TOKYO, July 19 -- When 73-year-old Yoshie Murabe picked Panda as her fighter in a national Tekken 8 tournament, her reason was simple: she just likes pandas.

What followed was far from simple - Murabe, a grandmother with zero gaming experience, powered through the competition to become Japan's newest esports champion.

Murabe won hearts and headlines after clinching the top spot at the Amigo Club Cup Tekken 8 Finals, a tournament featuring players aged 60 to 90 from care homes across Japan.

Hosted by the Care e-Sports Association, the event was livestreamed and quickly went viral, drawing praise from game streamers, voice actors and viewers nationwide.

"I was happy to win," Murabe told Tokyo Weekender following her unexpected victory....