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Hiroshi Inoue Named New Head Coach At Takushoku University After Two-Straight Hakone Misses

On Jan. 25 Takushoku University announced that Hiroshi Inoue, 60, will take over as head coach of its track and field program at the start of the new academic year on Apr. 1. Previous head coach Takuro Yamashita will step down at the end of March.

A graduate of Komazawa University, Inoue ran the Hakone Ekiden all four years of his college career before going on to the Yasukawa Denki corporate team. Following his retirement as an athlete he became head coach at Oita Tomei H.S., where he led the boys' and girls' teams to National High School Ekiden prominence for 34 years.

Former Raffine corporate team head coach Kenichi Jiromaru, also a Komazawa graduate, will join Inoue as assistant coach at Takushoku. Takushoku failed to qualify for the Hakone Ekiden for the last two editions, but hopes are high that Inoue can return the team to its former strength.

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translated and edited by Brett Larner

photo © 2019 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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