日本語の取材へ

The best in the world shared the stage, but the week belonged to Japan.

Magic, you have a new certified powerhouse.

There is no doubt that 2005 will be remembered as the year of Japan. Matching a feat only performed by the United States in the history of Magic, the host nation of these 2005 World Championships claimed the World Champion, World Team Champion and Player of the Year in the same season.

Katsuhiro Mori capped off an amazing week for his country by defeating Frank Karsten of the Netherlands in a nerve-wracking, convoluted finals for his first Pro Tour victory. Mori's Ghazi-Glare deck outmaneuvered Karsten's Greater Good deck 3-1 to take home the $35,000 check and give Japan its first individual World Champion.

Mori wasn't alone in the Top 8. Three other Japanese players made it to Sunday - Tomohiro Kaji, Akira Asahara, and Shuhei Nakamura. Kaji and Asahara advanced to the semifinals, and possibly the only reason Nakamura didn't join them is because he faced Mori in the quarterfinals.

A couple hours earlier, Mori's countrymen Takuma Morofuji, Masashi Oiso and Ichirou Shimura gave Japan its first World Team Championship by defeating the United States 3-0. Shimura bested Jon Sonne and in a battle of National Champions, Morofuji defeated Antonino De Rosa to make the match between Oiso and Neil Reeves moot.

To round out the triple crown at 2005 Worlds, Kenji Tsumura locked up the Player of the Year award by a single point over rival and friend Olivier Ruel. The battle came down to the final round of the Swiss, and as soon as Kenji locked up the title, people began wondering if it were a sign of things to come Saturday and Sunday.

The 2005 World Championships will also be remembered for its history. The week opened with the induction of Magic's first class into the Pro Tour Hall of Fame. Jon Finkel, Darwin Kastle, Tommi Hovi, Alan Comer, and Olle Råde helped to write many of the early chapters in the history of Magic. Another chapter had clearly been written in the ensuing five days - one with a distinctive Japanese flair. One has to wonder how many Worlds will it be until the Hall welcomes its first Japanese player.

Congratulations to Katsushiro Mori, the Japanese National team, and Kenji Tsumura for an unforgettable World Championships.

National Team Finals