Hioki first started baton twirling when he was just three years old. His mother was a former baton twirler, and his sister—two years his senior—was already attending baton twirling school, so they often brought him along to lessons, and before long, he found himself captivated by the sport. He joined the same school as his sister, and in the fifth grade, he started performing the three-baton discipline, in which—as the name implies—athletes twirl three batons at once. Though the difficulty increases with each added baton, Hioki, who had loved juggling since early childhood, quickly developed the knack for handling three batons as if he were juggling balls.

In junior high school, he joined the school’s baton twirling club, where he competed as part of a team that advanced to the national championships three years in a row, ultimately taking home the championship title. During high school, he continued to compete in team events while also entering individual competitions. His talent shone through, and he won both national and world titles in the junior division.

At first glance, his baton twirling seemed to be going swimmingly, but surprisingly, during his third year of high school, he seriously considered retiring from competition and pursuing a completely different path. According to Hioki, who loves making Western-style sweets, there was a time when he looked into schools where he could study confectionery arts with the aim of becoming a pastry chef. What ultimately changed his mind was an invitation from the coach of the Ritsumeikan University Baton Twirling Club to join the team.

“When I made pastries and gave them to people, seeing their smiles made me happy, too. It was my dream to become a pastry chef, but at the same time, the words of encouragement from those who urged me to keep going with baton twirling gave me the push I needed. I realized how fortunate I was to be surrounded by such supportive people and environments, so I decided to keep pursuing the sport,” he recalls.

From an early age, Hioki had always found pure joy in baton twirling, and he continued to achieve remarkable results in competitions after entering Ritsumeikan University. Yet, during his second and third years, he faced one of the most difficult periods of his athletic career.

“There were several competitions where I couldn’t perform as well as I had practiced and missed out on winning. Even when I did win, I wasn’t satisfied with my routines. I began to wonder what the point of continuing baton twirling was and what I was really aiming for,” says Hioki.

The toughest moment came during his third year at the 2024 All Japan Championships. Having won national titles the past two years in a row, he was going for a threepeat. The weight of others’ expectations bore down on him, and he felt immense pressure not to fail. In the end, he finished second, and this experience made him realize just how difficult it was to keep winning first place.

Though Hioki had faced setbacks, his perseverance paid off when he earned a coveted spot on Japan’s national team in the men’s senior three-baton division at the qualifying trials for the 2025 IBTF World Technical Baton Twirling Championships held this past August. From there, he began preparing intensely for the world stage.

The guiding principle that Hioki holds most dear is “stay calm, stay smart.” Rather than comparing himself to others, he focused on analyzing his own strengths and distinctive qualities to clarify what kind of performance he truly wanted to deliver. As he aimed for even greater heights, this process of honest self-reflection led him to regain the simple pleasure of twirling the baton. Nearly ten years after first picking up three batons, Hioki’s dedication bore fruit. In August, he had reached the top of the podium on the world stage. The moment he became world champion, he says he was overflowing with joy for having continued baton twirling and filled with gratitude to those who had supported him along the way.

“I owe everything to my coaches who supported me, my teammates who pushed me to improve, my family, and everyone who has watched and cheered on my performances,” Hioki says with a smile.

After winning the individual world title, Hioki already has his eyes set on his next goal—helping the Ritsumeikan University Baton Twirling Club secure victory in the team event at the national championships. “The competition will be held in December, and we’ll be going for our fifth straight win. It’ll be my final tournament as a university student, so I want to finish on a high note,” he states emphatically. Looking beyond graduation, Hioki hopes to stay connected to the sport that has shaped his life.

“Baton twirling is a sport in which you can freely express your own distinctive qualities without being bound by rigid forms, delivering inspiration to others. I love teaching the techniques as a coach, and I want to share the beauty and excitement of baton twirling with as many people as possible.” We look forward to keeping an eye on Hioki as he continues to take on new challenges.