Tokyo BLD Summer 2026

Keita Hayakawa delivered a masterclass in sightless solving at Tokyo BLD Summer 2026, setting a Japanese national record single of 3:40.23 in 5x5x5 Blindfolded on his way to three individual victories. Held on July 25, 2026, at Ota ward plaza in Ota, Tokyo, Japan, the one-day gathering assembled 47 specialists in one of the most densely contested blindfolded lineups of the year. With 45 competitors fighting through two rounds in the standard blindfolded division alone, every advancement was hard-earned across five total rounds of elite speedcubing action.

The sheer quality throughout the venue made the path to top placements exceptionally steep. In a discipline where even a single misalignment results in a disqualification, the depth of talent pushed the pace across all four events on the schedule. Competitors battled through high stakes in every session, making this cubing competition an intense test of concentration, spatial memory, and precision solving without visual feedback.

Hayakawa asserted his authority across multiple puzzles throughout the day. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded category, where classic Rubik's Cube solving relies entirely on memory and precise algorithmic execution, Hayakawa clinched the title with a winning average of 18.39, supported by a blazing best single of 15.68. The 3x3 results in the final round saw fierce resistance from Will Cerne of the United States, who posted a blistering 17.54 single to secure second place, while Masato Fujiwara took third with an 18.93 mark.

Big-cube sightless events further highlighted Hayakawa's remarkable form. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, Hayakawa topped a field of 29 entrants with a single solve of 2:09.96. The battle for podium spots was sharp, as Naoto Kobayashi secured second place by setting a Japanese national record average of 2:35.13, while Yuki Yamamoto earned third with a time of 3:04.10. Hayakawa then repeated his winning ways in 5x5x5 Blindfolded, claiming the gold with his 3:40.23 national record single, ahead of Yamamoto in second at 4:59.14 and Kobayashi in third at 6:09.78.

Beyond the podium battles, several participants achieved personal milestones across the schedule at Tokyo BLD Summer 2026. Kenta Ikeda tackled four events and achieved a 39.6 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a personal best of 55.74, while also taking on his first attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind to score 8/12 in 55:23 and placing 10th in 5x5x5 Blindfolded. Naoyuki Takahashi completed his first ever 4x4x4 Blindfolded attempt in 20:18.00, lowered his 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best by 31.3 percent down to 1:40.12, recorded a 5.1 percent improvement in Multi-Blind with 6/6 in 48:20, and secured an 8th-place finish.

That same drive was evident in Kazuhiko Kusano, who took on 5x5x5 Blindfolded for the very first time to log a time of 43:11.00 for 9th place, alongside a 21 percent personal best improvement of 2:22.65 in 3x3x3 Blindfolded. Daisuke Kochi achieved personal bests in two events, cutting 24.4 percent off his 3x3x3 Blindfolded time to reach 2:03.63 and improving his Multi-Blind mark by 4.2 percent to 8/8 in 43:17 for 7th place. Wenxin Huang entered his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind to post 7/8 in 51:02 for 9th place, while Mirei Morioka took on four events, earning 10th in 5x5x5 Blindfolded, setting a 3x3x3 Blindfolded best of 2:04.53, and shaving 20.7 percent off her 4x4x4 Blindfolded mark to finish in 10:21.00.

The 3x3x3 Multi-Blind contest was another showcase of stamina and mental endurance, drawing 30 competitors into an hour-long battle. Naoto Kobayashi triumphed by successfully solving 32 out of 41 cubes in 59:50 to take first place. Hiroto Fujita executed a flawless 21 out of 21 cubes in 59:59 to capture the second step of the podium, while Yuki Tsuneyoshi also achieved perfection by solving all 20 of his attempted cubes in 55:16 for third.

Across the entire day, Japanese athletes claimed 11 of the 12 available podium positions, joined by a silver-medal finish from the United States. The high level of speed cubing execution in Ota showed that even with a packed roster of skilled solvers, small margins and dedicated preparation define success in high-pressure blindfolded events.

As the final timers stopped, the WCA competition concluded with new records and meaningful personal achievements across every round. Tokyo BLD Summer 2026 highlighted both the strength of seasoned champions and the rapid progression throughout the field, setting a strong benchmark for the blindfolded solving community heading into the remainder of the 2026 season.

5x5x5目隠し決勝で早川慶太が叩き出した3:40.23の日本新記録単発は、会場を大いに沸かせる圧巻の試技となりました。2026年7月25日にOta, Tokyo, Japanの大田区民プラザで開催されたTokyo BLD Summer 2026には総勢47名が参加し、目隠し競技に特化した大会として各部門で極めてレベルの高い熱戦が展開されました。

今大会は4種目5ラウンドが組まれ、特に3x3x3目隠し部門には45名もの選手がエントリーするなど、上位進出へのハードルは極めて高いものとなりました。記憶力と正確な指先の操作が要求される難度の高い種目において、厚みのある選手層が決勝進出をめぐる激しいタイム争いを演出しました。

3x3x3目隠しでは早川慶太が18.39の平均タイムを記録して優勝を飾りました。2位には単発17.54をマークしたアメリカのWill Cerne、3位には18.93を揃えた藤原正人が入り、1秒未満の僅差で表彰台を争うハイペースな戦いが繰り広げられました。

早川慶太の快進撃はビッグキューブ目隠しでも続き、4x4x4目隠しでは2:09.96の単発記録で優勝を果たしました。2位には2:35.13で日本新記録平均を樹立した小林直登、3位には3:04.10を記録した山本祐輝が入賞し、Tokyo BLD Summer 2026の表彰台を実力者たちが占めました。

5x5x5目隠しでも早川慶太は3:40.23の日本新記録を樹立して頂点に立ち、個人3冠を達成しました。この種目では山本祐輝が4:59.14で2位、小林直登が6:09.78で3位となり、長時間の記憶と正確な手順の遂行が求められる過酷な舞台で好成績を残しました。

数字の上位争いの影で、多くの選手が見事な前進を遂げました。Qiuchi Sangは3x3x3目隠しで自己記録を16.6パーセント更新する19.65を叩き出し4位に入り、Naoyuki Koikeも同種目で11.1パーセント更新となる18.76をマークして7位に食い込みました。Kousei Noguchiは10.3パーセント短縮の1:02.87をマークしたほか5x5x5目隠しで10位を記録しました。

また、Yuhi Endoはこの大舞台で3x3x3目隠しに初挑戦し1:57.05の好タイムを記録しました。Tomoaki Sakumaは4種目に挑み3x3x3目隠しで20.27、4x4x4目隠しで8:33.67の自己新をマークして6位に入り、Torakazu Onotaも4種目に出場して5x5x5目隠しで10位の成績を収めました。

複数個のキューブを記憶して解く3x3x3複数目隠しでは、30名が挑むなか小林直登が41個中32個を59分50秒で成功させて見事に優勝を果たしました。2位には21個中21個を59分59秒で揃えた藤田浩斗、3位には20個中20個を55分16秒で成功させた恒吉優紀が続き、完答の見事な記録が並びました。

ルービックキューブの極致ともいえるスピードキューブの目隠し部門において、国内屈指の競技者が集まったTokyo BLD Summer 2026は幕を閉じました。日本勢が11、アメリカ勢が1の表彰台を獲得した今大会は、ハイレベルな層の厚さを示すWCA公認大会として記憶される一日となりました。