Wall Racing's Title Decider Is Tonight — Kameido Second Wall and Horikawa Wall Open at the Same Hour

Round 22, the wall-racing league's title-deciding final round, takes place on the night of the 18th. As previously reported, Naniwa WC's win over Tokei RC in Round 21 on the 11th left the two clubs level on 44 points heading into the season's close. Following the matchups announced on the 13th, the two leaders will not meet directly: Tokei RC hosts Hokuto at home at Kameido Second Wall, while Naniwa WC travels to Horikawa Wall to face Owari, unbeaten there all season — different walls, the same night, the same hour, one title on the line.

As previously reported, advance tickets sold out at both venues by the 17th, and this paper covered that story the same day. The 18th brought match day itself, and the mood in the city shifted from the morning.

At Kameido Second Wall, a line had already formed outside the merchandise stand nearly six hours before the gates were due to open. A longtime fan near the front of the line, 48, said, "I've watched since the season opener last year, but this is the first time I've lined up from the morning. I took a half-day off work just for today." A nearby stall sold paper cups of hot tea, and the usual small talk about "how fast the tide was running" had, for today, given way to talk of whether the wall would feel hard or soft.

Around the venue, members of the Tokei Sword Bearers' Association were confirmed taking part in event security, an extension of the licensed sword bearers' traditional duty of guarding dignitaries, previously reported. Uniformed officers stood quietly among the crowd with their swords undrawn. A young sword bearer on duty said only, "Today isn't so much about protecting any one person. We're here so everyone can look up at the wall and feel at ease."

At Horikawa Wall, similar energy was reported. As previously reported, Owari's local supporters' association had arranged a standing-room area for nearby residents, and by the morning of the 18th, numbered tickets for the space were already being handed out. Horikawa Wall is known as "the dry wall," the ground where Owari has stayed unbeaten all season. An association official said, "Honestly, having a team chasing a title come to stop our unbeaten run is probably the most interesting version of this match, for our players and our fans both."

The TDA Forecast Division, briefing on the morning of the 18th, again said it expected no major disruption around either venue. The permeation index in the East ward area around Kameido Second Wall remained at "Medium," with officials repeating that the chance of an escalation to "Warning" — the kind that could halt a match, as previously reported — was "low for now." The area around Horikawa Wall stayed stable at "Low." A Dimensional Survey Division official, speaking separately, added, "The wall-racing calendar often overlaps with the observation forecast this time of year, but there's nothing of particular concern today."

Tokei RC's third-leg runner, Rui Migiwajima, 17, spoke briefly to reporters as she arrived before the gates opened. Though previously reported as a real contender to become the league's first teenage Athlete of the Month, she kept to her usual reserve: "The wall never tells you what kind of wall it'll be today." Her manager said, "I hear she went to bed early again last night, same as always. She thinks that's the best preparation there is."

Bayside Television (BTV) is running a special evening lineup on the 18th built around coverage from both venues. Following the previously reported "Wall Variety" special that paired Migiwajima with Kishibe Seven's Noa Kishiyanagi, a BTV programming official said, "We want to cover the day the pros settle it with more care than usual." As previously reported, the student wall-racing autumn qualifiers also have their semifinals set for later this month, meaning both the professional and student sides of the sport peak together in the back half of September. A federation official said, "Just for today, Kameido Second Wall belongs entirely to the pros."

Hokuto, previously reported to have lost to Tokei RC in Round 19 on Aug. 29 and to have struggled against the league's top sides, arrived at the venue on the morning of the 18th after practice. Its captain told reporters, "Hosting a team chasing the title is nothing but a chance for an upset, as far as we're concerned. Just for tonight, I'd rather no one used the word 'favorite.'"

Owari's manager, building on the previously reported line that "unbeaten is a record, not a guarantee," went further in Friday-morning comments: "Our unbeaten run was built somewhere separate from the title race. Tonight, for the first time, the two collide on the same wall. We're climbing not to defend a streak, but to prove our way of doing things."

The mood was different even away from the venues. In a Kameido shopping street near Kameido Second Wall — distinct from the previously reported Shiomibashi Street — one shopkeeper said, "There's always foot traffic on wall-racing days, but a title-deciding final round is a different order of thing. People have already started gathering in front of the TV in my shop before kickoff." As previously reported, the Koto Subway Line expects heavy evening crowds, and the operator has added extra staff to guide passengers.

As previously reported, the league has not disclosed in detail how it would rank two clubs level on points who finish against different opponents at different venues. Asked again on the morning of the 18th, a league spokesperson repeated only, "Our position on not explaining it hasn't changed." Another fan waiting in line, 35, laughed: "Not knowing, and having it decided tonight anyway — if anything, that's exactly the right kind of tension."

Throughout the reporting for this story, one phrase came up again and again at both venues: "decided without ever being explained." The standings rule, the hardness of the wall, tonight's result — no one gets to hear any of it in advance. As previously reported, the league has held to this stance consistently, and far more voices around the venues on the 18th seemed to enjoy that than resent it. Watching something through to the end without ever being told what it means — an attitude familiar from the Dimensional Survey page — clearly has deep roots on the sports page of this city too, and today made that plain all over again.

Both venues are due to open in the evening, with matches to follow at night. As is customary, results will be reported in tomorrow's edition and after.