Naru Shinoya

is a former Japanese badminton player who competed for the NTT East team. She won a bronze medal in mixed doubles at the 2021 World Championships. Shinoya achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 13 in mixed doubles with her partner Kyohei Yamashita in December 2022. After retiring from professional competition in December 2024, she became the women's doubles coach for NTT East in April 2025.

Career 2021 Shinoya and Kyohei Yamashita made their Super 750 debut at the Indonesia Masters, where they were eliminated in the first round. The following week, they advanced to the second round at the Indonesia Open, marking their Super 1000 debut. The pair concluded the season by capturing the mixed doubles bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships in Huelva, Spain, following a semifinal defeat to compatriots Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino.

2022–2023 Shinoya and Yamashita's best results on the 2022 World Tour were quarterfinal finishes at the Denmark Open and Australian Open. They ended the year by reaching their career-best world ranking of No. 13.

In 2023, Shinoya helped Japan win a bronze medal at the Sudirman Cup. On the World Tour, she and Yamashita reached the quarterfinals of the All England Open and the semifinals of the German Open and the Canada Open.

2024 In the first half of 2024, Shinoya and Yamashita competed in mixed doubles to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Their best World Tour result was a quarterfinal finish at the Thailand Masters. After failing to secure Olympic qualification, Shinoya retired from the national team in April, ending her partnership with Yamashita.

Continuing to compete for her corporate team, NTT East, Shinoya partnered with Nao Yamakita in women's doubles and won the Malaysia International in September.

Coaching career In April 2025, Shinoya became the women's doubles coach for NTT East, tasked with developing junior players for the national team. Following this victory, Suzuki and Yamakita were selected for the Japanese national team on 6 June 2025.

Achievements World Championships Mixed doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result Ref 2021 Palacio de los Deportes Carolina Marín,Huelva, Spain Kyohei Yamashita Yuta Watanabe Arisa Higashino 13–21, 8–21 Bronze Bronze

BWF World Tour (2 runners-up) The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018, is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour is divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300 (part of the HSBC World Tour), and the BWF Tour Super 100.

Women's doubles Year Tournament Level Partner Opponent Score Result Ref 2018 Chinese Taipei Open Super 300 Ayane Kurihara Nami Matsuyama Chiharu Shida 10–21, 17–21 Runner-up

Mixed doubles Year Tournament Level Partner Opponent Score Result Ref 2019 Akita Masters Super 100 Kyohei Yamashita Ko Sung-hyun Eom Hye-won 10–21, 17–21 Runner-up

BWF Grand Prix (3 runners-up) The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017.

Women's doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result Ref 2015 Swiss Open Ayane Kurihara Bao Yixin Tang Yuanting 19–21, 21–14, 17–21 Runner-up 2015 U.S. Open Ayane Kurihara Yu Yang Zhong Qianxin 14–21, 10–21 Runner-up 2017 Canada Open Chisato Hoshi Mayu Matsumoto Wakana Nagahara 16–21, 21–16, 18–21 Runner-up BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament BWF Grand Prix tournament

BWF International Challenge/Series (8 titles, 5 runners-up) Women's doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result Ref 2014 Polish Open Ayane Kurihara Anastasia Chervaykova Nina Vislova 21–15, 17–21, 20–22 Runner-up 2014 Malaysia International Ayane Kurihara Maretha Dea Giovani Rosyita Eka Putri Sari 21–14, 21–17 Winner 2015 China International Ayane Kurihara Ou Dongni Yu Xiaohan 21–14, 18–21, 21–23 Runner-up 2015 Portugal International Ayane Kurihara Carola Bott Jennifer Karnott 21–13, 21–16 Winner 2016 Brazil International Chisato Hoshi Setyana Mapasa Gronya Somerville 21–13, 21–19 Winner 2016 Peru International Chisato Hoshi Cemre Fere Ebru Yazgan 21–5, 21–7 Winner 2017 Portugal International Chisato Hoshi Emilie Juul Moller Mai Surrow 21–13, 21–6 Winner 2017 Finnish Open Chisato Hoshi Misato Aratama Akane Watanabe 18–21, 13–21 Runner-up 2017 Smiling Fish International Chisato Hoshi Nami Matsuyama Chiharu Shida 19–21, 14–21 Runner-up 2019 Indonesia International Natsu Saito Anggia Shitta Awanda Pia Zebadiah Bernadet 19–21, 18–21 Runner-up 2019 Malaysia International Natsu Saito Yulfira Barkah Agatha Imanuela 21–15, 21–23, 21–9 Winner 2024 Malaysia International Nao Yamakita Hinata Suzuki An Uesugi 21–13, 12–21, 21–17 Winner

Mixed doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result Ref 2017 Malaysia International Hiroki Okamura Yogendran Khrishnan Prajakta Sawant 21–10, 24–22 Winner BWF International Challenge tournament BWF International Series tournament

Record against selected opponents Record against year-end Finals finalists, World Championships semi-finalists, and Olympic quarter-finalists. Accurate as of 23 August 2026.

Kyohei Yamashita

Players Feng Yanzhe & Huang Dongping 5 1 4 –3 Jiang Zhenbang & Wei Yaxin 2 0 2 –2 Zheng Siwei & Huang Yaqiong 2 0 2 –2 Marcus Ellis & Lauren Smith 3 3 0 +3 Thom Gicquel & Delphine Delrue 1 0 1 –1 Mark Lamsfuß & Isabel Lohau 3 3 0 +3 Tang Chun Man & Tse Ying Suet 3 1 2 –1

Players Praveen Jordan & Melati Daeva Oktavianti 2 0 2 –2 Yuta Watanabe & Arisa Higashino 3 0 3 –3 Chen Tang Jie & Toh Ee Wei 1 0 1 –1 Kim Won-ho & Jeong Na-eun 8 1 7 –6 Seo Seung-jae & Chae Yoo-jung 2 0 2 –2 Dechapol Puavaranukroh & Sapsiree Taerattanachai 3 1 2 –1

Ayane Kurihara

Players Gabriela Stoeva & Stefani Stoeva 1 1 0 +1 Chen Qingchen & Jia Yifan 1 1 0 +1 Luo Ying & Luo Yu 1 0 1 –1 Wang Xiaoli & Yu Yang 1 0 1 –1 Christinna Pedersen & Kamilla Rytter Juhl 1 0 1 –1 Jwala Gutta & Ashwini Ponnappa 2 1 1 0 Nitya Krishinda Maheswari & Greysia Polii 3 0 3 –3 Nami Matsuyama & Chiharu Shida 1 0 1 –1

Players Naoko Fukuman & Kurumi Yonao 1 1 0 +1 Reika Kakiiwa & Miyuki Maeda 1 1 0 +1 Shiho Tanaka & Koharu Yonemoto 1 1 0 +1 Yuki Fukushima & Sayaka Hirota 1 1 0 +1 Vivian Hoo & Woon Khe Wei 1 0 1 –1 Chang Ye-na & Lee So-hee 1 0 1 –1 Jung Kyung-eun & Shin Seung-chan 1 0 1 –1

Chisato Hoshi Players Maiken Fruergaard & Sara Thygesen 1 0 1 –1 Mayu Matsumoto & Wakana Nagahara 1 0 1 –1 Nami Matsuyama & Chiharu Shida 2 1 1 0 Lee So-hee & Shin Seung-chan 2 1 1 0

Yuki Fukushima Players Zhang Shuxian & Zheng Yu 1 0 1 –1 Lee So-hee & Shin Seung-chan 1 0 1 –1

Arisa Higashino

Players Chang Ye-na & Lee So-hee 1 0 1 –1