Wall Racing Round 21: Naniwa WC Rallies to Level the Table at 44 Points; Migiwajima's Personal-Best Tenth Tier Not Enough

Kameido Second Wall, where advance tickets had sold out at a brisk pace, previously reported, filled with fans even in the same-day ticket line before the gates opened on the night of the 11th. True to Tokei RC's well-rounded strength, the home side took the early lead: at halftime, Tokei RC held four tiers two chains to Naniwa WC's three tiers one chain.

The turn came in the second half. Naniwa WC captain Ushio Nadaoka, 29, known as previously reported for a fast start, added two tiers in quick succession right after the restart. True to his pre-match words — "Three points can look close or far, depending which side you're on. Tonight, I want to make it close" — Nadaoka pulled the momentum his way himself. "Beating the home team means silencing the home crowd too, or it doesn't count," he said afterward, in his own distinctive style. "Our second half always starts on this wall."

Naniwa WC kept adding tiers steadily through the closing stretch, finishing at seven tiers three chains. Tokei RC pushed back late but could only reach six tiers four chains, missing out on a home win.

Tokei RC's third-leg runner, 17-year-old Rui Migiwajima, who as previously reported set personal bests of eighth and ninth tier in Rounds 19 and 20, reached a tenth tier this time. "The wall isn't the same wall it was yesterday," she said afterward, in her now-familiar style. "Today's wall got along with me all the way to the tenth. But we didn't win — that's the fact. I can't just celebrate the tier." League publicity officials, who as previously reported see her as a real contender to become the league's first teenage Athlete of the Month, reiterated: "Individual records and match results are judged on separate criteria; that hasn't changed." Many young fans, drawn since the announced second season of "Rui on the Wall," previously reported, filled the stands, and a loud cheer reportedly rose from the far bank the moment her tenth tier was confirmed.

Naniwa WC's win lifts their points from 41 to 44, level with Tokei RC. The two sides had not met before this season, previously reported. Asked how the league weighs a head-to-head result in the standings, a publicity official said only, "We take the same position as this paper — we don't explain the tiers-and-chains breakdown. I'll just say the final round decides everything." The matchups for the remaining Round 22 (the final round, Sept. 18) are due to be announced separately, but with both teams level on points, it looks set to become a de facto title decider.

Tokei RC's manager said afterward, "Losing at home, after leading in the first half, stings, frankly. But the players fought the wall to the very end. We want no regrets going into the final round." Naniwa WC's manager said, "Chasing down a three-point gap was exactly what we wanted. But we've only drawn level — nothing is decided yet. Next time, the weight of a home match falls on our players instead."

Fans packed the stands, as previously reported. A man, 38, who came straight from work, said, "The gap going from three to zero somehow makes the final round more exciting. I didn't expect a sport like this to build excitement in a way even someone like me could follow." A university student, 20, watching when the tenth tier landed, laughed: "You don't need commentary. It's plenty fun just counting the tiers together with everyone else."

One league insider offered an analysis of how the two clubs arrived at this point: "Tokei RC has all-around depth that doesn't collapse no matter which leg falters; Naniwa WC is a one-point breakthrough team that bets everything on Nadaoka's start. It's rare for the league to see two such different teams level on points." As previously reported, the two sides had never met before this season, so tonight's first encounter, with almost no head-to-head data to go on, doubled as the closest thing to a preview of the final round. "With no data to lean on, players and fans alike will have only tonight to go on while they wait for the final," the insider said. "If anything, that's a good thing."

As previously reported, more young fans have been turning up at Kameido Second Wall specifically to see Migiwajima. A handful of students in uniform, apparently stopping by on their way home from school, reportedly stood in the standing-room section across the water and pumped their fists when her tenth tier was confirmed. A student wall-racing official said, "The idea of a 'Migiwajima generation' is starting to take shape among spectators, not just athletes." Still, some longtime fans this reporter has followed for years, previously reported, offered a wistful note: "It's good that it's drawing a crowd, but it's a little sad that nobody seems to care about the tiers-and-chains breakdown anymore" — a sign that how the sport is enjoyed is shifting, generation by generation.

Round 22 falls on Sept. 18. The matchup is due to be announced separately, previously reported, but with both teams now level on 44 points, the final round looks set to become one of the league's most closely watched in years. This reporter noted: "Once again this season, it seems the title may be decided without anyone ever explaining what the tiers and chains actually mean. I think that's exactly as it should be."