Football at the Inter High School Sports Festival
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| Founded | 1966 |
|---|---|
| Region |  Japan |
| Teams | 52 |
| Current champions | Kamimura Gakuen (2025) (1st title) |
| Most championships | Ichiritsu Funabashi (9 titles) |
| Website | JFA |
 Football at the 2025 Inter High School Sports Festival – Men's tournament | |
| Founded | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Region | Japan |
| Teams | 16 |
| Current champions | Daisho Gakuen (2025) (2nd title) |
| Most championships | Hinomoto Gakuen (5 titles) |
| Website | JFA |
Football at the Inter High School Sports Festival[a] is an annual event at the tournament, popularly referred to as Inter-High (インターハイ). It is also one of the main U-18 football tournaments for the Japanese high schools, alongside the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament and the Prince Takamado JFA U-18 Premier League.
It is organized by the All Japan High School Athletic Federation, in association with the Japan Football Association and other public organizations and educational institutes of the tournament's host prefecture.[1][2]
Until 2023, the tournament's football competition was held in the same prefecture as the other events at the competition. However, in order to deal with the extreme heat, the men's competition will be held every year from 2024 onwards on Fukushima Prefecture. The women's competition will be held on Hokkaido on 2024 and 2025.[3][4]
Holding method
Men's tournament
The men's tournament was held for the first time on 1966, with Fujieda Higashi winning the first edition, held in the Aomori Prefecture.[5][6]
To qualify for the tournament, high schools across the country plays prefectural qualifications, structured very similarly as the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament's prefectural qualifications.[7] A total of 52 schools participate in the tournament, with two schools from Hokkaido, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka and the year's host prefecture (if the host are either of the mentioned prefectures, from there will three schools qualify), and just one school from each of the other prefectures.[8]
The matches during the prefectural qualifiers and in the tournament itself lasts 70 minutes, with 35-minute halves. In case of a draw on full-time, penalty shoot-outs will be required, with no extra-time being played. The only exception is in the final, where a 20-minute extra time with 10-minute halves will take place, proceeded by penalty shoot-outs should the match remains tied.
Women's tournament
Differently from the men's tournament, the qualifications are held regionally. 16 schools qualifies for the tournament, with three from Kanto, two from Tohoku, Tokai, Kinki and Kyushu and one from Hokkaido, Hokushin'etsu, Chugoku, Shikoku and the year's host prefecture (its region wins an extra slot). The duration of the matches are the same of the men's tournament.[9]
Held since 2012, Hinomoto Gakuen is the only school to win the tournament in consecutive occasions, winning it four times between 2012 and 2015. It's also the record-winner with five titles, having won its last on 2017. As of 2024, Fujieda Junshin is the only school to participate in every tournament since its inception on 2012.[10]
The winner of this tournament advances to the JFA U-18 Women's Football Finals, held in September, where they play against the winners of the Japan Club Youth U-18 Women's Football Championship.[11]
Finals
Men's finals
| Year | Winner | Score | Runners–up | Host prefecture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Fujieda Higashi | 1–0 | Ichiritsu Urawa | Aomori |
| 1967 | Ichiritsu Urawa | 2–0 | Kariya | Fukui |
| 1968 | Akita Shogyo | 3–2 | Narashino | Hiroshima |
| 1969 | Urawa Minami | 4–2 | Shimizu Shogyo | Tochigi |
| 1970 | Hamana | 1–0 | Urawa Minami | Wakayama |
| 1971 | Shimizu Higashi | 3–0 | Hiroshima Kogyo | Tokushima |
| 1972 | Shimizu Higashi | 2–1 | Akita Shogyo | Yamagata |
| 1973 | Kodama | 2–1 | Hokuyo[b] | Mie |
| 1974 | Hamana | 2–1 | Kodama | Saga |
| 1975 | Nirasaki | 1–0 | Kodama | Yamanashi |
| 1976 | Teikyo | 3–0 | Koga Daiichi | Niigata |
| 1977 | Shimabara Shogyo | 3–0 | Saga Shogyo | Okayama |
| 1978 | Hokuyo[b] | 3–1 | Yachiyo | Fukushima |
| 1979 | Mito Shogyo | 1–0 | Oita Kogyo | Shiga |
| 1980 | Shimizu Higashi | 2–1 | Imaichi | Ehime |
| 1981 | Shimizu Higashi | 3–1 | Muroran Otani | Kanagawa |
| 1982 | Teikyo | 3–0 | Kyoto Shogyo[c] | Kagoshima |
| 1983 | Yokkaichi Chuo Kogyo | 1–0 | Mito Shogyo | Aichi |
| 1984 | Yokkaichi Chuo Kogyo | 3–1 | Hiroshima Kogyo | Akita |
| 1985 | Kyushu Gakuin | 4–1 | Muroran Otani | Ishikawa |
| 1986 | Kunimi | 3–2 | Chukyo[d] | Yamaguchi |
| 1987 | Ichiritsu Funabashi | 2–1 | Kunimi | Hokkaido |
| 1988 | Ichiritsu Funabashi | 5–0 | Koga Daiichi | Hyogo |
| 1989 | Shimizu Shogyo | 6–2 | Omiya Higashi | Kochi |
| 1990 | Shimizu Shogyo | 2–1 | Minamiuwa | Miyagi |
| 1991 | Shimizu Higashi | 2–1 | Tokai Univ. Daiichi[e] | Shizuoka |
| 1992 | Tokushima Ichiritsu | 1–0 | Ichiritsu Funabashi | Miyazaki |
| 1993 | Kunimi | 2–1 | Kagoshima Jitsugyo | Tochigi |
| 1994 | Shimizu Shogyo | 1–0 | Teikyo | Toyama |
| 1995 | Narashino | 4–0 | Seibudai | Tottori |
| 1996 | Shimizu Shogyo | 3–1 | Teikyo | Yamanashi |
| 1997 | Higashi Fukuoka | 4–3 | Teikyo | Kyoto |
| 1998 | Ichiritsu Funabashi | 2–1 | Gifu Kogyo | Kagawa |
| 1999 | Yachiyo Hiroshima Minami | 3–3 | Shared trophy | Iwate |
| 2000 | Kunimi | 2–1 | Kokugakuin Univ. Kugayama | Gifu |
| 2001 | Ichiritsu Funabashi | 3–0 | Fujieda Higashi | Kumamoto |
| 2002 | Teikyo | 2–1 | Kunimi | Ibaraki |
| 2003 | Kunimi | 1–0 (GG) | Teikyo | Nagasaki |
| 2004 | Kunimi | 2–1 | Ichiritsu Funabashi | Shimane |
| 2005 | Aomori Yamada | 4–1 | Naha Nishi | Chiba |
| 2006 | Hiroshima Kanon | 2–0 | Hatsushiba Hashimoto | Osaka |
| 2007 | Ichiritsu Funabashi | 4–1 | Seiryo | Saga |
| 2008 | Ichiritsu Funabashi RKU Kashiwa | – | Final cancelled[f] | Saitama |
| 2009 | Maebashi Ikuei | 2–0 | Yonago Kita | Nara |
| 2010 | Ichiritsu Funabashi | 4–1 | Takigawa Daini | Okinawa |
| 2011 | Toin Gakuen | 2–1 | Shizuoka Gakuen | Akita |
| 2012 | Miura Gakuin | 2–1 | Bunan | Nagano |
| 2013 | Ichiritsu Funabashi | 4–2 | RKU Kashiwa | Fukuoka |
| 2014 | Higashi Fukuoka | 4–1 (a.e.t.) | Ohzu | Yamanashi |
| 2015 | Higashi Fukuoka | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (6–5 pen.) | Ichiritsu Funabashi | Hyogo |
| 2016 | Ichiritsu Funabashi | 1–0 | RKU Kashiwa | Hiroshima |
| 2017 | RKU Kashiwa | 1–0 | Nihon Fujisawa | Miyagi |
| 2018 | Yamanashi Gakuin | 2–1 | Toko Gakuen | Mie |
| 2019 | Toko Gakuen | 1–0 | Toyama Daiichi | Okinawa |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to COVID-19.[12] | Gunma | ||
| 2021 | Aomori Yamada | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Yonago Kita | Fukui |
| 2022 | Maebashi Ikuei | 1–0 | Teikyo | Tokushima |
| 2023 | Meishu Gakuen Hitachi | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (7–6 pen.) | Toko Gakuen | Hokkaido |
| 2024 | Shohei | 3–2 | Kamimura Gakuen | Fukushima |
| 2025 | Kamimura Gakuen | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (7–6 pen.) | Ohzu | Fukushima |
Women's finals
| Year | Winner | Score | Runners–up | Host prefecture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Hinomoto Gakuen | 1–0 | Tokiwagi Gakuen | Nagano |
| 2013 | Hinomoto Gakuen Murata[g] | – | Final cancelled[h] | Saga |
| 2014 | Hinomoto Gakuen | 7–0 | Kyoto Seika Gakuen | Tokyo |
| 2015 | Hinomoto Gakuen | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (5–4 pen.) | Daisho Gakuen | Hyogo |
| 2016 | Fujieda Junshin | 1–0 | Sakuyo | Hiroshima |
| 2017 | Hinomoto Gakuin | 1–0 | Fujieda Junshin | Miyagi |
| 2018 | Tokiwagi Gakuen | 3–0 | Hinomoto Gakuen | Shizuoka |
| 2019 | Jumonji | 1–0 | Hinomoto Gakuen | Okinawa |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to COVID-19.[12] | Gunma | ||
| 2021 | Kamimura Gakuen | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Fujieda Junshin | Fukui |
| 2022 | Daisho Gakuen | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Jumonji | Tokushima |
| 2023 | Fujieda Junshin | 3–0 | Seiwa Gakuen | Hokkaido |
| 2024 | Fujieda Junshin | 2–0 | Daisho Gakuen | Fukushima |
| 2025 | Daisho Gakuen | 3–2 | Tokoha Univ. Tachibana | Fukushima |
All winners
Men's tournament
| P. | High School | Champions | Runners-up | Winning years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ichiritsu Funabashi | 9 | 3 | 1987, 1988, 1998, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2016 |
| 2nd | Kunimi | 5 | 2 | 1986, 1993, 2000, 2003, 2004 |
| 3rd | Shimizu Higashi | 4 | 0 | 1972, 1980, 1981, 1991 |
| Shimizu Shogyo | 4 | 1 | 1989, 1990, 1994, 1996 | |
| 5th | Teikyo | 3 | 4 | 1976, 1982, 2002 |
| Higashi Fukuoka | 3 | 0 | 1997, 2014, 2015 | |
| 7th | RKU Kashiwa | 2 | 2 | 2008, 2017 |
| Fujieda Higashi | 2 | 0 | 1966, 1971 | |
| Hamana | 2 | 0 | 1970, 1974 | |
| Yokkaichi Chuo Kogyo | 2 | 0 | 1983, 1984 | |
| Aomori Yamada | 2 | 0 | 2005, 2021 | |
| Maebashi Ikuei | 2 | 0 | 2009, 2022 | |
| 13th | Kodama | 1 | 2 | 1973 |
| Toko Gakuen | 1 | 2 | 2019 | |
| Mito Shogyo | 1 | 1 | 1979 | |
| Ichiritsu Urawa | 1 | 1 | 1967 | |
| Akita Shogyo | 1 | 1 | 1968 | |
| Urawa Minami | 1 | 1 | 1969 | |
| Kansai Univ. Hokuyo | 1 | 1 | 1978 | |
| Narashino | 1 | 1 | 1995 | |
| Yachiyo | 1 | 1 | 1999 | |
| Nirasaki | 1 | 0 | 1975 | |
| Shimabara Shogyo | 1 | 0 | 1977 | |
| Kyushu Gakuin | 1 | 0 | 1985 | |
| Tokushima Ichiritsu | 1 | 0 | 1992 | |
| Hiroshima Minami | 1 | 0 | 1999 | |
| Hiroshima Kanon | 1 | 0 | 2006 | |
| Toin Gakuen | 1 | 0 | 2011 | |
| Miura Gakuin | 1 | 0 | 2012 | |
| Yamanashi Gakuin | 1 | 0 | 2018 | |
| Meishu Gakuen Hitachi | 1 | 0 | 2023 | |
| Shohei | 1 | 0 | 2024 | |
| Kamimura Gakuen | 1 | 0 | 2025 | |
Women's tournament
| P. | High School | Champions | Runners-up | Winning years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Hinomoto Gakuen | 5 | 2 | 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 |
| 2nd | Fujieda Junshin | 3 | 2 | 2016, 2023, 2024 |
| 3rd | Daisho Gakuen | 2 | 1 | 2022, 2025 |
| 4th | Jumonji | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Hiroo Gakuen Koishikawa | 1 | 0 | 2013 | |
| Tokiwagi Gakuen | 1 | 0 | 2018 | |
| Kamimura Gakuen | 1 | 0 | 2021 | |
