[Dancing on the World Stage ～Floating Across the World, Part 1] Honoka Hashimoto: "I want to play in every tournament I can. No matter what happens, I don't want to leave any regrets there"

“I want to enter every tournament I can. No matter what happens, I don’t want to leave any regrets there.”

■Profile　Honoka Hashimoto
Born July 5, 1998, from Aichi Prefecture. She started Table tennis at age 5 and received coaching at Takushin Club, founded by her grandfather. After attending Shitennoji Habigoka Junior High School, she went on to Shitennoji High School and finished runner-up at the Inter-High School Championships in her sophomore and junior years. After graduating from high school, she joined Miki House and is currently with Denso. In 2019, she paired with Hitomi Sato to finish third in the world women's Doubles, and at the World Team London in May 2026, she contributed to the team's runner-up finish. Right-handed shakehand player with inverted rubber on the forehand and short pips on the backhand, Chop style, world ranking 13th (announced June 15, 2026)

Honoka Hashimoto made a major contribution to Japan women’s silver medal at the World Table Tennis Championships London (Team Event). Her flowing, beautifully elegant Chop play drew reactions far beyond the table tennis world.

The Chopper who raced through London is now heading toward the next stage with unwavering resolve.

While playing, I kept thinking what a truly reliable group of teammates they were

She is truly a “soaring around the world” Chopper. After returning home from the London event, Honoka Hashimoto immediately departed for a WTT tournament in Nigeria without a break. She had been scheduled to compete in the Asian Championships national team selection trial on the day she returned, but a major flight delay forced her to withdraw. It was covered as major news, serving as proof of the high level of attention she received after the London event.

Even after returning home, she appeared in a Japan League home match as a member of Denso, then traveled to Tokyo to compete in the WTT Contender Skopje. In between those precious moments, she reflected on the London event and spoke about her goals going forward.

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●－The busy days have continued even after the London event, but if we rewind a little, the national team was announced in February. How did you feel when you earned your first-ever spot on the team event squad?

Honoka Hashimoto (hereafter Hashimoto)　I was really happy. After transferring to Denso and aiming for the Olympics, I wanted to compete at the World Table Tennis Championships first. Also, I had only competed in doubles at the World Table Tennis Championships before, so I wanted to experience Singles matches in a team event.