47 Types of "Decision Posters" by High School Athletes Across Japan Aiming for Interhigh Released!

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo) is the National Sponsor of the 2026 National High School Comprehensive Sports Festival "Dreaming of Progress: Youthful Summer Kinki Total 2026" (hereinafter referred to as Interhigh), which opens on July 22 (Wed). In addition to providing Pocari Sweat to athletes and event staff, the company has been implementing the "Interhigh Cheer Project" since 2024 to deliver cheers in various forms to athletes aiming for the stage, those supporting the event, and all high school students striving in club activities.

As part of this project, "Decision Posters" have been created based on messages of determination collected from high school athletes across Japan aiming for Interhigh. These posters have been released starting today at Pocari Sweat retail stores nationwide. Messages of determination collected from across the country will also be displayed at Interhigh competition venues and on Pocari Sweat's SNS in the future.

So far, this project has continued activities to connect athletes, high school students supporting the event, and local residents with the spirit of "cheers." This year, under the idea that "only by knowing the athletes' sincere thoughts can we send sincere cheers," messages of "determination" held by high school athletes nationwide during the Interhigh qualifying period in each prefecture were collected. These messages of determination were consolidated into 47 types of "Decision Posters" by prefecture. In creating these posters, a total of 1,995 messages were collected from athletes of various sports and grades across the country. To deliver the athletes' sincere thoughts to their respective hometowns and to support the athletes as a unified region, the 47 types of "Decision Posters" by prefecture will be widely promoted at competition venues and Pocari Sweat retail stores nationwide.

Additionally, the "Cheer Cup" project, which delivers the thoughts of local residents to athletes on the day of the event, has also started this year. Through the "Decision Posters," touching the "sincere thoughts" of high school athletes and generating heartfelt "cheers" from the heart. Through this cycle of thoughts, we will further support the Interhigh stage with more passion and depth.

★ Points

① The sports festival for high school students, Interhigh, opens on July 22 (Wed)

② The "Interhigh Project 2026," which supports high school students' dream stage, also starts this year from the Interhigh pre-event @ Biva City Hikone on May 23 (Sat)

③ Release of 47 types of "Decision Posters" that deliver the raw voices of high school athletes aiming for Interhigh nationwide qualifiers

◼︎ About "Dreaming of Progress: Youthful Summer Kinki Total 2026"

The largest sports festival for high school students, "Dreaming of Progress: Youthful Summer Kinki Total 2026," will be held in Shiga Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Osaka Prefecture, Hyogo Prefecture, Nara Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture, and Hokkaido from July 22 (Wed) to August 21 (Fri), 2026, with 30 sports and 34 events. Otsuka Pharmaceutical has been a special sponsor of Interhigh, the stage of dreams for young high school athletes who will carry the future, for 13 consecutive years since 2014.

https://www.koukousoutai.com/2026soutai/

We want to support and be by the side of high school students' dedicated efforts and the thoughts they hold.

(Comment by Yu Egami, Product Department, Nutritional Supplements Business Group, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.)

I feel that the stage of Interhigh has stories for each individual, such as athletes who can showcase what they have accumulated so far and those who are left with regret. The appearance of high school students engrossed in sports gives us irreplaceable emotions and hope. On the other hand, the situation surrounding club activities is gradually changing, with restrictions on club activity time due to intense heat and changes in the school environment, and I feel that there are various conflicts behind their efforts. Even in such circumstances, I want to support and cheer for high school students who sincerely face and continue to challenge their sports. With this in mind, as the Pocari Sweat brand, we are implementing initiatives to collect determinations from high school students across Japan aiming for Interhigh and deliver them nationwide. We want to convey the dedicated efforts and thoughts of high school students to as many people as possible.

"Decision Posters" Creation Story

From May 1 (Fri) to May 31 (Sun), 2026, we collected determinations from high school athletes across Japan aiming for Interhigh qualifiers. The determinations of athletes gathered from 47 prefectures for this summer are varied.

Strong determination to achieve revenge from last year, resolve to believe in oneself, oath to fight to the end with teammates who have shared joys and sorrows, and deep gratitude to families who have always supported them closely... There are no two alike; messages filled with the real passion of each athlete totaled 1,995. Exceeding expectations, some of these were created as 47 types of "Decision Posters" by prefecture and will be widely promoted at competition venues and Pocari Sweat retail stores nationwide.

Furthermore, "Cheer Seals" with "cheer" messages from local residents in response to the athletes' "determinations" will be delivered to Interhigh participants on the day of the event as "Cheer Cups."

＜Shiga＞ ＜Osaka＞

＜The "Cheer Cup" project enters its third consecutive year!＞

At the "Interhigh Pre-Event" held in Shiga, the stage of the opening ceremony, on May 23 (Sat), together with the Shiga Prefectural High School Activity Promotion Committee, who support the event, we wrote "cheer" messages in response to the athletes' "determinations" on "Cheer Seals." On this day, high school students who performed at the opening ceremony, members of the High School Activity Promotion Committee, and local residents were also asked to write cheers.

◼︎ Overview of "Interhigh Cheer Project"

The "Interhigh Cheer Project" is an initiative to deliver cheers in various forms to athletes aiming for the stage of Interhigh, the high school sports festival, those supporting the event, and all high school students striving in club activities. The longed-for stage reached by overcoming daily practice. Athletes carry the thoughts of many people, such as friends, instructors, and family, and aim for the event. Pocari Sweat, which supports the event, supports the possibilities of all high school students involved in Japan's largest high school sports festival. With the desire to deliver not only Pocari Sweat but also "words" of cheers from people in the event host locations and high school student supporters to the athletes, on the day of the event, we will provide Pocari Sweat to athletes in "Cheer Cups," paper cups with messages. In addition to Cheer Cups, this year's project will also implement various initiatives to support high school students through Interhigh, such as Decision Posters, Interhigh.tv, cheer movies, and "Pocari Sweat Interhigh NFT" for high school students supporting the event.

◼︎ About "Pocari Sweat"

Pocari Sweat was developed with the concept of a "drink for sweat" and is a health beverage that smoothly replenishes water and ions (electrolytes) lost through sweating. It is currently available in more than 20 countries and regions. Due to its appropriate concentration and electrolyte solution composition close to bodily fluids, it is quickly absorbed,