1. Early Life and Education
Kenya Mitsuhashi was born on 11 July 1997, in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. He stands 68 in (172 cm) tall and weighs 159 lb (72 kg). Mitsuhashi attended Fukushima Prefectural Tomioka High School, where he established himself as a prominent junior player. During his high school years, he formed a successful partnership with Yuta Watanabe. Together, they won the individual doubles title at the Inter-High School Championships and secured the individual doubles championship at the National High School Selection Tournament twice in a row, in 2014 and 2015.
Following his high school graduation, Mitsuhashi enrolled at Nihon University, continuing his development as a badminton athlete at the collegiate level.
2. Career
Kenya Mitsuhashi's career has seen a steady progression from his junior years through his university period and into his professional career, marked by significant partnerships and achievements in men's doubles.
2.1. Junior Career
Mitsuhashi began his international junior career in 2014 when he was selected to join the Japanese national junior team. At the 2014 Asian Junior Badminton Championships held in Taipei, he contributed to the team's bronze medal win in the mixed team event. He also secured a bronze medal in the boys' doubles event, partnering with Yuta Watanabe. Later that year, he won another mixed team bronze medal at the 2014 BWF World Junior Championships in Alor Setar, Malaysia. His success with Watanabe continued as they captured a boys' doubles title at the 2014 Korea Junior Open.
In 2015, Mitsuhashi started the season by winning the boys' doubles title at the Dutch Junior tournament, again with Watanabe. He participated in the 2015 Badminton Asia Junior Championships, where he clinched a bronze medal in the mixed team event. Mitsuhashi also claimed two titles at the Australian Junior International, winning both the boys' singles and doubles events. Following this, he won the boys' doubles title at the Danish Junior Cup. In November, he and Watanabe earned a boys' doubles bronze medal at the 2015 BWF World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru.
2.2. University and Early Senior Career
After graduating from high school, Mitsuhashi continued his badminton career at Nihon University. He made his first appearance in a senior international event at the Osaka International tournament. In 2016, he reached his first final in a senior event at the Austrian Open, where he and Yuta Watanabe were runners-up to the English pair Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge. He also finished as a runner-up at the Vietnam International Challenge in the same year.
In 2017, Mitsuhashi represented Japan at the Summer Universiade (World University Games) in Taipei. Partnering with Katsuki Tamate in men's doubles, they advanced to the finals by defeating the formidable pair of Lee Yang and Lee Jhe-huei. In the final match, they lost to Kim Jae-hwan and Seo Seung-jae of South Korea, earning a silver medal. Mitsuhashi also contributed to Japan's mixed team silver medal at the 2017 Universiade. In 2018, he began competing in mixed doubles with Naru Shinoya, reaching the semi-finals at the Osaka International and the quarter-finals at the Malaysia International and the Vietnam Open.
2.3. Professional Career
Upon graduating from university, Kenya Mitsuhashi joined Nippon Unisys, which was later rebranded as BIPROGY. This marked his entry into professional badminton as a corporate team player.
2.3.1. Partnership with Takuto Inoue
After joining Nippon Unisys, Mitsuhashi formed a men's doubles partnership with Takuto Inoue, who is two years his senior. This partnership proved successful in domestic competitions, with them finishing as runners-up at the All Japan Overall Championship in 2021 and winning the All Japan Adult Championship in 2022.
In the early 2022 season, Mitsuhashi and Inoue reached three finals in BWF International Challenge/Series and BWF World Tour events. They were runners-up at the Réunion Open, the Mongolia International, and the Canada Open.
2.3.2. Partnership with Hiroki Okamura
In 2023, Mitsuhashi formed a new partnership with Hiroki Okamura, who is one year his junior. This partnership quickly yielded significant international results.
3. Achievements
Kenya Mitsuhashi has accumulated a notable collection of medals and titles throughout his badminton career, spanning junior, university, and senior international and domestic competitions.
3.1. International Competitions
Mitsuhashi has earned several medals at major international junior and university championships.
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Taipei Gymnasium, Taipei, Taiwan | 玉手勝輝Katsuki TamateJapanese | 김재환Kim Jae-hwanKorean 서승재Seo Seung-jaeKorean | 12-21, 19-21 |  Silver |
Boys' doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Centro de Alto Rendimiento de la Videna, Lima, Peru | Yuta Watanabe | He Jiting Zheng Siwei | 13-21, 16-21 |  Bronze |
| 2014 | Taipei Gymnasium, Taipei, Taiwan | Yuta Watanabe | Huang Kaixiang Zheng Siwei | 10-21, 8-21 | Bronze |
Team events
- Mixed team**
- 2017 Summer Universiade (Taipei): Silver
- 2015 Asian Junior Championships (Bangkok): Bronze
- 2014 BWF World Junior Championships (Alor Setar): Bronze
- 2014 Asian Junior Championships (Taipei): Bronze
- Men's team**
- 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships (Selangor): Bronze
- Mixed team**
- 2025 Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships (Qingdao): Bronze
3.2. BWF World Tour
The BWF World Tour, launched in 2018, is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). It comprises various levels including World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300, and the BWF Tour Super 100.
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Level | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Canada Open | Super 100 | Takuto Inoue | Ayato Endo Yuta Takei | 15-21, 8-21 | Runner-up |
| 2023 | Vietnam Open | Super 100 | Hiroki Okamura | Hardianto Ade Yusuf Santoso | 21-19, 21-19 | Winner |
| 2023 (II) | Indonesia Masters | Super 100 | Hiroki Okamura | Choong Hon Jian Muhammad Haikal | 21-16, 21-18 | Winner |
3.3. BWF International Challenge/Series
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Vietnam International | Yuta Watanabe | Ong Yew Sin Teo Ee Yi | 19-21, 14-21 | Runner-up |
| 2016 | Austrian Open | Yuta Watanabe | Marcus Ellis Chris Langridge | 14-21, 16-21 | Runner-up |
| 2022 | Réunion Open | Takuto Inoue | Shuntaro Mezaki Haruya Nishida | 21-16, 18-21, 10-21 | Runner-up |
| 2022 | Mongolia International | Takuto Inoue | Ayato Endo Yuta Takei | 14-21, 21-12, 19-21 | Runner-up |
| 2023 (II) | Indonesia International | Hiroki Okamura | Ki Dong-ju Kim Jae-hwan | 20-22, 21-16, 21-8 | Winner |
3.4. Domestic Competitions
- All Japan Overall Championship**: Runner-up (2021)
- All Japan Adult Championship**: Champion (2022)