Bears Women’s Track and Field Team “Bears Camellia” Welcomes Five New Fifth-Class Members

Bears Co., Ltd. (Head office: Nihonbashi-Hamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Takeshi Takahashi; hereinafter “Bears”) has welcomed five new fifth-class members to its women’s track and field team “Bears Camellia,” established in April 2022. The new members are Seina Kaneko (Suma Gakuen High School), Seira Shimano (Takagawa Gakuen High School), Rino Shimizu (Niijima Gakuen High School), Miyu Takeshita (Tokyo Metropolitan Josui High School), and Minami Hazemoto (Kobayashi High School). Bears Camellia athletes embody a “dual career,” growing as individuals through work and transforming that personal strength into running performance. As a team, they aim to achieve “Queens 8” in 2029, meaning a top-eight finish at the All-Japan Corporate Women’s Ekiden. 【Review of Last Year: A Harsh Reality and Clear Progress】 At last year’s Princess Ekiden, the team finished 23rd and missed out on a place in the main race, a deeply disappointing result. At the same time, however, it was a year in which individual athletes achieved clear progress. Aiwa Sakaguchi earned a place in the MGC (Marathon Grand Championship) through the Hokkaido Marathon. In April 2026, she also competed as an invited athlete in the Vienna City Marathon, a global race, and finished ninth. Producing the team’s first athlete capable of competing on Japan’s top-level stage was strong proof that the path we have believed in and followed was not mistaken. This year, under the slogan “Kendo Chourai” (making a comeback with renewed strength), every member of the team will pursue outstanding individual ability and combine it into solid team strength. 【About Bears Camellia】 Bears Camellia was established in April 2022 as the corporate track and field team of Bears Co., Ltd. The team is led by head coach Yuya Takayanagi. In October 2023, just a year and a half after its founding, the team made its first appearance at the Princess Ekiden and finished 20th. In October 2024, it placed 14th at the Princess Ekiden to qualify for the main race, and in its third year achieved its first appearance at the Queens Ekiden, finishing 23rd. The athletes work to improve their performance as top athletes with support from Motoko Taguchi’s laboratory at Waseda University’s Faculty of Sport Sciences and Sports Motivation Inc. (Chief Technical Officer: Shuichi James Nakano). Bears Camellia is a model case for dual careers, with all athletes employed as full-time employees and future executive candidates. By pursuing both the challenge of becoming Japan’s top track team and building careers as working professionals at a high level, the team aims to bring fresh energy to the athletics world while delivering dreams, hope, and bright smiles to society. We ask for your continued passionate support for the Bears women’s track and field team. Official website: https://www.happy-bears.com/bears-camellia Official brand partner: Under Armour (Dome Corporation) 【About Bears】 Founded in 1999 and now in its 27th year, Bears is a leading company in housekeeping services. With the vision of making housekeeping services “a new infrastructure for daily life in Japan” and supporting comfortable living for everyone, Bears has worked to realize diverse ways of working so that not only customers, but also employees and staff who provide the services, can enjoy fulfilling lives and lifestyles. In addition to the women’s track and field team Bears Camellia, the company also operates Bears Ray, a corporate cheer dance team ranked third in the world and established in April 2017, and Bears Wind Orchestra (BWO), established in April 2018, supporting employees’ dual careers. 【Company Overview】 Name: Bears Co., Ltd. Representative: Takeshi Takahashi, President and Representative Director Location: 2-1-1 Nihonbashi-Hamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0007, Japan Founded: October 1999 Official website: https://www.happy-bears.com/ Business: Housekeeping services, house cleaning, kids and babysitting services, cooking services, senior support services, lifestyle support services, and related services.