Asia’s top women’s ice hockey nations will clash again this week as Japan begins its title defense at the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s Asia Championship, set to be held at the Boris Alexandrov Sport Palace in Oskemen, Kazakhstan, from 5–8 November 2025.
The event, part of the 2026 IIHF season, brings together Japan, China, Korea, and Kazakhstan — the continent’s top four programs — for a round-robin competition streamed live on IIHF.tv.
Defending Champions Japan Lead the Pack
Japan enters the competition as heavy favorites after dominating the inaugural 2025 edition in Beijing, winning all three games by a combined 25–0.
Forward Rui Ukita led all scorers with four goals and eight points, followed by Rio Noro and Kohane Sato, each with seven. Both goaltenders, Riko Kawaguchi and Miyuu Masuhara, shared the tournament’s opening shutout.
All three top scorers return this year, along with head coach Yuji Iizuka, who has helmed the program since 2018. In goal, Masuhara will rotate duties with Kiku Kobayashi.
China, Korea, and Kazakhstan Seek to Close the Gap
China finished runners-up last year, led by Baiwei Yu (four assists) and young standout Biyang Zhang (two goals). Goalies Yuqing Wang and Guimin Lai each recorded a shutout, with Wang facing Japan in the decisive game.
Kazakhstan and Korea produced the most dramatic match of 2025 — a 5-4 shootout win for Kazakhstan, sealed by Anastassiya Orazbayeva. The two will meet again in this year’s finale.
The Kazakh team also has fond memories of home success — they last triumphed on home ice at the 2016 Olympic Qualification Round in Astana.
Rankings & Regional Growth
According to the latest IIHF Women’s World Rankings, Japan stands 7th, China 12th, Korea 18th, and Kazakhstan 22nd.
Japan will also be Asia’s only representative in women’s ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan.
The IIHF Asia Championships are part of a four-year pilot project to strengthen ice hockey across the region, giving Asian nations more opportunities for international play and development. The men’s edition, featuring the same four teams, will take place 20–23 November 2025 in Beijing, following Kazakhstan’s gold-medal win in Almaty last year.
Tournament Schedule (UTC+5)
Wednesday, 5 November
16:00 | China vs Korea
19:30 | Kazakhstan vs Japan
Friday, 7 November
14:00 | Japan vs Korea
17:30 | China vs Kazakhstan
Saturday, 8 November
14:00 | Japan vs China
17:30 | Korea vs Kazakhstan
(Live updates at IIHF.com)
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