On January 3, 2026, the 79th Rice Bowl by GA technologies, the national championship game of Japanese American football, was held at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, concluding the 2025 X-League season. The title game featured the Panasonic Impulse and the Obic Seagulls, with Panasonic securing a 9–7 victory in a low-scoring contest defined by defensive execution and field position.
Panasonic opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 42-yard field goal by kicker Shintaro Saeki, taking an early 3–0 lead. Obic responded in the second quarter when quarterback Pierce Holley connected with wide receiver Yuki Sakuma on a 61-yard touchdown pass, shifting momentum and giving the Seagulls a 7–3 advantage going into halftime. The Impulse narrowed the gap in the third quarter with Saeki converting a 49-yard field goal, bringing the score to 7–6. The decisive moment came in the fourth quarter when Saeki added a 28-yard field goal, putting Panasonic ahead 9–7, a lead the team maintained through the final minutes.
Defensive play was central to the outcome, particularly from Joshua Cox, whose performance in the secondary disrupted Obic’s passing game in the second half. Cox recorded multiple interceptions, including a key turnover that halted a Seagulls drive during a critical phase of the game. His impact on limiting scoring opportunities and preserving Panasonic’s narrow lead earned him Game Most Valuable Player honors following the final whistle.
Obic’s offense generated limited opportunities after its second-quarter touchdown, as Panasonic’s defense consistently applied pressure and controlled the tempo. The game remained tightly contested throughout, with neither team reaching double digits in scoring, underscoring the defensive balance between the two finalists.
The match was attended by more than 20,000 spectators at Tokyo Dome and continued the Rice Bowl’s tradition as a major fixture of Japan’s New Year sports calendar. The Rice Bowl, held annually on January 3, serves as the championship game of the X-League and determines the national champion under a professional league format that has been in place since the competition’s restructuring in recent years.
Official Links:
Japan American Football Association: https://americanfootball.jp/
X-League Official Website: https://xleague.jp/
Rice Bowl 79 Official Feature Page: https://xleague.jp/feature/
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