US-Japan Friendship Cup Bodybuilding 2024 (Photos & Results)

Editor’s Note: This article covers the 2024 US-Japan Friendship Cup. For results and photos from the more recent 2025 competition, please see our new article.

Sayuri Tachihara poses on stage in a blue sequined bikini, flexing her muscular physique during a bodybuilding competition. — *Sayuri Tachihara*

Fifty buff competitors muscled it out on stage for trophies and prizes at the 2024 US-Japan Friendship Cup Championships, and I was there to see it. Held at the Taiyo Recreation Community Center on Yokota Airbase, this event is a cornerstone of bodybuilding in Japan.

Organizer Pat Coleman ensured the championships ran like clockwork, creating a fantastic day for participants and the audience. For those interested in physique photography, it was the place to be.

Travis Hancock in a black posing outfit raises his arms in victory. — *Travis Hancock*

Muscular women in bikinis poses before a US flag.

Three male physique competitors pose a stage before a blue curtain.

A woman in a red bikini and a tattoo on her left leg poses on a stage. — *Rowena Todd*

What are these bodybuilding championships?

The US-Japan Friendship Cup Bodybuilding Championships are a physique competition starting in 1998. They are comparable to the U.S. and Japan regional/national level shows. Sport is a great way to build friendship, trust, and cooperation between countries.

A female Japanese bikini class athlete in a shimmering aqua bikini poses on stage.

Winners of a men's physique novice competition pose on stage.

Zach Valere in a blue swimsuit and tattooed right arm, poses on stage. — *Zach Valere*

Muscular women in red bikinis stand on a stage before US and Japanese flags.

Champion IFBB bodybuilding guest posers are invited to the event. They are a morale booster to the U.S. military personnel, DOD civilians, and their family members stationed in Japan.

Bodybuilder Leigh Carmichael poses before a Japanese flag. — *Leigh Carmichael*

A woman with long blond hair poses in a bikini.

US-Japan Friendship Cup Championships 2024 staff and female athletes pose on stage pose for photos.

A Japanese woman with blond hair and in a red bikini poses before a US flag.

There were approximately fifty male and female competitors in July 2024. They participated in the following divisions:

Men’s Bodybuilding
Men’s Classic Physique
Men’s Physique
Women’s Bikini
Women’s Figure

A female bikini fitness competitor in a blue bikini and high heels poses on stage.

Tsukasa Saito in blue trunks does a double biceps pose. — *Tsukasa Saito*

A group of Japanese female bikini competitors pose on stage before a Japanese flag.

A woman in a shimmering silver bikini poses on stage. — *Sayaka Ryuzaki*

A bodybuilding “Beast” of a guest poser

Akim “BK BEAST” Williams is a big name in bodybuilding. The guy was enormous, literally a mountain of muscle. His fearsome nickname came through his intense efforts in the gym.

He might be hard on the outside, but he was soft-spoken and well-mannered, a true gentleman!

Akim "BK BEAST" Williams in a tengu mask and cap poses at 2024 US-Japan Friendship Cup Championships. — *Akim “BK BEAST” Williams*

Even though Akim had come to Japan, he was preparing for the Olympia in October 2024. He’ll look amazing on competition day.

I’m sure he’ll do well as he is an Olympian professional with multiple IFBB wins. His presence surely boosted bodybuilding in Japan.

Event highlights & standout athletes

I saw great physiques! These athletes had worked hard to sculpt their bodies. Their routines were excellent. Actually, one I have to mention is Leigh Carmichael.

Three male bodybuilders double biceps pose on a stage before US and Japanese flags.

Daiki Sugihara holds a muscular pose on a stage with a US flag. — *Daiki Sugihara*

He took second place in the Open Middleweight Division. His robot-themed posing was entertaining and got him the best poser award. It was well-deserved. The audience appreciated his efforts with huge applause.

A Japanese bikini fitness competitor ina shummering blue bikini poses on a stage

A muscular man in black swimwear holds out his arm and poses. — *Kaito Ikeda*

Another was Sayuri Tachihara. She was an amazing bodybuilder and contested the women’s physique class. It was unfortunate that she was the only person in the division. It didn’t matter as the judges had such high praise for her.

A Japanese male bodybuilder does a double-biceps pose on a stage in front of a US flag. — *Ryo Sato*

A muscular woman in a red bikini poses on stage.

US-Japan Friendship Cup Competition results

WOMEN’S FIGURE

PLACE	NAME
1st	Tachihara, Sayuri

BIKINI NOVICE

PLACE	NAME
1st	Todd, Rowena
2nd	Ryuzaki, Sayaka
3rd	Kyogoku, Akiko
4th	Ikegami, Rie
5th	Kishino, Mami

BIKINI CLASS A 5’4″ & UNDER

PLACE	NAME
1st	Todd, Rowena
2nd	Ryuzaki, Sayaka
3rd	Kyogoku, Akiko
4th	Kishino, Mami
5th	Sawada, Anna

BIKINI CLASS B OVER 5’4″

PLACE	NAME
1st	Kokuma (Kaneko), Maki
2nd	Lee, Gloria Jean
3rd	Kurosaki, Reika
4th	Ikegami, Rie

MEN’S PHYSIQUE NOVICE

PLACE	NAME
1st	Logan, Jimmy
2nd	Childress, Tonio
3rd	Sato, Keigo
4th	Yuasa, Tsuyoshi
5th	Valere, Zach

MEN’S PHYSIQUE CLASS A 5’8″ & UNDER

PLACE	NAME
1st	Koseki, Takayuki

MEN’S PHYSIQUE CLASS B OVER 5’8″

PLACE	NAME
1st	Sugihara, Daiki
2nd	Childress, Tonio
3rd	Valere, Zach
4th	Williams, Gearal

CLASSIC PHYSIQUE

PLACE	NAME
1st	Kakegawa, Akinori
2nd	Kokuma, Seiji
3rd	Carmichael, Leigh
4th	Kamada, Suguru
5th	Ikeda, Kaito

OPEN LIGHTWEIGHT BODYBUILDING

PLACE	NAME
1st	Kawasaki, Gaku
2nd	Saito, Tsukasa

OPEN MIDDLEWEIGHT BODYBUILDING

PLACE	NAME
1st	Sato, Ryo
2nd	Carmichael, Leigh
3rd	Logan, Jimmy

OPEN HEAVYWEIGHT BODYBUILDING

PLACE	NAME
1st	Hancock, Travis
2nd	Williams, Gearal

Photo tips for bodybuilding competitions

I can offer only a few tips, as this was my first bodybuilding competition. But, here they are:

Move around. Take photos from different angles. That will make your photoset so much better. No one enjoys everything looking the same.
My Fujifilm X-T3 struggled due to the lack of light in the building. My ISO went as high as 5000. I was thankful for Adobe Lightroom’s amazing new noise-reduction technology.

A bodybuilder poses on a stage before a Japanese flag.

Bikini Class B athletes pose on a stage.

Man champion bodybuilders pose for photos on a stage

Were the buff bodies worth photographing?

You bet they were. They made the US-Japan Friendship Cup Championships 2024 at Yokota Airbase a huge success. After all, they were what the audience wanted to see.

A female bikini class athlete shows her back to the crowd.

A muscular Tonio Childress poses before an American flag. — *Tonio Childress*

US-Japan Friendship Cup Championships 2024 bikini athletes with medals, pose on stage.

For me, the day was a marathon that began with a 4 a.m. journey to the base. But seeing the incredible bodies and the supportive community made it all worthwhile. The real work began when I got home to sort through over 4000 images, and I was thrilled that the majority were keepers!

My photography gear for this shoot

Camera body: Fujifilm X-T2
Lenses:
- Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
- Fujifilm XF 55-200 mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS