TOKONAME, Japan: Yuki Kurihara will represent Japan in Puyo Puyo Champions at the Asian Games, becoming the youngest member of the host nation’s delegation.
Kurihara, who competes as “Yuuki,” earned his place after rising rapidly through Japan’s Puyo Puyo scene. The Japan Olympic Committee lists his birth date as June 18, 2015, and his club as Tokyo Verdy Esports.
The fifth-grader won SEGA’s Puyo Puyo Grand Prix Final in February. He then turned professional in April, two months before his 11th birthday.
Kurihara also won Under-18 and Mind Game Player of the Year honours at the Japan eSports Awards in January. He said his goal at the Games is to win gold for Japan.
Puyo Puyo Champions is making its Asian Games medal debut. Esports features 11 medal events across 13 game titles at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, the Japan Olympic Committee said. Kurihara’s competition begins with group-stage play before the knockout phase.
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The Japan eSports Union’s published medal-session schedule lists the Puyo Puyo final tournament for Saturday, September 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Japan time, at Aichi Sky Expo.
Kurihara said foreign competitors often use more disruptive tactics than Japanese players, but he wants spectators to see his speciality: large chain combinations known as dairensa.
