashita |
| Manager: ||
| Masanori Masaki ||
| GK | 1 | Koki Yamazaki (c) |
| CB | 2 | Asahi Yasuda |
| CB | 5 | Sodai Nishimura |
| CB | 10 | Yota Kanayama |
| RWB | 7 | Eiji Uto |
| LWB | 17 | Shuto Hirose | 62' |
| CM | 6 | Shunsuke Kawakami |
| CM | 4 | Hyugo Nishi |
| AM | 8 | Riu Yamakado |
| AM | 14 | Haku Arai | 82' |
| ST | 9 | Mahiro Koyama | 45' |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 25 | Tsubasa Koide |
| DF | 3 | Kai Satomi |
| DF | 24 | Riku Fujii |
| MF | 13 | Ryo Yamamoto | 45' |
| MF | 15 | Issa Kawachi | 62' |
| MF | 16 | Miki Tenrai |
| MF | 18 | Yuito Otani |
| MF | 20 | Ryunosuke Ichiba |
| FW | 11 | Hiroto Arasuna | 82' |
| Manager: ||
| Takanori Maeda ||
* Match rules
* 90 minutes.
* Extra-time of 10 minutes for each half if scores still level.
* Persisting a draw after extra-time, a penalty shoot-out would be held.
* Nine named substitutes.
* Maximum of five substitutions.

## Top scorers

| Rank | Player | High School | Goals |
| 1 | Riku Gunji | Ichiritsu Funabashi | 5 |
| 1 | Soji Yoneya | Aomori Yamada | 5 |
| 3 | Kaito Koizumi | Aomori Yamada | 3 |
| 3 | Shinyu Kubohara | Ichiritsu Funabashi | 3 |
| 3 | Gaku Nawata | Kamimura Gakuen | 3 |
| 3 | Ryuki Osa | Shohei | 3 |
| 3 | Ayumu Ukon | Saga Higashi | 3 |
| 3 | Eiji Uto | Ohmi | 3 |
| 3 | Riu Yamakado | Ohmi | 3 |
| 3 | Ryo Yamamoto | Ohmi | 3 |

## Selected best players

The following 34 players featured in the Tournament's Best Players Squad:
| P. | Player | High School | G. | Moved to |
| GK | Shoei Suzuki | Aomori Yamada | 3rd | Tokai University |
| GK | Soma Amano | Maebashi Ikuei | 3rd | Waseda University |
| GK | Shuto Yoshitomi | Horikoshi | 3rd | Takushoku University |
| DF | Tora Yamamoto | Aomori Yamada | 3rd | Toyo University |
| DF | Kaito Koizumi | Aomori Yamada | 3rd | Meiji University |
| DF | Toki Sugasawa | Aomori Yamada | 3rd | Kokushikan University |
| DF | Kanade Mori | Horikoshi | 2nd | Horikoshi |
| DF | Ryoma Adachi | Nagoya | 3rd | Nanzan University |
| DF | Sodai Nishimura | Ohmi | 3rd | Kyoto Sangyo University |
| DF | Yota Kanayama | Ohmi | 3rd | Kwansei Gakuin University |
| DF | Sena Egashira | Saga Higashi | 2nd | Saga Higashi |
| DF | Natsuki Goto | Ohzu | 2nd | Ohzu |
| DF | Yumeki Yoshinaga | Kamimura Gakuen | 3rd | Genk |
| MF | Rei Shibata | Aomori Yamada | 3rd | Meiji University |
| MF | Hidetaka Sugimoto | Aomori Yamada | 3rd | Toin University of Yokohama |
| MF | Yuya Yoshida | Meishu Hitachi | 3rd | Kokushikan University |
| MF | Junki Osa | Shohei | 3rd | Juntendo University |
| P. | Player | High School | G. | Moved to |
| MF | Shungo Ota | Ichiritsu Funabashi | 3rd | Toin University of Yokohama |
| MF | Yu Takada | Shizuoka Gakuen | 3rd | Tokushima Vortis |
| MF | Hyugo Nishi | Ohmi | 3rd | Kyoto Tachibana University |
| MF | Riu Yamakado | Ohmi | 3rd | Konan University |
| MF | Haku Asai | Ohmi | 3rd | Biwako Seikei S. College |
| MF | Shota Miyagawa | Saga Higashi | 3rd | Osaka University HSS |
| MF | Gaku Nawata | Kamimura Gakuen | 2nd | Kamimura Gakuen |
| FW | Soji Yoneya | Aomori Yamada | 3rd | Tokai University |
| FW | Sena Usuda | Meioh | 3rd | Osaka University HSS |
| FW | Kohei Oda | Shohei | 3rd | Tokai University |
| FW | Riku Gunji | Ichiritsu Funabashi | 3rd | Shimizu S-Pulse |
| FW | Shinyu Kubohara | Ichiritsu Funabashi | 2nd | Ichiritsu Funabashi |
| FW | Kenta Nakamura | Horikoshi | 3rd | Takushoku University |
| FW | Sota Hori | Teikyo Nagaoka | 3rd | Kansai University |
| FW | Naotaro Mizunaga | Tokai Gyosei | 3rd | Osaka University of Economics |
| FW | Saku Kitafuji | Kobe Koryo Gakuen | 3rd | Kwansei Gakuin University |
| FW | Minto Nishimaru | Kamimura Gakuen | 3rd | Vegalta Sendai |

## Joining J.League clubs on 2024

| Pos. | Player | Moving from | Moving to | League |
| GK | Keisuke Nakamura | Shizuoka Gakuen | Tokyo Verdy | J1 |
| DF | Yota Fujii | Iizuka | Fagiano Okayama | J2 |
| DF | Yuhi Ono | Nihon Fujisawa | Mito HollyHock | J2 |
| MF | Yuto Anzai | Shoshi | Kyoto Sanga | J1 |
| MF | Kosuke Hara | Nagoya | Consadole Sapporo | J1 |
| MF | Asuma Ikari | Ohzu | Mito HollyHock | J2 |
| MF | Yu Takada | Shizuoka Gakuen | Tokushima Vortis | J2 |
| FW | Riku Gunji | Ichiritsu Funabashi | Shimizu S-Pulse | J2 |
| FW | Soma Kanda | Shizuoka Gakuen | Kawasaki Frontale | J1 |
| FW | Minto Nishimaru | Kamimura Gakuen | Vegalta Sendai | J2 |
| FW | Rento Takaoka | Nissho Gakuen | Tegevajaro Miyazaki | J3 |