In-form Harimoto ready to lead Japan in women’s table tennis at Asian Games

TOKYO – Maturing into her role as Japan’s leading women’s table tennis player, Miwa Harimoto is hoping to break China’s dominance in four events at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

The 18-year-old became the first player to win four Japanese national titles in January when she added a maiden women’s singles championship to her past triumphs in women’s and mixed doubles, as well as junior singles.

Her highlight of the year came against China at the World Team Championships in London in May when she beat current world No. 1 Wang Manyu 11-4, 11-9, 6-11, 4-11, 11-4, ending a run of 11 straight defeats against a player whom she previously “didn’t want to play”.

World No. 3 Harimoto also showed her growing confidence and ability to make mid-match adjustments as she beat three of her Chinese rivals on the way to winning the WTT Champions Yokohama event in August.

“Inside, I feel the gap (with China) is getting smaller,” said the Sendai native, who was born to Chinese parents. Her older brother Tomokazu will also represent Japan at the Asian Games.

“It’s about how I deal with situations once things that were working start not to work.”

Harimoto kept up her momentum with another win on Sept 13, claiming the WTT Champions Macao by also beating a Chinese opponent in the final.

Having won women’s team silver and doubles bronze at the last Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Harimoto feels primed to face elite opposition at the 2026 Games, headlined by China’s world No. 2 Sun Yingsha.

“I want to challenge myself to beat players ranked above me,” the youngster said. KYODO NEWS