Defending champion Kobe Steel scored six tries in each half Sunday to kick off its bid for a record ninth rugby national championship crown with a 78-7 drubbing of Keio University.
Along with Kobe Steel's romp at Chichibunomiya in Tokyo, last year's runnerup, Toyota Motor, buried Doshisha University 70-5, NEC eased past collegiate champion Kanto Gakuin University 64-26 and Suntory rumbled 79-26 over Hosei University.
Fullback Osami Yatsuhashi led the Kobe attack over the lightly regard Keio team with four tries, while forward Dean Anglesey of New Zealand touched down for three more.
The Feb. 18 semifinals pit national corporate champion Kobe Steel against NEC, while Suntory squares off with Toyota Motor.