Two Teams Go All Out in the Koma Taisen Akita Tournament!
This year's battle was once again intense!
Manufacturing companies from the six Tohoku prefectures teamed up with university and high school students to create spinning tops using youthful ideas and corporate technical expertise, then competed in a fierce battle to crown the champion at the All Japan Manufacturing Koma Taisen Special Akita Tournament, on November 1, 2025, at Akita Prefectural University's Honjo Campus.
Orbray participated by forming two teams with students from Yuzawa Shoboku High School's advanced course. The goal is either to knock the opponent's top out of the approximately 30cm diameter sumo ring or to spin longer than the opponent’s — the match is over in an instant! However, the journey to get there is truly a comprehensive martial art of manufacturing.
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Technology Plus Teamwork
This tournament is more than just a top-spinning competition. It's a journey where students and young professionals in manufacturing meticulously consider and engage in material selection, design, and processing. For any processing the professionals can't handle themselves, they receive generous support from highly skilled senior colleagues within their companies. Over six months, they transform a block of metal into a spinning top, ultimately facing the final showdown.
This year's Akita Basho saw a total of 26 teams enter: 7 teams comprising companies plus Akita Prefectural University students, and 19 teams made up of companies plus high school students from within the prefecture. The collaboration between students and companies started with team formation in May and continued until the Akita Basho in November.
The Day of Judgment
On November 1, the Honjo Campus of Akita Prefectural University, the venue for the event, was filled with excitement from the morning. Each team brought their proudly crafted tops, showcasing their ingenuity, and faced off in serious matches on the small sumo ring.
The preliminary rounds were conducted in a league format, with 8 teams advancing to the final tournament.
The results for the Orbray + Yuzawa Shoboku teams were... disappointing. Unfortunately, neither team was able to break through the tough preliminary wall. However, they renewed their strong determination to succeed next year.
Team Komazan ― A Series of Trials and Errors
Team Komazan consisted of six members in total: three from Yuzawa Shoboku High School and three from Orbray.
This team envisioned a top with a heavy metal body and a sapphire axis. Mr. K utilized cutting machine and side milling techniques he had just learned during training to gradually shape a sapphire plate into a square bar, and then into a cylinder. For the finishing touches, he sought the cooperation of Mr. S and others from the manufacturing department.
However, because sapphire has a unique crystal orientation, the processing was a continuous struggle. Furthermore, when drilling a hole in the center of the heavy metal body, a drill bit broke—an unexpected setback. After completion, when they spun the top, the axis wobbled, and they couldn't achieve the desired rotation.
For their second top, they deliberately designed a thicker axis. This change, reflecting feedback from practitioners who said it was "easier to spin," led to better results.
From this experience, Mr. K realized that "there are limits to what one person can do alone. It's important to actively communicate with those around you and ask for help." He also shared, "This experience has given me the confidence and determination to do my best in my future work," demonstrating significant personal growth through the top-making process.
The Third Competition, and Beyond
For Mr. S, this year marked his third competition, including his participation since his student days. Learning from last year's experience, he made improvements by increasing the top's weight and enhancing its attacking power.
His first opponent had an offensive-type top as well. The results of his improvements were fully demonstrated, and he achieved a splendid victory. However, in the second match, he faced a small, low-profile endurance-type top. The protrusions he had carefully attached to the outer edge passed right over the opponent's head, and after being drawn into a battle of endurance, he suffered a narrow defeat.
Nevertheless, Mr. S reflected positively, saying, "I definitely felt the impact of the enhanced attacking power." We're already looking forward to seeing how he evolves for next year.
Team Senko no Hathaway
The other team was aptly named Senko no Hathaway, a playful twist on "Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash" (lol). In pursuit of maximum weight, they chose ultra-hard metal as their material. The team name comes from the fact that, unable to use lathe processing, they processed the top using wire electrical discharge machining, scattering "flashes" (閃光 - senko) during the process.
Mr. S, a young professional from Orbray, was entrusted with the entire project despite being a first-time participant. He engaged in extensive discussions with the students to refine their concept. He determined everything from material selection to processing methods. For the wire electrical discharge machining, he collaborated with Mr. O and Mr. S from the Production Engineering Department, repeatedly prototyping, testing, and improving until the top was complete.
However, with a record of one win and one loss, this team did not advance to the finals. Nevertheless, Mr. S emphasized that the tournament served as a practical learning experience, stating, "Throughout the six-month process, we cycled through the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle, experiencing the entire flow from order reception to delivery in the manufacturing industry."
The Challenge Continues
The Top-Spinning Tournament is a continuous process of trial and error. Both students and young professionals from companies grow significantly by racking their brains to solve problems at every turn. For young employees, it's an excellent opportunity to learn about aspects of the company beyond their own duties, and for university and high school students, it's a unique chance to glimpse the world of manufacturing. The Top-Spinning Tournament will undoubtedly continue to play a part in revitalizing the manufacturing industry within the prefecture in the years to come.
Please click here. You can see the Spinning Tops Tournament in Akita.<YouTube>
https://www.komataisen.com
