Kanto Spring 2026

The floor of Ota ward plaza was buzzing as speedcubing competitors gathered early in Ota, Tokyo, Japan for a full day of head-to-head racing. Table mats were laid out across the venue as competitors warmed their hands, calibrated their hardware, and studied the lineup sheets. With local pride and club standings at stake across eight rounds of action, the one-day gathering set the stage for intense regional duels on May 17, 2026. A total of 110 participants arrived ready to test their preparation across four distinct WCA disciplines.

This edition of Kanto Spring 2026 brought together top talents from across the Kanto area and surrounding regions, turning every round into a showcase of tactical skill. The flagship 3x3x3 Cube contest drew a massive field of 106 entrants, creating intense pressure through both rounds of competition. When the final round wrapped up, Kantaro Sakamoto captured the title with a winning average of 7.45 seconds alongside a field-best single solve of 6.00 seconds, turning back close rivals in a tightly contested finish. The official 3x3 results confirmed the depth of regional talent.

The fight for the Rubik's Cube podium spots went down to fractions of a second behind the champion. Shu Ogawa delivered a poised finals performance to secure second place overall with a 7.82-second average, while Jin Kimura locked up third place with an 8.08-second mark. All twelve podium spots across the competition were claimed by representatives of Japan, reflecting the exceptional standard across the domestic scene. The high-stakes showdown set a blistering standard for the remaining puzzles scheduled across the busy afternoon.

In the twelve-sided Megaminx event, Masayuki Hirai stole the spotlight with a record-breaking performance that stood as the weekend benchmark. Competing among 61 entrants across two rounds, Hirai claimed victory with a stunning national record average of 31.61 seconds, backed up by a best single solve of 29.36 seconds. Takumi Kawazoe took the runner-up position on the podium with an average of 35.04 seconds, while Wataru Takamiya rounded out the top three by finishing with a 37.76-second average, concluding a masterclass in long-form puzzle solving.

Beyond the championship podiums, the heart of this WCA competition was defined by remarkable individual milestones and significant breakthrough solves. Harenosuke Eguchi took on three events and delivered massive leaps forward, lowering their Pyraminx personal best to 2.61 seconds to finish 54.9 percent faster than their prior mark, while trimming their 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 9.50 seconds and registering a first ever attempt at Megaminx of 1:44.24. Roberto Atsuhiro Sanada entered four events, posting a Pyraminx personal best of 6.94 seconds that was 32.3 percent faster than before, alongside a first ever attempt at Square-1 of 1:30.84 and a first ever attempt at Megaminx of 3:13.55.

The progress continued across the lineup as versatile competitors expanded their competitive repertoire across multiple puzzle categories. Tomoki Yokoyama entered four separate events, recording a first ever attempt at Megaminx of 1:11.27, a first ever attempt at Square-1 of 15.63, and a first ever attempt at Pyraminx of 5.89. Yukashi Ono completed four events, notching a first ever attempt at Pyraminx of 7.44, a first ever attempt at Megaminx of 1:46.06, and a first ever attempt at Square-1 of 12.36. Naoyuki Takahashi logged four events, securing a first ever attempt at Square-1 of 54.07, a first ever attempt at Megaminx of 2:19.16, and a Pyraminx personal best of 5.19 seconds which was 14.9 percent faster than their previous best. Shogo Yamamoto tackled four events, putting up a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 9.30 seconds that improved by 17.5 percent, together with a first ever attempt at Square-1 of 29.93 and a first ever attempt at Megaminx of 1:28.64.

The specialized puzzles produced equally thrilling battles as competitors faced off in Pyraminx and Square-1. In Pyraminx, Nice Yoshida navigated two competitive rounds against 62 entrants to claim first place with a winning average of 2.40 seconds and a best single of 1.83 seconds. Hajime Miyazaki followed closely behind with an average of 3.02 seconds to earn silver, while Raiden Reynolds took bronze with an average of 3.14 seconds, demonstrating the fine margins that define elite speed cubing.

Square-1 featured one of the tightest finishes of Kanto Spring 2026, where 45 competitors battled over two rounds of shape-shifting solves. Eva Kato clinched the championship title with an average of 7.56 seconds and a best single of 6.24 seconds, edging out Yasunari Kumekawa who claimed the second spot with a 7.62-second average. Makoto Takaoka completed the top three on the podium with an 8.09-second mark, closing out a tense duel between regional frontrunners.

As the final timers stopped and the venue cleared at Ota ward plaza, Kanto Spring 2026 concluded as a standout celebration of regional dedication and sporting excellence. From Masayuki Hirai establishing a national record in Megaminx to the dozens of personal milestones achieved across eight rounds, the Tokyo gathering highlighted the strength of the community. With competitors already returning to their local training tables, the stage is set for these rivalries to renew in upcoming seasons.

110名の競技者が集結したKanto Spring 2026は、2026年5月17日にOta, Tokyo, Japanの大田区民プラザで開催された。スピードキュービングの舞台において、一つのミスも許されない厳しい試練が各ラウンドで繰り広げられた。全4種目8ラウンドを通じて、選手たちは指先の精度と集中力を限界まで研ぎ澄ませてタイマーに挑んだ。

今大会最大のハイライトとなったメガミンクスでは、Masayuki Hirai (平井雅之)が圧巻のパフォーマンスを披露した。Masayuki Hirai (平井雅之)は決勝で31.61の日本新記録となる平均タイムを叩き出し、見事に優勝を果たした。単発でも29.36という驚異的なタイムを記録し、2位のTakumi Kawazoe (川添匠)の35.04、3位のWataru Takamiya (髙宮径)の37.76を大きく引き離した。

花形種目であるルービックキューブ（3x3x3 Cube）には106名がエントリーし、激しい争いが展開された。この大舞台を制したのはKantaro Sakamoto (坂本貫太郎)で、単発6.00、平均7.45を揃えて頂点に立った。2位には平均7.82のShu Ogawa (小川柊)、3位には平均8.08のJin Kimura (木村仁)が続き、国内トップクラスのハイレベルな表彰台争いとなった。

Square-1部門では、Eva Kato (加藤映葉)が単発6.24、平均7.56を記録して見事に勝利を手にした。2位のYasunari Kumekawa (粂川泰成)が記録した平均7.62とはわずか0.06秒差という極限の接戦であった。3位には平均8.09をマークしたMakoto Takaoka (高岡誠)が入り、正確な手順の遂行が勝敗を分ける形となった。

Pyraminxでも息をのむスピード勝負が繰り広げられ、Nice Yoshida (吉田名偉主)が単発1.83、平均2.40という圧倒的なタイムで頂点に立った。2位には平均3.02のHajime Miyazaki (宮崎朔)、3位には平均3.14のRaiden Reynolds (レイノルズ頼傳)がランクインし、正確な判断力と素早い操作が光るラウンドとなった。

Kanto Spring 2026の公式リザルトの奥には、自己記録を塗り替えた挑戦者たちの確かな足跡が刻まれている。Makoto Fukuda (福田真人)は3x3x3 Cubeで自己ベストを従来の41.81から19.17へと54.1パーセント短縮させた。Kota Aruga (有賀晃太)はPyraminxで5.46（43.8パーセント短縮）、メガミンクスで51.68（26.4パーセント短縮）を記録した。Ryota Takahashi (高橋瞭太)はPyraminxで3.52（30.7パーセント短縮）をマークし、メガミンクス初挑戦で1:41.06を記録した。

さらに熱戦は続き、Yousef SalibはSquare-1で13.44（32.4パーセント短縮）、Megaminxで46.49（27.7パーセント短縮）、3x3x3 Cubeで9.61（11.7パーセント短縮）と3種目で記録を更新した。Fumitaka Yoneyama (米山文隆)はPyraminxで6.42（16.4パーセント短縮）をマークしメガミンクス初挑戦で1:11.34を記録、Ojiro Nakagami (中神王治郎)はPyraminxで9.23（9.3パーセント短縮）のほかSquare-1初挑戦で53.81、メガミンクス初挑戦で3:18.44を刻んだ。

キューブ大会の熱気があふれたKanto Spring 2026は、すべての表彰台を日本勢が占めるなど、各競技で充実した記録が生まれた。WCA公式大会としての厳格な計測のなか、選手たちが積み重ねてきた努力の成果が存分に発揮された。大田区民プラザでの充実した一日は、参加したすべてのキューバーにとって次なるシーズンへの確かな糧となった。