Otsu Biwako Autumn 2023

Ao Nogami delivered the standout performance of the weekend at Otsu Biwako Autumn 2023, sealing victory in the 3x3x3 Cube with a winning average of 7.49 seconds after putting down a sharp single of 6.05. Behind every smooth timer start and prompt scorecard delivery was a dedicated crew of organizers, delegates, and local volunteers who kept the competition moving across six rounds of play. Held at the Asuto Hamaotsu venue on September 23, 2023, the event brought together 75 competitors in Otsu, Shiga, Japan for a full schedule of high-stakes speedcubing action.

The organizational team ensured that all four scheduled events ran on time, creating a welcoming and structured environment for both experienced competitors and first-time entrants. Speed cubing relies entirely on smooth floor coordination, from scrambling stations to judging tables, and the staff in Shiga kept the rotation seamless throughout Saturday. Their hard work provided the exact platform needed for competitors to focus entirely on their solves, resulting in intense battles across the tables from the very first group.

In the premier 3x3x3 Cube event, 73 competitors took to the tables across two rounds of intense solving. Nogami led the final standings with his 7.49 average, closely pursued by Masaya Nakamoto, who locked down second place with a 7.77 average. Shunsuke Komoda rounded out the podium in third place with an average of 8.49. The depth of the field was on full display in the 3x3 results, with tight margins defining the upper ranks as finalists pushed their turn speed on the classic Rubik's Cube.

The one-handed discipline delivered its own drama across two rounds featuring 35 competitors. Takumi Kato captured the top spot on the podium with a winning average of 11.93 seconds and a best single solve of 10.98. Nogami returned to the podium steps to take second place with a mark of 12.09, while Nakamoto secured third place with a 12.35 average. Managing rotations and finger-tricks with a single hand demands exceptional control, and Kato maintained absolute consistency through each solve of the final round.

Side events brought variety and tactical depth to the schedule in Otsu, Shiga, Japan. In the Pyraminx contest, Hajime Miyazaki took the championship with a blistering 2.02 winning average, highlighted by a single of 1.66 seconds across the single-round field of 34 competitors. Aoto Mashimo finished close behind in second at 2.16, while Takayuki Ookusa took third with 3.41. The Square-1 event, contested by 26 competitors, went to Makoto Takaoka, whose 9.16 winning average and 7.70 single earned him first place ahead of Yasunari Kumekawa at 10.50 and Takumi Tamura at 11.20.

Beyond the podiums, the official scorecards recorded remarkable milestones that showed the true spirit of the cubing competition. Yuto Date produced a massive leap in Square-1, cutting his previous mark down to 16.80 seconds to improve by 66 percent. Yurina Banba took on two events and sliced her 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 14.29 seconds, an improvement of 51.2 percent over her previous 29.29 mark, while also making her first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a time of 5.74. Ryoya Sakanishi tackled four events, recording his first ever attempt at Square-1 with a 30.11 and his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 17.72, alongside a 6.13 Pyraminx mark that improved his best by 42.7 percent.

The breakthrough performances continued across multiple puzzle categories throughout the day. Shoichi Wajima entered four events, posting his first ever attempt at Square-1 in 17.16 and his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 19.14, while finishing 10th in Pyraminx with a personal best of 3.52 that was 31.3 percent faster than before. Yuya Sakai reached 4th place in the 3x3x3 Cube while recording a 7.11 personal best, dropped his one-handed mark by 23.8 percent to 15.02, and posted a first ever attempt at Square-1 of 11.06. Takumi Kondo entered four events, posting his first ever attempt at Square-1 with 23.68 and his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with 20.84, while lowering his 3x3x3 Cube best to 9.60. Takuya Kira finished 8th in the 3x3x3 Cube while logging first attempts in Square-1 at 19.55 and One-Handed at 13.72, and JaeWoo Jang took on four events, highlighted by a 12th-place Pyraminx finish on a first attempt of 4.44.

Every podium spot across all four events at Otsu Biwako Autumn 2023 was claimed by competitors from Japan, totaling twelve top-three honors. As the venue cleared and the timers were packed away, the collective effort of the organizers and judges stood as the foundation of an efficient and memorable tournament. The community now looks ahead to future meets, carrying forward the fast times, personal records, and technical milestones achieved during a superb WCA competition in Shiga.

滋賀県大津市の明日都浜大津に集まったスピードキューバーたちの視線が、タイマーとマットの一点に注がれていました。2023年9月23日に開催されたOtsu Biwako Autumn 2023では、4種目6ラウンドにわたって75名の選手が競い合いました。会場内は競技用タイマーのストップ音とキューブを素早く回す乾いたプラスチック音が絶え間なく響き、精密な手さばきが試される一日となりました。

スピードキューブの大会において真の勝敗を分けるのは、一瞬の幸運な単発記録ではなく、複数回の試技を揃える強靭な安定感です。メイン種目である3x3x3 Cubeでは73名が出場する激戦の中、野上碧（Ao Nogami）が崩れない盤石のソルブを披露しました。1ラウンド目を経て迎えた決勝ラウンドで、野上碧は安定した手順選択を積み重ね、記録7.49のアベレージを叩き出して見事に優勝を飾りました。

3x3x3 Cubeの決勝では、野上碧がベスト単発6.05を出しつつ平均7.49で頂点に立ちました。これに続いた中本誠也（Masaya Nakamoto）は平均7.77を記録して2位に入り、古茂田俊介（Shunsuke Komoda）が平均8.49の記録で表彰台の3位を確保しました。上位陣はいずれも激しいプレッシャーの中でミスのない試技を続け、精度の高さを示しました。

片手のみでルービックキューブを解く技術が求められる3x3x3 One-Handedには35名が出場しました。この種目で卓越したコントロールを見せたのが加藤匠（Takumi Kato）です。加藤匠はベスト単発10.98を出し、平均11.93という素晴らしい記録で優勝を果たしました。2位には平均12.09の野上碧、3位には平均12.35の中本誠也が入り、両名とも複数種目の表彰台で実力を証明しました。

特殊な形状と手順の正確さが問われる部門でも見応えのある勝負が展開されました。34名が挑んだPyraminxでは、宮崎朔（Hajime Miyazaki）がベスト単発1.66、平均2.02という驚異的なタイムを記録して優勝しました。2位には平均2.16の眞下蒼人（Aoto Mashimo）、3位には平均3.41の大艸尊之（Takayuki Ookusa）が続きました。26名が出場したSquare-1では、高岡誠（Makoto Takaoka）がベスト単発7.70、平均9.16をマークして堂々の勝利を収め、粂川泰成（Yasunari Kumekawa）が平均10.50で2位、田村匠（Takumi Tamura）が平均11.20で3位に入りました。

公式記録の順位表の奥には、各自の限界に挑んだ選手たちの確かな前進がありました。笠間雄大（Yudai Kasama）は3x3x3 Cubeに出場し、自己記録を従来の18.70から37.1パーセント短縮する11.76の自己新記録を達成しました。金俊昊（Junhao Jin）は2種目に挑み、初挑戦となった3x3x3 One-Handedで14.11を出し8位に入ったほか、3x3x3 Cubeでも初挑戦で11.45をマークしました。森本一光（Kazumi Morimoto）は3種目に参戦し、3x3x3 One-Handed初挑戦で35.60を記録したほか、Pyraminxで10.37（7.8パーセント短縮）、3x3x3 Cubeで11.66（5.7パーセント短縮）の自己ベストを更新しました。江口怜司（Reiji Eguchi）も3種目で躍動し、3x3x3 One-Handed初挑戦の28.45に加えて3x3x3 Cubeで12.96（6.8パーセント短縮）を記録し、Pyraminxで21位となりました。

今回が初めてのWCA大会参加となった選手たちも素晴らしい第一歩を刻みました。大久保圭介（Keisuke Okubo）は2種目に挑み、3x3x3 Cubeの初挑戦で10.89、3x3x3 One-Handedで30.49をマークしました。同じく初出場の張云山（Yunshan Zhang）は3x3x3 One-Handedで26.74、3x3x3 Cubeで12.55を記録しました。大橋岳琉（Takeru Ohashi）も初舞台で2種目に臨み、3x3x3 Cubeで11.17、3x3x3 One-Handedで24.19を揃えました。中村秋音（Tokio Nakamura）は3x3x3 Cubeに初挑戦し、21.92の公式タイムを打ち立てました。

滋賀県の大津市で開催されたOtsu Biwako Autumn 2023は、全4種目すべてで日本勢が表彰台を独占し、12個のポディウムの座が確定して幕を閉じました。単発の好タイムに惑わされず、各ラウンドで均一なスピードを保ち続けた選手たちが勝利を掴み取ったこの大会は、日頃の反復練習と精神力の重要性を改めて示す一日となりました。