Tokyo, Japan – The All Japan Judo Federation announced the pairings for the All-Japan Judo Championships, set to grab place on April 26th at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. The competition, featuring a weight-open format for men, will see several world champions competing, including 66kg world champion Takeru Muroka, along with Ryusei Nagayama and Sanshiro Murao.
Muroka will be making his debut appearance in the All-Japan Championships. The event draws top judoka across all weight classes, creating a unique challenge for athletes accustomed to competing within specific weight divisions. Last year, Ichi-Ni-San Abe and Ryoma Tanaka competed in the event via recommendation, and this year continues the trend of lightweight world champions testing themselves against heavier opponents.
Nagayama is set to compete for the third time, having previously faced a competitor weighing 160kg in a notable match last year. Murao, meanwhile, will be returning to the championships for the first time since 2018, when he was a high school student. He stated in December that competing in the All-Japan Championships was a necessary step towards aiming for a championship title, given the timing ahead of the next Olympic Games.
Both Muroka and Murao have already secured their places in the World Championships, scheduled for October in Baku, Azerbaijan, and will therefore not participate in the All-Japan Selected Weight Category Championships, held from April 4th to 5th in Fukuoka International Center. Kokiki Tashima (28) and Michihiro Arai (21), who have as well qualified for the World Championships, will focus solely on the All-Japan Championships, bypassing the Selected Weight Category event.
Ryusei Nagayama, who has not yet secured his spot in the World Championships, will compete in both the Selected Weight Category Championships and the All-Japan Championships, mirroring his schedule from the previous year. This will result in a demanding competition schedule for Nagayama.
The All Japan Judo Federation also announced the pairings for the All-Japan Women’s Judo Championships, which will be held on April 19th at the Yokohama Budokan. Similar to the men’s competition, world champions will receive recommendation slots.
The All-Japan Judo Championships represent a significant event in the Japanese judo calendar, offering a platform for athletes to showcase their skills and compete for national recognition. The participation of world champions adds to the prestige and excitement of the tournament, promising a high level of competition. For fans of the sport, the event provides a unique opportunity to witness some of the world’s best judoka battling it out in a weight-open format, a departure from the standard weight-categorized competitions.
The event is particularly noteworthy this year due to the proximity to the next Olympic Games. Athletes are using the championships as a key stepping stone in their preparations, and the results will undoubtedly influence team selections and strategies. The competition will be closely watched by judo enthusiasts and national team selectors alike.
The All-Japan Judo Championships are a testament to the enduring popularity of judo in Japan, a sport deeply rooted in the country’s cultural heritage. The event consistently attracts a large audience and generates significant media coverage, highlighting the continued passion for judo among Japanese sports fans.
The next confirmed checkpoint for many of these athletes will be the All-Japan Selected Weight Category Championships in early April, followed by the World Championships in Baku in October. Fans can stay updated on the latest news and results through the official All Japan Judo Federation website.
