The Daiichi Life women's corporate team announced last week on its official site that Paris Olympics 10000 m runner Haruka Kokai and teammate Yuka Masubuchi left the organization as of July 31. Kokai was born in 2003. Kokai rose to the national level while at Sendai Ikuei H.S., winning the first leg at the National High School Ekiden her 2nd year to lead them to the overall national title. After graduating she joined Daiichi Life, then called Daiichi Seimei, in 2021. In March, 2023 she was the gold medalist in the women's 10000 m at the Asian Championships, and in December the same year she took 3rd in the National Championships 10000 m in an all-time Japanese #7 30:57.67 to score a place on the Paris Olympics team. In Paris she placed 19th.
In a statement released by Daiichi Life Kokai said, "I want to thank the team, who always put the athletes first as they shared this journey, and all my teammates for so many good times together. There were times I got really discouraged and almost forgot why I was doing this sport, but the people who stood by me and supported me gave me the courage to face my problems head-on without running away, and that helped me to take a new step forward."
Born in 2001, Masubuchi made the National High School Championships 2 years in a row while at Kinjo Gakuen H.S., taking 8th in the 3000 m her senior year, and ran the 1st leg at the National High School Ekiden 2 years straight. At Meijo University she made her debut at the National University Women's Ekiden as a 1st-year, winning her stage 3 years in a row and helping Meijo score back-to-back titles. She was named captain her senior year.
In a statement Masubuchi said, "2 years was too short a time with the team, but I'll always be grateful for the support of my teammates, the staff and others. I'll never forget that feeling, and I look forward to taking on the next stage of my career."
The Edion corporate team also announced that Kana Mizogami was parting ways with the team and leaving the company. Born in Kumamoto in 2004, Mizogami has focused on middle distance events since junior high school. Her 1st year of junior high she competed in the 800 m at the Junior Olympics, and she was 4th in the 1500 m there her 2nd year. At Luther Gakuin H.S. she excelled both on the track and in ekidens. Her senior year she was 5th in the 1500 m at the National High School Championships and 9th in the 3000 m.
The following February she represented Japan in the World Cross Country Championships U20 women's 6 km, where she was the top Japanese placer at 17th overall. After joining Edion she ran the 1500 m at the National Championships and won the Chugoku Corporate Championships 3000 m, but she has not raced since July, 2025.
At the same time, the Senko corporate team announced that Chika Kosakai and Azusa Koga have joined its roster. Senko was founded in 2021, first qualifying for the Queens Ekiden national corporate championships in 2023. Last year it finished only 24th in the Princess Ekiden qualifying race.
The 23-year-old Kosakai joined Japan Post after graduating from Narita H.S. in 2021, competing in the U20 National Championships and the Queens Ekiden. In 2023 she ran the 4th leg at the Queens Ekiden, helping Japan Post finish 2nd overall. But at the end of July this year, Japan Post announced that she had left the team.
Koga, formerly Mihara, was the same class year as Kosakai. At Ritsumeikan Uji H.S. she won her stage twice at the National High School Ekiden, and in 2020 she won both the 1500 m and 3000 m at the National High School Ekiden. In 2021 she joined Japan Post alongside Kosakai, but in August, 2023 she transferred to Route Inn Hotels. There she ran in both the Queens Ekiden and the National Cross Country Championships.
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translated and edited by Brett Larner
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