Tokyo Tech rows to victory at 65th Five Universities' Regatta

Published: June 27, 2022

Tokyo Tech's Rowing Club put on an impressive performance at the 65th Five Universities' Regatta, held on April 30 at the Toda Boat Course in Saitama Prefecture. The Institute's rowers won the men's eight, finished second in the men's double scull, and took third place in the men's single scull. This was the team’s fourth consecutive victory in the men's eight category.

Current rowers and club alumni after Five Universities' Regatta victory

The Five Universities' Regatta, which has its roots in a 1919 feud between the rowers of Tokyo Higher Technical School — Tokyo Tech's predecessor — and Tokyo School of Foreign Languages, has been held every year since 1958, with the exception of 2020 and 2021. Today, participants include Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, the National Defense Academy, and Tokyo Tech.

The 63rd and 64th regattas were cancelled due to the effects of COVID-19, so this year's win was particularly sweet. Many of the club's alumni were present to cheer on the Tokyo Tech team.

Men’s eight — 1st place

In this category, eight rowers propel the boat on alternate sides with sweep oars while one cox steers. Each rower holds one oar with both hands. This year's winning team is:

Takumi Hirose, 2nd year, Chemical Science and Engineering
Konosuke Shimizu, 4th year, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Rikuo Omae, 4th year, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Yu Akimoto, 4th year, Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Fumiyuki Ogawa, 4th year, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Kotaro Yoshida, 2nd year, Life Science and Technology
Rintaro Tanakamaru, 4th year, Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Hayato Kawai, 4th year, Mechanical Engineering
Hirotaka Tamai, 4th year, Mechanical Engineering

Victorious men's eight team (from left): Hirose, Yoshida, Tanakamaru, Kawai, Ogawa, Omae, Tamai, Akimoto, Shimizu

Comments from crew leader Hayato Kawai

I am very pleased that we won this competition. Our preparation period was short, but we were able to improve the precision of our rowing steadily with each practice session.

Men's double scull — 2nd place

In this category, two rowers, each with two oars, propel the boat. This year's second-place team is:

Yusuke Yoshino, 2nd year, Materials Science and Engineering
Sho Takahashi, 3rd year, Chemical Science and Engineering

Takahashi (left) and Yoshino in double scull action

Comments from crew leader Yusuke Yoshino

This was the first 2,000-m race for both of us, so we were a bit anxious before the start. The Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology team, our main rival, ended up withdrawing from the final. We were up against some superior rowers, but we managed to hang on until the halfway point, which allowed both of us to build confidence and reaffirm our goals through this race. We will do our best to win the next two Five Universities' Regattas.

Men's single scull — 3rd place

In this category, a single rower propels the boat alone with two oars. This year's third-place rower is:

Kentaro Morinaga, 1st-year master's student, Industrial Engineering and Economics

Morinaga after 3rd-place single scull finish

Comments from Kentaro Morinaga

I was aiming to win the race, but I made a number of mistakes and ended up with a disappointing third-place finish. I realized that my technique was not up to par, so I will practice harder in order to achieve better results at the All Japan Intercollegiate Rowing Championships.

Comments from Rowing Club captain

Yudai Okano
4th year, Mathematics

Many thanks to all those who supported us. We were able to emerge victorious at the Five Universities' Regatta, and we will continue to devote ourselves to the All Japan Intercollegiate Rowing Championships in September.

In my fourth year of studies, I take part in seminars where we are required to not only solve problems, but also to seek out problems by ourselves. I am sure that these experiences will be useful in my rowing life, and I will continue to do my very best.

Celebrating victory: (from left) Club Prof. Hidenori Kosaka, club rep Ken Ito, Tokyo Tech President Kazuya Masu, club captain Yudai Okano