Loco Drago's Team Maeda has been confirmed as a participant in the 2026 Karuizawa International, set for September 17-20, bringing one of Japan's most exciting young men's rinks to the Karuizawa ice. Team Maeda competes under the Loco Solare organization -- the same storied club as the legendary women's team -- having joined as its men's division, Loco Drago, in 2023. Skip Takumi Maeda leads a tight-knit group of Hokkaido-born teammates including third Hiroki Maeda, second Uryu Kamikawa, and lead Gakuto Tokoro -- three classmates and a younger brother who have risen steadily through Japan's ranks, finishing third at nationals in 2023-24 and runners-up in 2024-25. Their style of play is known for being aggressive and creative, inspired by skip Takumi's admiration for Canadian star Kevin Koe, with the team going for big shots without hesitation whenever the opportunity presents itself. The Karuizawa International entry marks another step forward for a squad that has set its sights squarely on earning a Grand Slam invitation -- which is precisely what's on the line as a GSOC Satellite Event -- and proves that Loco Drago is ready to test itself against the best Japan and the world have to offer.