Handball League H: BK Kariya and Kagawa Bank Claim Playoff Titles
Key facts
- Handball League H: BK Kariya and Kagawa Bank Claim Playoff Titles
- The 2025-26 League H playoffs concluded at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo from June 12 to 14, with BK Kariya winning the men's title for the first time in seven seasons and Kagawa Bank securing their first-ever women's championship.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: June 17, 2026
Direct answer
The 2025-26 League H playoffs concluded at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo from June 12 to 14, with BK Kariya winning the men's title for the first time in seven seasons and Kagawa Bank securing their first-ever women's championship.
- Citation
- Handball League H: BK Kariya and Kagawa Bank Claim Playoff Titles (June 17, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- June 17, 2026
The 2025-26 League H playoffs concluded at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo from June 12 to 14, with BK Kariya winning the men's title for the first time in seven seasons and Kagawa Bank securing their first-ever women's championship.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: June 17, 2026 at 03:00
- 🔍 Collected: June 16, 2026 at 18:18
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 16, 2026 at 19:19 (1h 1m after Collected)
The playoffs concluding the 2025-26 League H season were held over three days from Friday, June 12 to Sunday, June 14, at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium No. 1 in Tokyo.
On June 12, the Quarter Finals (two men's matches and one women's match) featured intense and passionate clashes from the outset.
On June 13, the Semi Finals (two matches each for men and women) saw two tightly contested games end in draws: Toyoda Gosei Blue Falcons Nagoya (2nd in regular season, hereafter 'Toyoda Gosei') vs. Sieg Star Tokyo (3rd), and Kagawa Bank GiraSol Kagawa (1st in regular season, hereafter 'Kagawa Bank') vs. Honey Bee Ishikawa (4th).
According to regulations, the higher regular-season rankings allowed Toyoda Gosei and Kagawa Bank to advance to the finals—an extremely narrow margin.
Crowning Glory Over Rivals
The men's final marked the sixth consecutive championship showdown between Toyota Motors Brave Kings Kariya (1st in regular season, hereafter 'BK Kariya') and Toyoda Gosei, who aimed for their sixth straight title.
After a fierce battle showcasing both teams' strengths, BK Kariya—having finished second in the previous five finals—narrowly defeated their rivals 28–27, claiming their second title in seven seasons since the Japan Handball League era.
BK Kariya Reaches the Summit After Seven Seasons
Juri Yoshino of BK Kariya, who delivered crucial goals as the team's ace and effectively integrated the strength of three foreign players, was awarded the Most Valuable Player.
Juri Yoshino of BK Kariya holding the MVP award
[Men's Playoff Final Standings]
1st: Toyota Motors Brave Kings Kariya
2nd: Toyoda Gosei Blue Falcons Nagoya
3rd: Sieg Star Tokyo
4th: Toyota Textile Kyushu Red Tornadoes SAGA
5th: Daido Special Steel Phenix TOKAI
6th: Osaki Auto Salon Saitama
A New Queen is Crowned
The women's final featured Kagawa Bank against Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Blue Sakuya Kagoshima (hereafter 'Sony', 2nd in regular season).
Leveraging their signature fast breaks, Kagawa Bank entered halftime with a 15–11 lead. In the second half, they held off Sony's comeback attempt, winning 26–23 to claim their first-ever championship.
Kagawa Bank's 'Fantastic Seven' Celebrate Historic Victory
Kaede Higa of Kagawa Bank, whose save rate exceeded 40% and effectively stopped Sony's late surge, was named Most Valuable Player.
Kaede Higa of Kagawa Bank, the architect of the first championship
[Women's Playoff Final Standings]
1st: Kagawa Bank GiraSol Kagawa
2nd: Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Blue Sakuya Kagoshima
3rd: Prestige International Alameri Toyama
4th: Honey Bee Ishikawa
5th: Kumamoto Vext Pindies
Additionally, BK Kariya and Kagawa Bank will participate in the 'Shinhan SUPER SOL 2026 Japan-Korea Club Super Match IN YEOSU' held in Korea on June 20.
They will face the Korean league champions.
For more details, visit the official League H website.
On June 12, the Quarter Finals (two men's matches and one women's match) featured intense and passionate clashes from the outset.
On June 13, the Semi Finals (two matches each for men and women) saw two tightly contested games end in draws: Toyoda Gosei Blue Falcons Nagoya (2nd in regular season, hereafter 'Toyoda Gosei') vs. Sieg Star Tokyo (3rd), and Kagawa Bank GiraSol Kagawa (1st in regular season, hereafter 'Kagawa Bank') vs. Honey Bee Ishikawa (4th).
According to regulations, the higher regular-season rankings allowed Toyoda Gosei and Kagawa Bank to advance to the finals—an extremely narrow margin.
Crowning Glory Over Rivals
The men's final marked the sixth consecutive championship showdown between Toyota Motors Brave Kings Kariya (1st in regular season, hereafter 'BK Kariya') and Toyoda Gosei, who aimed for their sixth straight title.
After a fierce battle showcasing both teams' strengths, BK Kariya—having finished second in the previous five finals—narrowly defeated their rivals 28–27, claiming their second title in seven seasons since the Japan Handball League era.
BK Kariya Reaches the Summit After Seven Seasons
Juri Yoshino of BK Kariya, who delivered crucial goals as the team's ace and effectively integrated the strength of three foreign players, was awarded the Most Valuable Player.
Juri Yoshino of BK Kariya holding the MVP award
[Men's Playoff Final Standings]
1st: Toyota Motors Brave Kings Kariya
2nd: Toyoda Gosei Blue Falcons Nagoya
3rd: Sieg Star Tokyo
4th: Toyota Textile Kyushu Red Tornadoes SAGA
5th: Daido Special Steel Phenix TOKAI
6th: Osaki Auto Salon Saitama
A New Queen is Crowned
The women's final featured Kagawa Bank against Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Blue Sakuya Kagoshima (hereafter 'Sony', 2nd in regular season).
Leveraging their signature fast breaks, Kagawa Bank entered halftime with a 15–11 lead. In the second half, they held off Sony's comeback attempt, winning 26–23 to claim their first-ever championship.
Kagawa Bank's 'Fantastic Seven' Celebrate Historic Victory
Kaede Higa of Kagawa Bank, whose save rate exceeded 40% and effectively stopped Sony's late surge, was named Most Valuable Player.
Kaede Higa of Kagawa Bank, the architect of the first championship
[Women's Playoff Final Standings]
1st: Kagawa Bank GiraSol Kagawa
2nd: Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Blue Sakuya Kagoshima
3rd: Prestige International Alameri Toyama
4th: Honey Bee Ishikawa
5th: Kumamoto Vext Pindies
Additionally, BK Kariya and Kagawa Bank will participate in the 'Shinhan SUPER SOL 2026 Japan-Korea Club Super Match IN YEOSU' held in Korea on June 20.
They will face the Korean league champions.
For more details, visit the official League H website.
FAQ
Which teams won the League H playoffs?
BK Kariya (men) and Kagawa Bank (women) won. Both will play in Korea.
Where were the matches held?
At Yoyogi National Gymnasium No.1 in Tokyo from June 12 to 14.
Was this Kagawa Bank's first championship?
Yes, Kagawa Bank won their first women's League H title.