is a Japanese badminton player affiliated with Gifu Bluvic. She reached the World No. 1 ranking in women's doubles with her former partner Sayaka Hirota, and is a two-time Asian Champion. She has secured three silver medals at the BWF World Championships and two bronze medals at the Asian Games. Fukushima received the 2017 Most Improved Player of the Year award from the Badminton World Federation.
Fukushima has contributed to several historic victories of the Japanese national team. Her performance helped Japan win the 2018 Uber Cup. Her tenure with the national squad also yielded a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games, as well as consecutive titles at the Asian Women's Team Championships in 2018 and 2020. She and Hirota ended their partnership in 2024.
Fukushima began playing badminton in the third grade of elementary school, initially training at the club in Yatsushiro City Sakamoto Junior High School. She later attended Aomori Yamada High School in northern Japan, where she led her team to victory in the 2011 Inter-High School Championships in both women's doubles and the team event.
In 2011, she was selected for the U-19 Japan badminton team, and participated in the World Junior Championships in Taiwan, reaching the quarter-finals in both girls' singles and girls' doubles with her high school partner Naru Shinoya. Though she initially competed in singlesâÂÂreaching the semi-finals of the 2011 Osaka InternationalâÂÂher career shifted toward doubles after joining the Renesas (now Saishunkan) corporate team in 2012. She reached the final of the 2012 Singapore International and won both the women's singles and women's doubles titles at the Sydney International alongside Sayaka Hirota, marking the beginning of their partnership.
The period between 2015 and 2016 served as a vital foundation for Fukushima's international dominance. Alongside Hirota, she demonstrated high-level consistency by finishing as runners-up at the 2015 Osaka International and the New Zealand Open before securing their first Grand Prix title at the Scottish Open. Her versatility was further highlighted in 2016 through a temporary partnership with Chiharu Shida, with whom she secured the 2016 Vietnam International title and runner-up at the Spanish International. Following this, Fukushima and Hirota reunited to win the 2016 New Zealand Open and the Chinese Taipei Masters, signaling their readiness for the elite circuit.
Fukushima and Hirota definitive breakthrough year arrived in 2017, characterized by a series of high-profile victories. The pair secured their first title of the year at the German Open, followed by their first Superseries crown at the Malaysia Open, where they defeated the Chinese pairing of Huang Yaqiong and Tang Jinhua. This momentum carried them to the finals of the 2017 BWF World Championships in Glasgow, where they earned a hard-fought silver medal. By the end of 2017, their rapid ascent was formally recognized when the Badminton World Federation (BWF) honored the duo with the Most Improved Player of the Year award. They concluded the season as runners-up at the Dubai World Superseries Finals, solidifying their position as one of the world's most formidable pairs.
The 2018 season stands as the most prolific chapter of Fukushima's professional career, defined by her ascent to the absolute pinnacle of international badminton. On 21 June 2018, Fukushima and Hirota officially attained the World No. 1 ranking in the women's doubles, a testament to their sustained technical superiority. Their dominance on the international circuit was marked by victories at the Asian Championships, alongside BWF World Tour titles at the German, Indonesia, Japan, Denmark, and Hong Kong Opens. While finishing as runners-up at the All England, Korea Open, as well won the silver medal at the 2018 BWF World Championships. Fukushima achieved a rare statistical feat: they were the only pairing in 2018 to reach the finals of BWF huge event, including the Uber Cup, the Asian Games team event, and the BWF World Championships.
Fukushima helped secure the gold medal at the 2018 Asia Women's Team Championships in Alor Setar, setting a standard of excellence for the year. This success served as a precursor to Japan's landmark Uber Cup victory in Bangkok, where the team ended a 37-year title drought. Fukushima's stellar season concluded with a gold medal in the women's team event and a bronze medal in women's doubles at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. Her collective achievements throughout the year earned her a nomination for the BWF Female Player of the Year.
Fukushima solidified her status as one of the world's premier women's doubles players alongside Hirota in 2019. Throughout the year, the duo showcased remarkable consistency on the BWF World Tour, securing four titles: the Malaysia Masters, Australian Open, Fuzhou China Open, and retained the Indonesia Open. An interesting fact that their victory at the Australian Open ended a formidable 19-match winning streak held by the Chinese pair Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan against non-Chinese opponents. The pair's season was defined by an incredible depth of high-level finishes, reaching the semi-finals in nearly every tournament they entered. They recorded top-four finishes in the German, All England, Singapore, China, two European leg in the Denmark and French Open, the year-end finals tournament World Tour Finals and an addition at the Asian Championships. This sustained excellence earned Fukushima and Hirota a nomination for the 2019 BWF Female Player of the Year, placing them among an elite group that included Tai Tzu-ying and Huang Yaqiong. The duo also secured their third consecutive silver medal at the BWF World Championships.
During the period from 2020 to 2022, Fukushima and Hirota navigated a transformative chapter in their careers, characterized by major triumphs and significant physical resilience. The pair began 2020 by leading Japan to a successful title defense at the Asian Women's Team Championships in Manila, where they secured a crucial point in the final with a straight-game victory over South Korea's Lee So-hee and Shin Seung-chan. This momentum carried into their historic win at the 2020 All England Open. Despite the disruption of the global tour due to COVID-19 pandemic, they maintained their form by winning the 2020 Denmark Open, further solidifying their World No. 1 status. In early 2021, they reached the final of the All England Open for the second consecutive year, finishing as runners-up to their compatriots Matsumoto and Nagahara. However, the lead-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics presented a major challenge when Hirota suffered an ACL injury; despite this, the duo displayed immense fortitude as Hirota competed with a heavy knee brace, reaching the quarter-finals of the Games. They remained a backbone of the Japanese national team during the 2020 Uber Cup (held in 2021), contributing to Japan's silver-medal finish after an intense final against China. In 2022, they continued to bolster Japan's international standing, helping the team secure a bronze medal at the Uber Cup in Bangkok, and reaching the final of the Indonesia Open, where they finished as runners-up in a hard-fought three-game battle against Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida. Additionally, they earned a bronze medal at the Asian Championships.
In 2023, Fukushima and Hirota marked a triumphant return to peak form, highlighted by their gold medal victory at the Asian Championships in Dubai. They maintained high consistency throughout the season, reaching the finals of the Indonesia Masters, Indonesia Open and China Masters, and also at the Swiss Open, where Fukushima suffered a minor injury. Fukushima also participated in the Sudirman Cup, where the team finish in the semi-finals, and also secured the bronze medals at the Asian Games in the women's doubles and team event. However, this narrative of resilience took a tragic turn in late 2023 when Hirota suffered a second career-threatening injuryâÂÂa torn ACL in her left kneeâÂÂduring the semi-final of the Syed Modi International in India against Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa.
Entering 2024 with the Paris Olympic qualification at stake, Hirota made the courageous decision to delay surgery and continue playing. In an emotional display of fortitude, the duo returned to the court for the French and All England Open in March, competing with a heavy knee brace. Despite reaching the quarter-finals of the All England, their Olympic ambitions ultimately fell short due to Hirota's physical limitations. This led to the official conclusion of the legendary "Fuku-hiro" partnership in September 2024. While Hirota began her long-term recovery and surgery, Fukushima embarked on a new chapter, debuting a successful new partnership with Mayu Matsumoto at the Japan Masters in Kumamoto, where they finish as runner-up.
In 2025, Fukushima formed a partnership with Matsumoto, nicknamed "Fuku-matsu" by fans and media. The pair won the Malaysia Open in January and the French Open in October. They reached the final of the All England Open, and secured semi-final finishes at the Orléans Masters, Korea Open, Denmark Open, and the Japan Masters. At the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, Fukushima and Matsumoto advanced through the group stage and won a semi-final against Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan before finishing as runners-up to South Korea's Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee. They ended the season ranked number 5 in the world.
Women's doubles
Women's doubles
Women's doubles
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, and the BWF Tour Super 100.
Women's doubles
The BWF Superseries, which was launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007, was a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF Superseries levels were Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries consisted of twelve tournaments around the world that had been introduced since 2011. Successful players were invited to the Superseries Finals, which were held at the end of each year.
Women's doubles
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
Women's singles
Women's doubles