Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida to part ways after World Championships

The Japan Badminton Association has announced that their top women’s doubles pair — Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida will end their partnership after the 2025 World Championships.

The country’s highest-ranked pair will still appear together in three final tournaments:

• Japan Open (15-20 July)
• China Open (22-27 July)
• World Championships (25-31 August)

After the World Championships, Chiharu Shida will form a new partnership with Arisa Igarashi — Japan’s former top mixed doubles player previously known as Arisa Higashino when partnered with Yuta Watanabe.

Igarashi has recently achieved success in women’s doubles by winning the 2025 India Open with Ayako Sakuramoto, before Sakuramoto decided to withdraw from the national training center for personal reasons.