YAMADA Masaru

Personal Information

Family Wife Rie Ohashi, one son [2020]

Residence Tokyo, JPN

Occupation Athlete

Languages Japanese

Higher education Physical Education - Nihon University: Tokyo, JPN

License number 14061994001

Club

Upcoming Events

Sport Specific Information

When and where did you begin this sport? He began fencing in grade two of primary school in Toba, Japan.

Why this sport? He was influenced by one of his friends. He also thought that it was impressive to be able to use a sword. He was previously involved in foil, but switched to epee after starting middle school.

Club / Team Yamaichi Shoji: Japan

Name of coach Oleksandr Gorbachuk [national], UKR

Handedness Right

International Debut

Year 2013

Competing for Japan

General Interest

Nicknames Masarun, Makun (fencingfan.net, 26 Nov 2015)

Most influential person in career Coach Oleksandr Gorbachuk. (jiji.com, 22 Dec 2020)

Injuries In May 2020 he underwent surgery on a slipped disc. He returned to training and competition in early 2021. (SportsDeskOnline, 05 May 2021; nikkei.com, 25 Aug 2020; olympicchannel.com, 25 Aug 2020)

Sporting philosophy / motto "Review the old and learn the new." (fencingfan.net, 26 Nov 2015)

Awards and honours In 2014 he was given the Kozuki Sports Prize by the Kozuki Foundation. He also received a Sports Excellence Award in Setagaya, Japan. (se-sports.or.jp, 23 Feb 2015; kozuki.or.jp, 11 Aug 2014)

He received an Excellence Award at the 2012 Toba Players and Teams Excellence Awards. (toba.mie.jp, 14 Dec 2012)

Milestones Along with Kazuyasu Minobe, Koki Kano, and Satoru Uyama, he was part of the men's epee team that won Japan's first gold medal in any fencing discipline at the Olympic Games. They beat ROC in the final at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. (SportsDeskOnline, 09 Apr 2022; mainichi.jp, 30 Jul 2021)

Famous relatives His older sister Ayumi has represented Japan in fencing. She won bronze in team epee at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. His wife Rie Ohashi also competed in fencing for Japan and won bronze in team epee at the 2015 Asian Championships in Singapore and at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Republic of Korea. She also competed in epee at the world championships in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017. (SportsDeskOnline, 05 May 2021; jiji.com, 22 Dec 2020; bs-asahi.co.jp, 03 Jan 2020)

Ambitions To win gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (pref.saitama.lg.jp, 09 Nov 2021)

Other information YAMADA MASARU CUP
In January 2023, the first Yamada Masaru Cup Toba Epee Fencing Tournament was held in his hometown in Japan. The tournament aimed to increase the interest in fencing among middle school and high school students aged between 13 and 17. (yomiuri.co.jp, 09 Jan 2023)