Inside SC Karuizawa Curling Club Women Their Secret Weapon The Sweeping Technique

In September, they will face the Olympic representative decision match against Loco Solare and Fortius!

“The Olympics, which I’ve only seen on TV, are a wonderful stage, and I want to be able to stand on that stage and play in a way that gives courage to everyone.”

This is what Yui Ueno (22) from the 2024 Japanese Women’s Curling Championship winner SC Karuizawa Club (hereafter SC Karuizawa) said with determination in her eyes while speaking to a FRIDAY reporter.

In Japan, which is becoming one of the world’s top curling countries, SC Karuizawa stands out as a unique team.

While strong teams like Loco Solare, led by skip Satsuki Fujisawa (33), who have won medals in both the Pyeongchang and Beijing Olympics with outstanding teamwork, and Fortius, the 2025 Japanese Championship winners, led by skip Sayaka Yoshimura (33), are composed of experienced players in their 30s, SC Karuizawa has a team made up of Yui Ueno, her 24-year-old sister Miyu Ueno, 23-year-old Asuka Kanai, and 44-year-old Junko Nishimuro.

Unlike the golden generation born in 1991, such as Fujisawa, or even players in their 30s, SC Karuizawa has no players in their 30s. Furthermore, the team, which started its activities in 2023, won the Japanese Championship just one year later.

“It was a season full of trial and error because we had just formed, but at the same time, we had momentum and good luck, and I think that’s why we were able to achieve the best result,” Kanai humbly says.

As Kanai points out, the two-year-old team still faces many challenges. In fact, in this year’s Japanese Championship, they didn’t even make it to the final league and were eliminated in the preliminary round. Miyu, the team’s skip, says:

“This past year, we focused on improving our individual skills as a team, but on the other hand, we couldn’t make our individual skills work as a team. Also, we couldn’t share the changes in the ice that occurred during the match, which led to repeated mistakes and large score losses. This tournament made us realize that it wasn’t about the skills but the difficulty of communication.”

“In that respect, ‘Loco Solare’ is really good at communication. They quickly share the changes in the ice condition after each throw and immediately make adjustments. At big tournaments, microphones are set up around the venue, so we can listen to what other teams are discussing. We learn a lot from them.”

Anime is the common language of the team members, whose ages are far apart.

Although there are challenges in communication during matches, the bond among team members is strong. Even during the practice session when the interview was conducted, cheerful voices echoed across the ice. Nishimuro, the oldest member of the team, who has a 22-year age gap with the youngest member, Yui, shared the following:

“Even though there’s an age difference, everyone says, ‘That doesn’t matter!’ and I don’t mind either. Just because I’m the oldest doesn’t mean I’m a leader or anything. Since joining this team, I subscribed to a streaming service and started watching anime that everyone recommended. We even went to see the ‘Slam Dunk’ movie together.

Recently, Yui told me, ‘Kingdom is really interesting!’ so I’m planning to binge-watch it during our next long trip. We’ve even incorporated character catchphrases from anime into our practice. It’s a common language that transcends generations.”

“I don’t want to lose to my older sister!” Rival sisters

Miyu and Yuki are also close sisters off the ice. Still, it seems they are aware of each other as rivals. Yuki says:

“During the game, I don’t see her as my older sister, but as ‘Miyu Ueno, the player.’ But still, since we are family, I don’t want to be seen as the less skilled one. I definitely don’t want to lose to my older sister!”

Hearing her younger sister’s rival declaration, Miyu chuckles and responds:

“As an older sister, I have my pride, so if Yuki thinks that way, I don’t want to lose either. I guess it’s pretty rare for sisters to view each other as strong rivals like we do, huh?” (laughs)

Since SC Karuizawa is not a corporate team, each member has a separate job during the day. Miyu works in the general affairs department of a subsidiary of the watchmaker Citizen, Kanai makes machine tool lathes at another subsidiary, and Nishimuro runs her own curling shop. Yuki is a student at Nagano University.

“Because Junko-san lives with her kids in Yamanashi, we only get to gather as a team four days a week. So, our style is to focus and work hard in a short amount of time. We talk about hobbies, like anime, and also get excited about curling topics. After practice, we often go to a Western-style restaurant called ‘Kikusui’ in Karuizawa. I love their sagari steak. It’s so delicious!” (Yuki)

Kikusui is a three-generation-old establishment, and the owner is a senior from Nishimuro’s previous curling team. They support the team’s nutrition as sponsors.

“Actually, curling is really physically demanding. It doesn’t look like it requires much movement, but after a single curling game, we burn about the same amount of calories as playing a volleyball match. So, having a place to replenish nutrition and exchange curling information is really valuable.” (Nishimuro)

The true nature of sticky

Strengthening teamwork through anime and food, SC Karuizawa will face off in September against Loco Solare and Fortius in a three-way battle for a spot at the Milan-Cortina Olympics. How will they stand up to their more experienced opponents?

“Our signature move is the ‘nettori sweep.’ It’s a sweeping technique where the stroke is slower than usual, and we apply more pressure with the brush on the ice. It looks sticky, so I named it nettori sweep. We use it in crucial moments, and by chanting ‘nettori, nettori’ like a spell, it becomes ingrained in our style,” says Nishimuro.

With their signature move, the team aims to defeat their rivals and secure a spot on the Japanese national team.

“Loco Solare’s communication skills and Fortius’ shot accuracy are truly impressive. The Olympics may seem close but still feel far away. Still, I will definitely seize the opportunity to curl on the stage I’ve admired since I was a child,” says Miyu.

One year from now, the “Karuizawa whirlwind” may just take the world by storm.

“Snack time” is very welcome!

From the April 4/11 issue of “FRIDAY”