International · CURRENT LICENSED PROGRAM
Hadano-shi, Kanagawa-ken Soap Box Derby
Jinta Nakamura's source-backed journey from the Japan program to Akron, plus official program, result, and schedule records for Hadano-shi, Kanagawa-ken.
PROGRAM CARD
Current official listing.
KANAGAWA TO AKRON
Jinta Nakamura brought calm speed - and karate - to Akron.
中村迅汰
A first-time start at Japan's 2026 Kanagawa selection became an 18.702-second win, a place in car 321 at Derby Downs, and a Race Week moment that showed there was more than one kind of discipline behind the helmet.
The run that earned Japan's place
Japan's official race report says Jinta skipped Saturday practice and began driving Sunday morning. His first competition run, 18.702 seconds, became the mark the field chased. His second run did not improve it, so the first-time entrant had to wait while every remaining driver took a final shot. The time held, and the report credited the composure he kept while the order changed around him.
Car 321 at Derby Downs
LOGISTEED named Jinta as the pilot of the LOGISTEED Nippon car for the 88th All-American. In the official AA Local Stock bracket, car 321 ran 28.675 seconds in Heat 611 and finished second, only 0.061 seconds behind the advancing car. He returned in Challenge Local Stock, won opening Heat 715, and reached Round 2 before placing third in Heat 729.
From race posture to karate form
Japan Soap Box Derby's awards-ceremony coverage shows Jinta stepping into a karate presentation after the racing. A 2026 junior karate event also publishes the same Japanese name in both kata and kumite brackets. That supports the connection between his racing and martial-arts practice, but the public sources do not name the exact routine performed in Akron, so this story does not guess it.
Facebook may require sign-in. Meta did not expose a stable public permalink for the ceremony clip, so this link opens Japan Soap Box Derby's official feed rather than an invented post URL.
Why this story is on Hadano's page: Hadano is the official Japan race-city listing and program headquarters. Published 2026 coverage identifies Jinta with Kanagawa Prefecture, not specifically as a Hadano resident; this connection records the sanctioned program he represented, not a claim about where he lives.
Open the story's source trail
LOCAL WORLD TITLES
0 titles credited to this program lineage.
No Local World Champion is credited to this current directory label or one of the conservative aliases in our official archive snapshot. That is not the same as having no local champions or no racing history.
Only Local-path World titles count toward the race-city total. Rally titles remain grouped by racer hometown, never silently attributed to a city.
RECENT WORLD FINISHES
No matched final-bracket rows yet.
Our structured finish archive currently covers recent official final sheets. No row matched this city with enough confidence. Use the official program site for local results and check back as earlier brackets are added.
LOCAL PROGRAM HISTORY
Japan's sanctioned program is listed in Hadano, Kanagawa. Its official association publishes the national-team selection that sends a Local Stock representative to the All-American in Akron.
| Year | Division | Local champion | World finish note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Stock | Jinta Nakamura | AA Local Stock Heat 611: second by 0.061 s; Challenge Local Stock: won Heat 715 and reached Round 2 |
Open NPO Japan 2026 Kanagawa selection winner story
These are local-program champions, not automatically World Champions. Empty years and ambiguous entries are not guessed.
RALLY STATUS
No current-season Rally listing matched.
Rally hosts change by weekend and are not the same thing as licensed Local programs. Check the official results portal before travel.
SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Check the primary material.
- Official ISBD race-city directory Current directory for close to 100 licensed local organizations.
- Official ISBD Past World Champions archive Official Local, Rally, and Legacy World-title archive through 2025. Rally locations are racer hometowns, not race-city affiliations.
- Official 2026 World Championship final brackets Official roster and final-result resources for the 88th All-American Soap Box Derby.
- Official public Rally results portal Submitted and approved Rally results, provisional point tables, schedules, and season archives.
- NPO Japan: 2026 Kanagawa selection winner story The official Japan association records Jinta Nakamura's first-entry win, 18.702-second best run, and selection for the World Championship.
- LOGISTEED: Japan's 2026 World Championship entry The official sponsor announcement names Jinta Nakamura as pilot of the LOGISTEED Nippon car.
- Official 2026 AA Local Stock results The official bracket records car 321 in Heat 611 at 28.675 seconds, second by 0.061 seconds.
- Official 2026 Challenge Local Stock results The official bracket records Jinta Nakamura winning Heat 715 and reaching Round 2, Heat 729.
- Japan Soap Box Derby official Facebook Official Japan Soap Box Derby social feed carrying its Akron and awards-ceremony coverage. Facebook may require sign-in.
- International Soap Box Derby official Facebook Official Race Week social feed carrying ceremony coverage. Facebook may require sign-in and did not expose a stable public permalink for the referenced clip.
- 2026 Jr. Cup Akiruno Karate event The official kata and kumite brackets list the same full Japanese name. This is supporting context, not independent identity proof or evidence of the exact Akron routine.
- Official 2026 Race Week information packet The official packet identifies facebook.com/soapboxderby.org and Instagram @soapboxderbyofficial as ISBD social accounts.