#Japan #Tokyo #Athletics #Bears Camellia #Dual Career

Bears Camellia: A Progressive Journey in Women’s Athletics

In April 2022, Bears Co., Ltd. established its women’s athletics team, Bears Camellia, headquartered in Nihonbashi Hamacho, Tokyo. Under the leadership of President Kenji Takahashi, the team is on a mission to achieve remarkable success in athletic competitions while promoting a unique dual-career model for its athletes. The latest additions to the team include five promising athletes: Seina Kaneko (Summa Gakuen High School), Seira Shimano (Takigawa Gakuen High School), Rino Shimizu (Niijima Gakuen High School), Miyu Takeshita (Toyo Kosei High School), and Minami Hazemoto (Kobayashi High School).

Bears Camellia focuses on transforming personal growth and development through professional experiences into athletic prowess. By 2029, the team aims to secure a spot in the Queens Eight, aiming for a top-eight finish in the All Japan Corporate Women’s Ekiden Championship.

Reflecting on Last Year: Challenges and Achievements

The previous year brought a mixture of disappointment and progress. At the Princess Ekiden, the team finished in 23rd place, a result that meant missing out on the finals. However, on an individual level, they saw notable successes. For instance, Ai Sakaguchi qualified for the Marathon Grand Championships at the Hokkaido Marathon and, in April 2026, competed as an invited athlete in the Vienna City Marathon, finishing ninth.

This marked a significant milestone as the first athlete from the Bears Camellia team to compete at such a high level, reaffirming the value of their hard work and commitment. With the phrase “Kendo Chōrai,” meaning a strong comeback, as their motto, the team plans to unite their individual strengths, enhancing their collective power.

What Makes Bears Camellia Unique

Founded in April 2022, Bears Camellia is an athletics team under the umbrella of Bears Co., Ltd., led by head coach Yuya Takayanagi. Remarkably, within just a year and a half since its establishment, the team made its debut in the Princess Ekiden, finishing in 20th place, and achieved a 14th place in the Prince Ekiden the following year. The team completed its third year with a commendable 23rd place finish in their first appearance at the Queens Ekiden.

The athletes continuously work on enhancing their competitive abilities through collaboration with Waseda University’s Faculty of Sport Sciences, led by Professor Motoko Taguchi, and with the expertise of Sports Motivation Inc., headed by CTO Shuichi Nakano.

Bears Camellia serves as a model of dual-career advancement, where all team members are employed as