The BMX Freestyle Flatland discipline of the Mynavi Japan Cup Nagoya 2026 was held over four days from Thursday, April 23 to Sunday, April 26, 2026, at Hisaya-odori Park Media Hiroba.

In the Men’s Elite category, Yu Shoji claimed a long-awaited first Japan Cup victory, while in the Women’s Elite category, Chiaki Todaka took the win.

As the opening event of the 2026 season, the competition brought together top-level BMX riders from across Japan, regardless of age, with elite and amateur athletes competing across a total of 10 categories, producing a highly intense level of competition.

The venue was set at Hisaya-odori Park Media Hiroba in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. Located directly opposite the concurrently held park discipline venue at Oasis 21 Galaxy Plaza, the site featured an open and spacious plaza with a striking view of the Nagoya TV Tower. A dedicated competition stage was installed in this iconic urban setting.

On the day of the event, the coexistence of both flatland and park disciplines attracted many tourists and passersby, who moved freely through the venue as spectators. They were captivated by the world-class level of Japanese riders, showcasing highly technical routines and dynamic riding at the highest level.

Below is the report of the elite class finals, the highlight of the event.

In the Men’s Elite category, Yu Shoji secured a long-awaited first Japan Cup victory. In the Women’s Elite category, Chiaki Todaka claimed a well-earned championship title.

Men’s Elite category

The Men’s Elite final featured the top 8 riders, who advanced from the previous day’s qualifiers out of a total of 10 competitors. The lineup brought together both rapidly rising young talents and veteran riders who have long led the scene, resulting in an extremely high-level final.

For the first time in the event’s history, a “2-minute, 2-try live scoring” format was introduced. After each run, scores and rankings were displayed in real time, allowing riders to constantly understand their current position in the standings. This added a new layer of strategy and battle dynamics, as athletes adjusted their riding based on live results throughout the competition.

The winner who rose above this high-level battle was Yu Shoji, claiming a long-awaited first domestic title. Although he already holds victories at World Cup and World Championship level, this marks his first Japan Cup triumph.

Shoji is known for his signature “transfer” style—a highly technical skill where he freely shifts body axis while jumping and controlling both the front and rear wheels. In this final, he built his routine around these transfer-based movements, linking them with front-wheel–focused tricks throughout his run.

In the closing section of his performance, he executed a highly difficult combination from a transfer directly into a double boomerang, landing it cleanly to complete a full make. He earned a score of 87.83 points, securing his first-ever Japan Cup victory.

Shoji is also scheduled to compete at the upcoming FISE Montpellier 2026 in May, where attention will be on whether he can carry this momentum into another major international title.

The runner-up was Takatora Hishikawa, the youngest competitor in the Men’s Elite field at just 15 years old, whose remarkable strength throughout the event drew significant attention. A rising talent who continues to challenge seasoned elite riders, Hishikawa is also known as the younger brother of breaking world champion ISSIN, with both siblings making waves across the street culture scene.

Hishikawa is an all-round rider, combining both front-wheel and rear-wheel tricks into complex combinations. While his first run did not fully reflect his potential, he delivered a standout performance in his second attempt.

His run featured an impressive sequence of technical elements, including rear-wheel pedaling spins, a backflip-style catch, and multiple front-wheel transitions such as spins and glides. He packed a wide range of combinations into a highly aggressive routine, finishing his run with 16 seconds remaining, visibly satisfied with his performance.

He scored 86.66 points, narrowly missing the top spot, but securing a strong second-place finish.

Finishing in 3rd place was Ren Oshima, a rider whose high-difficulty tricks are defined by a strong sense of style. Known for building his runs around rear-wheel techniques, Oshima delivered an impressive performance in his first attempt.

He began by accelerating in a two-foot stance while carrying the bike on his back side, then smoothly transitioned into a backward spin on the pedal axis, landing it cleanly. In the final section of his run, he executed a bike flip right at the buzzer, completing a dramatic finish.

He scored 86.16 points, earning 3rd place on the podium.

Women’s Elite Class

Meanwhile, the Women’s Elite final brought together a highly competitive field of riders, including athletes with extensive international experience and rapidly improving rising talents.

All four finalists had prior results at international competitions, setting the stage for a high-level battle to determine the first champion of the 2026 season.

The Women’s Elite final was won by Chiaki Todaka, who overcame an exceptionally high-level field to secure victory in the season opener.

Having achieved a historic triple crown last year—Japan title, Asian title, and World title—Todaka currently stands as one of the leading figures in the global women’s flatland scene, widely regarded as one of the strongest riders in the world.

In her winning run, she showcased outstanding bike control through front-wheel-based tricks. Her first run featured a complex routine combining spins with a difficult one-foot pedal-axis rotation. She then finished with a highly technical sequence, landing a switch into a pedal catch precisely at the buzzer to complete her run cleanly.

She scored 86.33 points, securing victory in the opening round of the domestic series and further reinforcing expectations for her continued success on the international stage this season.

The runner-up was Karin Hommura, who has consistently delivered strong results both domestically and internationally, and is regarded as one of Japan’s leading figures in the world-class BMX flatland scene.

After winning last year’s event in her elite class rookie season, Motomura once again showcased a dynamic and powerful riding style that maximized her long limbs and expressive movement, energizing the crowd throughout her run.

Her first attempt centered around her signature “whiplash” trick, built into a front-wheel combination with precise backward-direction transitions. She maintained a high level of technical control throughout, finishing her routine with another whiplash variation in the closing section.

Blending originality with advanced technical difficulty, she scored 83.33 points and finished in second place.

3rd Place (Women’s Elite)

In third place was Sona Yoshimura, known for her explosive aerial-style tricks and active performances both in Japan and overseas.

She is an all-round rider capable of handling both front-wheel and rear-wheel techniques with precision, and in this final she effectively incorporated combinations such as cross-hand and cross-foot variations to build her routine.

One of the highlights of her run was a difficult sequence beginning with a rear-wheel pedal-axis “rope-a-loni,” transitioning into backward movement, followed by an attempt at a high-difficulty “half decade” trick. Although she was unable to fully complete the move this time, she continued her run with strong presence and control.

Yoshimura typically uses a wide riding space, but the slightly reduced 9m × 9m floor size compared to her usual environment appeared to present some challenges. Even so, she delivered a solid performance and scored 77.33 points, securing 3rd place.

Winner’s Comment

Yu Shoji (Men’s Elite Class)

“I’ve won World Championships and other international titles before, but I had never won the Mynavi Japan Cup Nagoya 2026. It was a big goal for me, so I’m really, really happy about this result.

That said, it wasn’t a perfect run, so I’ll keep making adjustments and improvements for the upcoming FISE Montpellier in France.”

Chiaki Todaka (Women’s Elite Class)

“I’m really happy because all three siblings—including my younger sister and brother—competed in this event, and we were all able to win our categories.

My first run was good, but I wasn’t satisfied with my second run, so I want to improve even more and show a better performance at the next Yokosuka event. I’ll keep training hard.”

Event Results

Men’s Elite

1st: Yu Shoji / 87.83pt
2nd: Takatora Hishikawa / 86.66pt
3rd: Ren Oshima / 86.16pt

Women’s Elite

1st: Chiaki Todaka / 86.33pt
2nd: Karin Hommura / 83.33pt
3rd: Sona Yoshimura / 77.33pt

Kids Under 6

1st: Kuroda Nagi / 43.00pt

Girls Low

1st: Kobayashi Yuno / 54.33pt
2nd: Katayama Hana / 51.67pt
3rd: Narumoto Lara / 48.33pt

Boys 7–9

1st: Kai Nichika / 59.33pt
2nd: Ishibashi Shuma / 57.00pt
3rd: Imamura Jin / 54.67pt

Boys 10–12

1st: Todaka Yamato / 76.00pt
2nd: Kadoi Ataru / 75.33pt
3rd: Tanabe Kenzo / 70.00pt

Girls High

1st: Todaka Azusa / 76.67pt
2nd: Okayama Mio / 68.33pt
3rd: Yamazaki Kikka / 66.67pt

Boys 13–15

1st: Kanamoto Ryuya / 77.33pt
2nd: Hirano Shoki / 76.67pt
3rd: Nakayasu Yoshihito / 73.33pt

Expert

1st: Hayashi Seon / 64.33pt
2nd: Hayashi Kirato / 60.67pt
3rd: Shimada Ryo / 59.00pt

30 Over

1st: Kattou Takenori / 67.67pt
2nd: Tsuruta Yuta / 66.67pt
3rd: Fujii Seiji / 61.83pt

Event Information

Event Name: Mynavi Japan Cup Nagoya 2026 (Flatland Round 1)

Dates: April 23 (Thu) – April 26 (Sun), 2026 (4 days)
For details, please refer to the official website.

Venue: Hisaya-odori Park Media Hiroba (3-16 Nishiki, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan)

Organizer: Japan Freestyle BMX Federation (JFBF)

Sanctioned by: Japan Cycling Federation

Supported by: Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya City, Japan Urban Sports Support Council

Title Sponsor: Mynavi

Photo credit: ©︎ Satoshi Saijo / JFBF