World Championships Roster Spots On The Line This Week At 2025 Japan Swim

2025 JAPAN SWIM

• Thursday, March 20th – Sunday, March 23rd
• Tokyo Aquatics Centre
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview #1

The 2025 Japan Swim is nearly upon us with the four-day competition kicking off tomorrow, Thursday, March 20th and spanning through Sunday, March 23rd.

The meet represents the sole qualifying opportunity for Japanese swimmers to etch their names onto the nation’s roster for the 2025 World Aquatics Swimming World Championships in Singapore this July. Athletes will also be vying for the opportunity to represent Japan at this year’s World University Games and World Junior Championships.

As a deviation from past selection criteria with stiff performance requirements, the Japanese Swimming Federation (JASF) is utilizing the World Aquatics ‘A’ cuts as its minimum time standards.

Spotlights

• Japan’s sole Olympic medalist in Paris, 400m IM silver medalist Tomoyuki Matsushita of Toyo University, is entered in the 200m and 400m IM events along with the 200m free. He’ll battle racing mainstay and fellow Olympian Daiya Seto, although highschoolers Asaki Nishikawa and Kosuke Makino may try to rain on their parade. Additionally, So Ogata, who missed making the 200m IM for Paris by just .01, will also be in the hunt.
• Historically, Japan has been a powerhouse when it comes to depth in the men’s 200m breaststroke and it will be put on full display this week. Former world record holder and 2024 Olympic finalist Ippei Watanabe will try to lead the pack, one which includes Yu Hanaguruma and Yamato Fukasawa among several other contenders.
• Rikako Ikee has made it known that LA 2028 is her ultimate goal before retirement. She is still training in Australia, although her Griffith University coach was switched up from Michael Bohl who departed for China to now former British Olympic coach Mel Marshall. Ikee is entered in four events, the 50m/100m free and 50m/100m butterfly.
• Olympic finalist Satomi Sukuki turned 34 in January shows no signs of stopping. She’ll be focusing on the 50m and 100m breaststroke events in her World Championships bid.
• Youngster Mio Narita and Shiho Matsumoto should make the 200m IM interesting on the women’s side. They’ll look to carry the torch after two-time Olympic gold medalist Yui Ohashi retired post-Paris. Matsumoto and Narita represents Japan’s 5th- and 8th-fastest women ever in the event.
• 17-year-old Tatsuya Murasa is currently ranked 2nd in the world on the season in the men’s 200m free, courtesy of the 1:45.72 posted last November. We’ll see if the Japanese National High School record holder can improve on his best time as he hopes to make the Singapore squad both in the individual race as well as a member of the relay squad.