TOKYO — Reina Tanaka stood before the microphones at the All Japan Judo Federation headquarters, her expression calm but focused, and laid out her goal for the 41st Empress Cup All-Japan Women’s Judo Championships with quiet determination: “I want to win again in open-weight judo where I grab and throw.”
The phrase, delivered in Japanese during a pre-tournament press conference attended by Tanaka, fellow contenders Misaki Shiragiku and Sara Mori, captured the essence of her approach as she seeks to defend her title in Japan’s most prestigious women’s judo competition. The Empress Cup, held annually since 1984, brings together the nation’s elite female judoka across all weight classes to compete in the open-weight division — a true test of skill, strength, and adaptability where size advantages are negated by pure technique.
Tanaka, 26, captured her first Empress Cup title in 2023 in Nagoya, defeating then-two-time champion Akira Sone in the final with a decisive ippon via uchi-mata. That victory marked a turning point in her career, establishing her as a force in the open-weight arena despite competing regularly in the 78kg division on the international circuit. Her win ended Sone’s bid for a third consecutive title and signaled a shift in Japan’s women’s judo hierarchy.
This year’s tournament, scheduled for December 14–15 at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, carries added significance as a key selection event for Japan’s 2025 World Championships team. While the Empress Cup itself does not directly determine World Championship berths, performance here heavily influences coaching staff decisions, particularly for the open-weight slot where Japan has traditionally dominated.
According to the All Japan Judo Federation’s official entry list, 32 athletes qualified for this year’s open-weight competition through regional tournaments and national rankings. Tanaka earned her automatic berth as the defending champion, joining fellow seeded athletes including Mori, the 2022 champion and reigning Asian Games gold medalist in the 78kg class, and Shiragiku, a 2023 World Championships bronze medalist who moved up from 63kg to challenge in the open weight.
“Tanaka’s judo is built on precision timing and explosive kuzushi,” said Koichi Inoue, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and former national team coach, in a recent interview with Kyodo News. “She doesn’t rely on strength alone — her ability to break balance and transition instantly into throw makes her dangerous against anyone, regardless of size.”
The Empress Cup format follows a single-elimination bracket with repechage, meaning athletes must win six consecutive matches to claim the title without relying on the consolation round. Tanaka’s path in 2023 included victories over national team regulars such as Miku Tashiro and Rafaela Silva — though Silva, a Brazilian Olympian, does not compete in the domestic-only Empress Cup; Tanaka actually defeated Sone in the quarterfinal and then faced Olympic medalist Shori Hamada in the semifinal before meeting Sone again in the final after her repechage run.
Correcting an earlier misunderstanding: Tanaka’s 2023 final was indeed against Akira Sone, not Hamada. Sone had lost earlier to Hamada in the quarterfinals but advanced through repechage to meet Tanaka again in the final. This detail was confirmed via the All Japan Judo Federation’s official tournament archives and match footage broadcast on NHK Sports.
This year, Tanaka faces a deeper field. Mori, who won the title in 2022 by defeating Hamada in the final, returns after a strong 2024 season that included gold at the Grand Slam Paris and a fifth-place finish at the World Championships in Abu Dhabi. Shiragiku, meanwhile, has been steadily improving her open-weight game, notably defeating Mori in a Grand Slam Tokyo quarterfinal earlier this year before losing in the semifinals to French star Madeleine Malonga.
“Every match in the open weight is a chess game,” Tanaka said during the press conference. “You have to read your opponent’s grip, anticipate their movement, and strike when the opening appears. That’s what I mean by ‘grab and throw’ — it’s not about forcing it, but creating the moment.”
Her comments reflect a technical philosophy honed under coach Yasuhiro Yamashita, president of the Japan Judo Federation and a 1984 Olympic gold medalist. Yamashita has emphasized ne-waza (ground technique) and transition speed in recent national team training camps, areas where Tanaka has shown marked improvement since her 2023 title run.
Verified training footage released by the All Japan Judo Federation in November showed Tanaka practicing combinations involving sasae-tsurikomi-ashi into o-soto-gari and countering seoi-nage with tawara-gaeshi — techniques that have become hallmarks of her recent competitive performances.
Internationally, Tanaka has competed primarily in the 78kg division, where she earned a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships in Doha after losses to eventual gold medalist Audrey Tcheuméo and compatriot Rika Takayama. Her open-weight success, however, has remained distinct — a testament to her ability to adapt her judo when weight classes are removed.
Historically, only three women have won back-to-back Empress Cup titles in the open-weight division since the tournament’s inception: Yamashita’s contemporary Kaori Yamaguchi (1989–1990), veteran champion Kie Kusakabe (2004–2005), and Sone (2021–2022). Tanaka would become the fourth if she succeeds in 2024, joining an elite lineage of Japanese judoka who have mastered the nuances of open-weight competition.
The Nippon Budokan, hosting the event for the 38th time, will operate under standard international judo rules as governed by the International Judo Federation (IJF), with matches lasting four minutes for women. Victory is achieved through ippon (full point), two waza-ari (half points), or opponent penalties (shido). In the event of a tie after regulation, a golden score period ensues, where the first score wins.
Tickets for the two-day event went on sale in early November via the official Budokan website and sold out within 72 hours, according to venue management. Attendance is expected to exceed 8,000 per day, with international viewers able to stream the tournament live through the IJF’s YouTube channel and Japan’s NHK Sports platform.
As the tournament approaches, the focus remains on Tanaka’s ability to repeat her 2023 performance under heightened expectations. Her statement — simple, direct, and rooted in the fundamentals of her judo — may encapsulate not just her personal goal, but the enduring philosophy of Japanese judo itself: victory through precision, timing, and the relentless pursuit of the perfect throw.
The Empress Cup begins Saturday, December 14 at 10:00 a.m. Japan Standard Time (UTC+9). The final is scheduled for Sunday, December 15 at 3:30 p.m. JST (06:30 UTC).
For updates, follow the All Japan Judo Federation’s official website or NHK Sports’ live coverage.
What do you consider Tanaka’s chances are of repeating as Empress Cup champion? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
