Japan Defeats Kazakhstan to Win Mixed Team Judo Gold at Asian Games

Japan secured its third mixed team judo title at the Asian Games on December 3, defeating Kazakhstan 4-0 in the final at the Aichi International Arena to capture the nation’s ninth gold medal in the sport.

Kazakhstan Final Sweep Caps Four-Win Run

The mixed team event served as the final judo competition of the Games. Japan opened the tournament in the quarterfinals with a 4-1 victory over Uzbekistan before defeating Mongolia 4-0 in the semifinals to advance to the gold-medal match against Kazakhstan.

The championship lineup featured six Japanese competitors: Eishun Tokumochi (24, Keiyo Gas), Moa Ono (22, JR East), Miki Mukunoki (23, V-Technology), Yuta Nakamura (24, Asahi Kasei), Itsuki Ishihara (25, JES Elevator), and Utana Terada (27, JR East).

Opening Bouts Build Definitive Lead

Fighting on a demanding one-day recovery schedule, men’s 73kg bronze medalist Itsuki Ishihara faced 34-year-old Gusman Kyrgyzbayev in the opening match. Ishihara maintained active pressure and secured a waza-ari with a sode-tsurikomi-goshi with one minute and 40 seconds remaining, holding on for a decision victory.

In the women’s 70kg division, Utana Terada met Ajar Ashhat. Both judoka struggled to establish decisive grips, accumulating penalties as the bout progressed. With Ashhat facing disqualification following a third shido called for a false attack at the 3:07 mark, Terada claimed a narrow victory to put Japan up 2-0.

Securing the Gold in the Final Matches

Men’s 90kg competitor Eishun Tokumochi faced Aidar Arapov in the third match. Tokumochi conceded a waza-ari after being caught by a foot sweep 1 minutes and 40 seconds into the contest. However, Tokumochi maintained the offensive until Arapov received a third penalty for passivity, handing the Japanese judoka a come-from-behind victory.

In the fourth match, women’s 70kg-plus representative Miki Mukunoki secured the team title decisively against Aida Toysibekova. Mukunoki launched a sharp uchi-mata just 33 seconds after the start, earning an ippon victory to complete the 4-0 sweep.