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Sources on Japanese FBBs

Dec 26, 2023 - edited Jan 06, 2024 - permalink

Videos covering Muscle Gate tournaments 2023 in chronological order (focus on FBB/female physique):

Most of the videos are edited livestreams (music during free poses muted). 3 sections: 1st round with standard poses; free poses and a short posedown; award ceremony.

Muscle Gate Saitama

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Muscle Gate Osaka

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Muscle Gate Hamamatsu

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Muscle Gate Kumamoto

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Muscle Gate Gunma

(screenshot of award ceremony, original livestream)

Muscle Gate Tokyo Bay

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Muscle Gate Kobe

(screenshot of award ceremony, original livestream)

Muscle Gate Fukuoka

(screenshot of award ceremony, original livestream)

Muscle Gate Aichi

(screenshot of award ceremony, original livestream)

Muscle Gate Tohoku

(screenshot of award ceremony, original livestream)

Muscle Gate Kyoto

(screenshot of award ceremony, original livestream)

Muscle Gate Ichikawa

(screenshot of award ceremony, original livestream)

Muscle Gate Shizuoka

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Muscle Gate Chiba

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Muscle Gate Tokyo

(screenshot of award ceremony, original livestream)

Muscle Gate Beppu

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Gold's Gym Japan Cup

(screenshot of award ceremony)

It looks like interest in this competition has increased over the year (less 1-person-competitions in the recent months). The winner of the Muscle Gate tournaments and several JBBF-athletes were eligible for the Gold's Gym Japan Cup. Yano Kazumi (矢野 かずみ) won the female physique and the bodyfitness contest.

Dec 30, 2023 - permalink

I checked for earlier ohen.tv-livestreams and found several of tournaments 2021 to 2023. I included fitness and male tournaments, too. (I checked downloading with yt-dlp):

2023 tournaments

2022 tournaments

2021 tournaments

Mar 24, 2024 - edited Jun 12, 2024 - permalink

Nagano 2023

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Muscle Gate Saitama 2024

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Not so serious "contest" at a party (2024-01-21), including lat-spread poses:

Kabasawa Sachiko (2023 3rd place Tokyo), Takasugi Makiko (Bikini Fitness), Maeda Eri (eritore10) (2022 2nd place Tokyo Body Fitness -158 cm), Harigae Hitomi (hari_nyan.nyan_14) (2023 winner Nihon Challenge Cup), Ônaka Hiroko (2024 2nd place East Japan 158+ cm)

Schedule of future tournaments:

  • 2024-04-21 Muscle Gate Tokyo
  • 2024-05-03 Tokyo Novice (first FBB tournament for Tokunaga Mioko)
  • 2024-05-19 Muscle Gate Osaka
  • 2024-06-01 Muscle Gate Shikoku (no female physique category)
  • 2024-06-01 Muscle Gate Tochigi (no female physique category)
  • 2024-06-02 Tokyo Class
  • 2024-06-15 Nagano
  • 2024-06-16 Muscle Gate Kyoto
  • 2024-06-29 Kumamoto
  • 2024-06-30 Muscle Gate Kumamoto
  • 2024-07-06 Muscle Gate Tokyo Bay
  • 2024-07-14 Muscle Gate Hamamatsu
  • 2024-07-16 Muscle Gate Tokyo Sportec (no female physique category)
  • 2024-07-21 Muscle Gate Morioka (no female physique category)
  • 2024-07-28 Muscle Gate Gunma
  • 2024-08-03 Tokyo
  • 2024-08-03 Muscle Gate Kobe (no female physique category)
  • 2024-08-04 Kyoto and Kansai
  • 2024-08-04 Shizuoka
  • 2024-08-11 Japan Open (in Fukui)
  • 2024-08-11 Aichi
  • 2024-08-12 Osaka
  • 2024-08-12 Tokai (in Nagoya)
  • 2024-08-17 Muscle Gate Sendai
  • 2024-08-24 Muscle Gate Kanagawa
  • 2024-09-01 West Japan (in Kyoto)
  • 2024-09-08 Nihon Class (in Fuji)
  • 2024-09-08 Muscle Gate Fukuoka
  • 2024-09-15 Nihon Masters (in Fukuoka)
  • 2024-09-15 Muscle Gate Aichi
  • 2024-09-21 Muscle Gate Chiba
  • 2024-09-23 Muscle Gate Nara
  • 2024-09-29 Muscle Gate Ibaraki
  • 2024-10-06 Muscle Gate Sapporo
  • 2024-10-13 Nihon Physique (in Osaka)
  • 2024-10-14 Muscle Gate Yamaguchi
  • 2024-10-27 Muscle Gate Beppu
  • 2024-11-02 Muscle Gate Shizuoka
  • 2024-11-04 Muscle Gate Kanto
  • 2024-11-17 Muscle Gate Hokuriku
  • 2024-12-01 Muscle Gate Kitakanto
  • 2024-12-21 Gold’s Gym Japan Cup

In 2023 you could access edited livestreams of the Muscle Gate tournaments on youtube, the livestreams of the national tournaments (Nihon Physique, Nihon Class, Nihon Masters, Japan Open) on ohen.tv and videos of the Tokyo tournaments on youtube. So this may be the same this year.

Muscle Gate has a new website: https://musclegate.jp/ They already published the entry list for the Muscle Gate Kyoto tournament in mid June! So it will be harder to enter multiple tournaments in a short time (for example Honda Seira entered three Muscle Gate tournaments between September and November 2023).

Will the new “Wellness” Category decrease the number of active Japanese FBBs?

Apr 18, 2024 - edited Apr 27, 2024 - permalink

Two days until Muscle Gate Tokyo. There will be a livestream on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLB28OuaPzM and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peZSLL4CNHw (they will delete this video after the tournament and upload an edited version later; I prefer the live version because it contains the original background music for the posing routine/free pose.) EDIT: Youtube Links now private!

(schedule: https://musclegate.jp/wp-content/uploads/2024...; contestants: https://musclegate.jp/wp-content/uploads/2024...; both documents in Japanese.)

I am looking forward to see the only female physique contestant of this tournament, Horie Kazumi (堀江 一未) - her first physique competition. (She is 45 years old, 166 cm tall and weighs 55 kg according to her entry for the Tokyo Novice in May)

(photo of her competing in a leggings category last year: https://vitup.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/0...)

Link to the new edited video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZqLR8o1hnA (sections 2:04:50-2:07:05, 3:33:50-3:36:15 and 4:14:55-4:15:35)

(screenshot of award ceremony)

youtube-video of her free pose by VITUP! Official: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S581UeI9d1c (4K)

Apr 25, 2024 - edited May 14, 2024 - permalink

Tokyo Novice tournament takes place on 2024-05-03. Eight woman will compete in the women's physique category (see:http://bodybuilding-fitness.jp/Tokyo/Taikai/2... entry numbers 1 to 8 on the first page).

Six of them already started in FBB or FBB-related contests:

Another contestant, (3) Mikami Emiko (三上 江身子) has an instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/sunsunny.amy/):

I didn't find any additional information about the last participant, (6) Ebihara Nachi (海老原 那智).

Hirata Manami had already won two contests last year: Musclegate Tokyo and Kitaku Open. So she could be the favorite.

UPDATE

Hirata Manami won, Horie Kazumi second place and Mikami Emiko third place. (http://bodybuilding-fitness.jp/Tokyo/Taikai/2...)

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Youtube video(s):

May 20, 2024 - permalink

Need some more stats on these lovely FBB.

May 23, 2024 - permalink

Nice to see some interest in Japanese FBB.

Muscle Gate Osaka

(screenshot of award ceremony - no livestream this time)

Jun 03, 2024 - edited Jul 17, 2024 - permalink

Tokyo Class (results http://bodybuilding-fitness.jp/Tokyo/Taikai/2...)

class -158 cm (13 athletes):

  • Champion Miyashita Akina (宮下 明菜), 36 years old, she won 2023 Kanto Class -158 cm, was runner-up 2023 Nihon Challenge Cup and placed tenth in 2023 Tokyo Championship.
  • 2nd place Kataishi Kaori (片石 かおり), 60 years old, 2nd place 2023 Tokyo Class -158 cm, 6th place 2023 Nihon Challenge Cup and 7th place 2023 Tokyo Championship.
  • 3rd place Hirata Manami (平田 真奈美), 43 years old, she won 2023 Muscle Gate Tokyo, 2023 Kitaku Open and 2024 Tokyo Novice, 2023 3rd place Gold 's Gym Japan Cup.

class 158+ cm (6 athletes):

  • Champion Tomizawa Rie (富沢 理恵), 54 years old, her first FBB tournament.
  • 2nd place Takahashi Aya (高橋 綾), 53 years old, her first FBB tournament.
  • 3rd place Horie Kazumi (堀江 一未), 45 years old, she won 2024 Muscle Gate Tokyo, 2nd place Tokyo Novice.

The top three of both classes qualify for national tournaments (Nihon Physique, Nihon Class, Nihon Masters). (However Miyashita Akina is too young for the Nihon Masters).

Youtube videos:

Thumbnail of video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IrQ5pP43oE showing award ceremony for class -158 cm.

Thumbnail of video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYOot3WQKus showing award ceremony for class 158+ cm; the new athletes mentioned above are Tomizawa Rie (entry number 15) and Takahashi Aya (entry number 17). Tomizawa Rie looks impressive compared to the others.

Jun 27, 2024 - permalink

Nagano 2024 (results: http://bodybuilding-fitness.jp/Nagano/Taikai/...)

Youtube-video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWvl2-H_hoI (free poses 08:40-11:30; different music)

Champion: Inaba Nobuko (稲葉喜子) nr 31 (32 yo, 164 cm tall), runner-up: Miura Megumi (三浦恵) nr 30 (37 yo, 152 cm tall)

Jul 02, 2024 - permalink

Muscle Gate Kyoto

(screenshot of award ceremony - no original audio anymore, only different music, also additional editing)

Jul 04, 2024 - edited Jul 04, 2024 - permalink

(JBBF) Kumamoto prefectural championship

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Muscle Gate Kumamoto

(screenshot of award ceremony, still wearing the female wellness outfit)

(double biceps pose)

https://www.girlswithmuscle.com/images/?name=... (Mase Yûka, 間瀬 夕翔), she was the only competitor in the female physique category of both tournaments.

Jul 06, 2024 - edited Jul 17, 2024 - permalink

Muscle Gate Tokyo Bay

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Jul 17, 2024 - permalink

Muscle Gate Hamamatsu

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Jul 31, 2024 - permalink

Muscle Gate Gunma

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Jul 31, 2024 - permalink

The crazy thing is that Ayane Takenaka probably has the best bicep development of any Japanese woman I've ever seen and she isn't even a bodybuilder! I can only think of maybe 2 or 3 Japanese FBB's that can match or beat Akane's biceps. They are unreal.

Aug 01, 2024 - permalink

When people ask "is she natty or not," I'm going to start referring them to this thread.

If these women aren't natty, then they are on VERY light cycles.

It's cool to see. Also interesting that it's the total inverse of the female competitors in South Korea.

Aug 07, 2024 - edited Sep 01, 2024 - permalink

Miss Tokyo (result: http://bodybuilding-fitness.jp/Tokyo/Taikai/2...)

The top six qualify for national tournaments (Nihon Physique, Nihon Class, Nihon Masters). (However Miyashita Akina is too young for the Nihon Masters).

Youtube videos:

(screenshots of award ceremony top 12, top 6 and top 3 from video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QPZKy2cixI)

Note: Due to problems with the crown, Urushima Miki had to be crowned three times (screenshots from the same video)

Aug 10, 2024 - permalink

When people ask "is she natty or not," I'm going to start referring them to this thread.

If these women aren't natty, then they are on VERY light cycles.

It's cool to see. Also interesting that it's the total inverse of the female competitors in South Korea.

I think you can find (almost?) natty athletes at the smaller prefecture tournaments and at the Muscle Gate tournaments.

It's interesting that the few younger athletes (up to 40 years old) generally have more bodyfat and sometimes look off-season. For example the young athletes at the Miss Tokyo 2024:

(athlete on the left is 29 years old, the two in the middle are 35 years old, and the athlete on the right is 36 years old - she is leaner and won the third place)

Livestream for Japan Open 2024 (tomorrow): https://ohen.tv/broadcast/304776 (schedule https://www.jbbf.jp/attachments/bf7a9c86c63bd...; female physique starts at 14:56 Japan Time and ends at 18:00 Japan Time)

Aug 12, 2024 - edited Sep 03, 2024 - permalink

Japan Open (result: http://bodybuilding-fitness.jp/Result/2024/24...)

The top six qualify for national tournaments Nihon Physique and Nihon Class.

archived stream: https://ohentv-origin.multicdnet.com/mnt/ssd2... (sections: 4:47:10-5:01:40, 5:35:25-5:47:50, 6:35:15-6:52:10, 7:31:45-7:38:20; quality isn't good at first, but get better in later parts; the sound is about 1.25 seconds ahead of the video - unless they fix this in the future)

youtube video(s):

(screenshots of award ceremony top 12, top 6, top 3 and champion from archived stream)

Niinuma Takayo's first title on the national level.(I think it is the first time I saw the posing routines/free pose of Kinugasa Tomo - No 26.)

Some instagram posts from the athletes (most of them with variants of the group photo):

Aug 16, 2024 - permalink

Three results from the Kansai region. All videos by youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@Jbbfosaka (summary with additional music)

(1) Kansai block (2024-08-04)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLzyVd-LJD8

(screenshot from the posedown; Nakai Kyôko (No. 41) won)

(2) Kyoto prefecture (2024-08-04)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XAzwIcFDic

(screenshot from the posedown; Kinugasa Tomo (No. 31) won, Shôji Reiko (No. 33) second place)

(3) Osaka prefecture (2024-08-12)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDDMIYiT2Ck

(screenshot from the medal ceremony; Kuriyama Emi (No. 46), her first physique contest in the JBBF; she entered the Gold’s Gym Japan Cup three times 2021 to 2023)

(note: Akasaka Yûko (No. 43, place four) published some videos of the 100 days before the tournament: https://www.youtube.com/@user-mn9gj4wo6g/videos)

Aug 17, 2024 - edited 6 days ago - permalink

Two results from the Tokai region. Both by youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@user-hk5hx8fp1m (summary with additional music)

(1) Tokai block (2024-08-12)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARR--_UM2DI

(screenshot from the medal ceremony)

instagram post from Ochiai Misato (No. 26, seventh place): https://www.instagram.com/p/C-oZqkGylr2/ (google translation: "I was eliminated in the preliminaries😭 It was so frustrating that it ended so quickly! I wanted to do a free pose😢 This is my second year since starting physique. It was a day where I was inspired by the greatness of my senior! There are many challenges, but there is still a long way to go‼️I will use my body shape to become big and cool😆Next year is for sure🔥")

(2) Aichi prefecture (2024-08-11)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yjGCAm-9vw (females after 20:10)

(by youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@chan-gb1pl: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kESl6MqeYeE - free pose of Koike Atsuko; 小池 敦子; Nr. 51)

(screenshot from the medal ceremony; the top three places were pretty close)

Aug 20, 2024 - edited Aug 30, 2024 - permalink

Saitama prefecture (2024-08-18) all videos by youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@tarcy6812

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbZbc6CvGXk (summary without free poses, different music; first 02:25 minutes of the video)

Winner: Okazumi Fusae (岡住 総江; born 1969) - her second tournament (after Muscle Gate Saitama 2024)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ge6DBZxNrc (free pose, different music)

Second place: Sekina Ayaka (関根 彩花; born 1991) her first tournament (she will enter Kanto Class later this month)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wsR9hkl5Ig (free pose, original sound)

Aug 30, 2024 - permalink

Muscle Gate Sendai

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Sep 01, 2024 - permalink

Muscle Gate Kanagawa

(screenshot of award ceremony; the runner-up, No 75, may have hidden tattoos)

Sep 03, 2024 - edited Sep 17, 2024 - permalink

West Japan championships (NishiNihon) (2024-09-01).

The top six qualify for national tournaments Nihon Physique, Nihon Class and Nihon Masters.

(screenshot of award ceremony)

Last year only 6 athlete competed in the tournament. So 12 participants this year (plus one absent) is an improvement.

Some instagram posts from the athletes:

  • https://www.instagram.com/p/C_Zd59fS-b5/ (Kitamura Akiko, No 162, second place; google translation: "I came in 2nd🥈. Of course I'm happy about my ranking, but even though I didn't have any friends or acquaintances who came all the way from Nagoya to support me in the typhoon, I heard people calling out my bib number from the stands countless times.")
  • https://www.instagram.com/p/C_ZtLbAScHv/ (Kuriyama Emi, No 157, third place; google translation: "I placed 3rd🥉😊 I learned a lot by competing alongside my seniors, who I've seen on video and other things! The feedback was that I needed to fix the front relaxation in posing, which causes my knees to bend.")
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