At the 19th Asian Games in Nagoya, the Japanese delegation secured six gold medals in swimming, establishing the discipline as its single largest gold-producing sport of the multi-sport competition, according to event results.
Swimming Leads the Medal Count with Six Titles
Japanese swimmers claimed six gold medals during the competition, competing closely with athletes from China and other regional powerhouses in breaststroke, backstroke, and relay events. Shigeki Matsushita captured gold in the men’s 400-meter individual medley, while the men’s and women’s 4×100-meter medley relay team finished atop the podium with an Asian record time.
In the men’s 4×100-meter medley relay specifically, the Japanese quartet outpaced China’s team to take the gold medal, highlighting the squad’s depth in short-distance disciplines.
Judo and Wrestling Lead Gold Medal Wins
Judo, widely regarded as a national sport in Japan, served as a primary gold-mining source by yielding five titles across weight classes including the men’s 66kg, men’s 73kg, and women’s 57kg categories. Meanwhile, the wrestling squad added two gold medals to the country’s tally, led by Kenichiro Fumita in the men’s Greco-Roman 60kg division and Akari Fujinami in the women’s freestyle 50kg event. Karate and taekwondo contributed one gold medal each, coming in the men’s individual kata and women’s 57kg categories respectively.
Marathon and Gymnastics Add Single Titles Amid Low Conversion Rates
In track and field, Ichitaka Yamashita secured Japan’s lone athletics gold medal by winning the men’s marathon in 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 49 seconds. The badminton team added one gold and two silver medals across the mixed doubles and men’s singles tournaments.
Despite accumulating a total of 269 medals—including 95 silver and 91 bronze—Japan’s conversion rate of finals to gold medals remained low, with silver and bronze finishes accounting for 69 percent of its total podium count. The team finished the Games with 83 gold medals, securing second place in both the gold and overall medal standings after competition concluded on October 4.
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