Yu Hirayama is a Japanese badminton

Badminton

Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...

 player. She was born in Miyagi prefecture

Miyagi Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...

, in 1985, and graduated from St. Ursula High School. She is now a sophomore

Sophomore

Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...

 at the School of Social Sciences. She won the first prize of the inter-high school athletic meet when she was a second grade high school student, and the next year, she won the all-Japan second prize. Now she belongs to the Japan national badminton team

Japan national badminton team

The Japan national badminton team represents Japan in international badminton team competitions.-Participation in BWF competitions:Thomas Cup*1964 - Semi-finalist *1967 - Final round...

. She has also played in the World Ladies' Championship (Uber Cup

Uber Cup

The Uber Cup, sometimes called the World Team Championships for Women, is a major international badminton competition contested by women's national badminton teams. First held in 1956-1957 and contested at three year intervals, it has been contested every two years since 1984 when its scheduled...

) and other worldwide tournaments, such as the British Open Championship.