US-Japan Friendship Cup Championships 2024
The US-Japan Friendship Cup Championships 2024 were held at Yokota Airbase. I had waited a long time to see it. Bodybuilding in Japan! Fifty buff competitors muscled it out on stage for trophies and prizes. Fitness photographers were out in force for this event.
It was a rough start to the day, though. I had to be at Yokota between 6:30 and 7:15 am for a bus. It would take us through the base to the Taiyo Recreation Community. Yes, it was a military base so you just can’t walk through it freely.
Well, I faced a dilemma that morning. The only way I had to get there was by train which would take me more than one and a half hours. Why was that a problem?
My regular station is Takaido on the Keio-Inokashira Line. Its first train on a Sunday is 5:18. If I had used that I might not have missed the bus at Yokota if I had encountered any delays. So I walked thirty minutes to Nishi-Ogikubo Station. Its Chuo Line has far more trains on weekends. They start earlier too. So, it was a 4 am start to the day! It was worth it.
Pat Coleman, the Championships’ MC had organised everything perfectly. The US-Japan Friendship Cup Championships ran like clockwork. Well, there were a few minor audio hiccups. Anyway, I left the event with over 4000 photos! Yeah, I was happy!
I have to admit that it was difficult to get good results straight out of the camera. Photographing a bodybuilding competition isn’t easy. Not only was it a new experience for me, but my Fujifilm X-T3 struggled with the lighting. Maybe I should say the lack of light. That made me use ISO, as high as 5000. I was thankful for Adobe Lightroom’s new noise-reduction technology.
What are the US-Japan Friendship Cup Championships?
- The US-Japan Friendship Cup Championships are a physique competition starting in 1998. They are comparable to U.S. and Japan regional/national level shows. Sport is a great way to build friendship, trust, and cooperation between countries.
- The event is famous for inviting champion IFBB bodybuilding guest posers. They are a morale booster to the U.S. military personnel, DOD civilians, and their
- family members stationed in Japan.
- There were approximately fifty male and female competitors in July 2024. They participated in the following divisions:
- Men’s Bodybuilding
- Men’s Classic Physique
- Men’s Physique
- Women’s Bikini
- Women’s Figure
The 2024 guest poser
It was Akim “BK BEAST” Williams. He is a big name in bodybuilding. The guy was enormous, literally a mountain of muscle. His fearsome nickname was earned from his efforts as a bodybuilder in the gym. He is a soft-spoken and well-mannered man!
Even though Akim had come to Japan he was preparing for the Olympia in October 2024. He’ll look amazing on competition day. I’m sure he’ll do well as he is an Olympian professional with multiple IFBB wins. His presence surely boosted bodybuilding in Japan.
What did I see at the Championships?
I saw great physiques! These athletes had worked hard to sculpt their bodies. Their routines were excellent. Actually, one I have to mention is Leigh Carmichael.
He took second place in the Open Middleweight Division. His robot-themed posing was entertaining and got him the best poser award. It was well-deserved. The audience appreciated his efforts with huge applause.
Another was Sayuri Tachihara. She was an amazing bodybuilder and contested the women’s physique class. It was unfortunate that she was the only person in the division. It didn’t matter as the judges had such high praise for her.
Competition results
- WOMEN’S FIGURE
1st Tachihara, Sayuri
- BIKINI NOVICE
5th Kishino, Mami
4th Ikegami, Rie
3rd Kyogoku, Akiko
2nd Ryuzaki, Sayaka
1st Todd, Rowena
- BIKINI CLASS A 5’4″ AND UNDER
5th Sawada, Anna
4th Kishino, Mami
3rd Kyogoku, Akiko
2nd Ryuzaki, Sayaka
1st Todd, Rowena
- BIKINI CLASS B OVER 5’4″
4th Ikegami, Rie
3rd Kurosaki, Reika
2nd Lee, Gloria Jean
1st Kokuma (Kaneko), Maki
- MEN’S PHYSIQUE NOVICE
5th Valere, Zach
4th Yuasa, Tsuyoshi
3rd Sato, Keigo
2nd Childress, Tonio
1st Logan, Jimmy
- MEN’S PHYSIQUE CLASS A 5’8″ AND UNDER
1st Koseki, Takayuki
- MEN’S PHYSIQUE CLASS B OVER 5’8″
4th Williams, Gearal
3rd Valere, Zach
2nd Childress, Tonio
1st Sugihara, Daiki
- CLASSIC PHYSIQUE
5th Ikeda, Kaito
4th Kamada, Suguru
3rd Carmichael, Leigh
2nd Kokuma, Seiji
1st Kakegawa, Akinori
- OPEN LIGHTWEIGHT BODYBUILDING
2nd Saito, Tsukasa
1st Kawasaki, Gaku
- OPEN MIDDLEWEIGHT BODYBUILDING
3rd Logan, Jimmy
2nd Carmichael, Leigh
1st Sato, Ryo
- OPEN HEAVYWEIGHT BODYBUILDING
2nd Williams, Gearal
1st Hancock, Travis
Event host: US 374th (FSS) Force Support Squadron’s Samurai Fitness Center
Bodybuilding Competitions Photo Tips
I can offer only a few tips as this was my first bodybuilding competition. Here they are:
- The venue probably won’t have great light. High ISO will be your friend.
- If you have lots of grain in your photos, use Adobe Lightroom to process them. It does a great job of fixing this problem.
- Move around. Take photos from different angles. That will make your photoset much better. No one enjoys everything looking the same. Or do they?
Conclusion
US-Japan Friendship Cup Championships 2024 at Yokota Airbase was a huge success. Pat Coleman, the US 374th (FSS) Force Support Squadron’s Samurai Fitness Center, athletes and judges should be congratulated. I’m sure the 2025 event will be even better.
It was a tough day for me. I was on the go from 4 am to late at night. A photographer isn’t only taking pictures. Once I got home I had to look through 4000 images! Fortunately, the majority were keepers. I might publish more of them one day. Please leave questions and comments below.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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