Hong Kong Judo
Hong Kong and world judo news, competition updates, Kodokan stories and features from the judo community.
Hong Kong Judo
A Kuma Dojo adult judoka began judo at 41, trained every week for seven years, and reached first-dan black belt with the support of family, coach and dojo teammates.
Japan
Uta Abe claimed her 12th Grand Slam title in 14 appearances in Ulaanbaatar, a rare record in women’s judo highlighted by the IJF.
Korea
Korea’s Kim Minjong defeated leading heavyweight opponents in Ulaanbaatar to claim his first Grand Slam gold in the men’s +100kg category.
China / Hong Kong
The IJF entry list shows the 2026 Qingdao Grand Prix will run from 26 to 28 June, with Hong Kong entering Wong Ka Ki and Lee Kwok Wing.
IJF
The 2026 IJF Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam reached its final day on 21 June, with men's -90kg, -100kg and +100kg, plus women's -78kg and +78kg in action. IJF reporting highlighted Sanshiro Murao's controlled performance in the -90kg category as he claimed his ninth Grand Slam gold medal.
Japan
The 2026 Japan Masters Judo Tournament brought together judoka of different age groups for continued training, exchange and lifelong judo practice.
World Judo
As an early marker in the Los Angeles 2028 qualification cycle, the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam brought together around 240 athletes from 28 countries and regions. For Hong Kong readers, the event offers a useful window into Japan's team rotation, Asian depth and the new Olympic cycle.
IJF
The 2026 Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam is now into its second day in Mongolia, with the race for LA 2028 Olympic qualification already underway. After a dramatic opening day led by four Japanese gold medals and Balabay Aghayev's -60kg victory, today's -73kg, -81kg, -63kg and -70kg contests are set to raise the intensity even further.
Japan
The All Japan Judo Federation released the official page for the 2026 IJF Grand Slam Ulaanbaatar on 18 June; the tournament runs 19–21 June in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Japan is sending a 23-member delegation (9 staff + 14 athletes), with Keiji Suzuki and Maki Tsukada serving as the men's and women's team managers respectively. The event counts toward 2028 Los Angeles Olympic qualification.
IJF
The All Japan Judo Federation released the official details for the 2026 IJF Grand Prix Qingdao on 18 June; the tournament runs 26–28 June in Qingdao, China. Japan is sending an 18-member delegation (7 staff + 11 athletes), with stars including Hifumi Abe (66 kg) and Sone Akira (+78 kg).
IJF
The IJF has confirmed that the 2026 Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam (19–21 June) opens the qualification window for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Japan
The All Japan Judo Federation has launched the official event page for the 2026 World Judo Championships in Baku, scheduled for 4 October (Sunday) to 11 October (Sunday) in Baku, Azerbaijan. The event is the highest-level competition within the LA 2028 Olympic qualification cycle and is expected to draw more than 80 countries and regions.
IJF
The International Judo Federation has confirmed that Georgia will host the 2029 World Judo Championships. With Georgia's deep judo culture, strong national team and passionate audience, the announcement is an important signal for the sport's global map.
Japan
The All Japan Judo Federation has released the schedule for the 2026 All Japan Student Judo Championships by Weight Category, set for 26–27 September at the Nippon Budokan. The event follows the IJF weight category system and is the highest-level student competition of the year.
Japan
The All Japan Corporate Judo Federation announced the women's division 2 result of the 76th All Japan Corporate Judo Team Championships: Park 24 reclaimed the title for the first time since 2024. The competition was held over 13–14 June at Nobeoka Arena in Miyazaki Prefecture, with three men's divisions and two women's divisions contested in parallel using a three-person team relay format.
Hong Kong Judo
Two Hong Kong judoka from Kuma Dojo achieved consecutive victories at the Kodokan Spring Kohaku Shiai in Tokyo, marking a meaningful step for Hong Kong judo on the Kodokan stage.
Japan
The All Japan Judo Federation has published details of the judo events at the 80th National Sports Festival (Kokutai). The competition is scheduled for 17–19 October in Aomori Prefecture. This edition is the first after the renaming of the national sports festival, and uses the IJF weight category system combined with team events.
Japan
The All Japan Judo Federation on 15 June announced the 2026 High Performance Directorate coaching line-up, with former World Champion Ryuji Sonoda appointed head coach of the men's team and former Olympic gold medalist Hideto Yoshida appointed head coach of the women's team. The new coaching staff will serve from April 2026 to March 2028, coordinating Japan's preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Japan
The 2026 Spring All Japan High Dan Holders Judo Tournament was held on 9 May (Saturday) and 10 May (Sunday) in Osaka, hosted by the Kodokan with participants all at fifth dan or above. The list of technically outstanding players was published by the Kodokan on 11 May.
Japan
The 76th All Japan Corporate Judo Team Championships concluded on 14 June at Athlete Town Nobeoka Arena in Miyazaki Prefecture, with Asahi Kasei completing the first-ever five-peat in men's division 1. Asahi Kasei also won men's division 2, making the corporate team the dominant force of the tournament, which is split into three men's divisions by team strength.
Hong Kong Judo
The Judo Association of Hong Kong, China has published details of the 2026 Hong Kong Judo Team Championships, scheduled for 12 July (Sunday) at the Shek Kip Mei Park Sports Centre. Registration details, competition format, categories and venue information are subject to the official notice from the Judo Association of Hong Kong, China.
Japan
The All Japan Judo Federation has published full details for the judo competition at the 20th Asian Games 2026, set for 30 September to 3 October in Aichi-Nagoya.
IJF
Croatia's JudoFest opened in Poreč on 8 June with 600+ senior and 200+ cadet judoka training in Zelena Laguna. Olympians and world champions including Lukáš Krpálek and Jorge Fonseca joined the week, which also features a Kodokan-led kata seminar.
Japan
At the 74th Kanto High School Judo Championships, Tokai University附属相模高校 completed a consecutive men's team title defence, defeating Hakuoh University Ashikaga High School 3-2 in the first final rematch between the two schools in 34 years. In the women's event, Kasukabe Girls' High School from Saitama Prefecture took the title.
IJF
On 7 June, the historic Friuli Mosaic School hosted "The Mosaic of Movement," welcoming 6- to 17-year-olds for judo and other activities. Organisers used the metaphor of each tile's place in a finished mosaic to push a message of inclusion.
Japan
The All Japan Judo Federation's referee committee has compiled the Judo Referee Licence Guide 2026 — covering the IJF rules in force from 1 April, junior rules, and certified-referee regulations — and released the PDF on 10 June.
Kodokan
The Kodokan has announced this year's Shochu Keiko summer camp: a 10-day intensive running 6:30 AM daily from 27 July to 5 August, open to dan-grade judoka nationwide.
IJF
The International Judo Federation has officially announced that the 2026 World Judo Masters will take place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, from 18 to 20 December. The invitation-only event brings together the top 36 ranked athletes in each weight category, with the gold medallist awarded 1,800 World Ranking points that also count towards qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
IJF
The IJF, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the Jenys International Sports Foundation have signed an MoU to introduce judo programmes — coaching, classes, and competitions — into Kazakhstani universities.
Japan
The federation has refreshed its safety-notice archive on head/neck injuries and heat-stroke prevention, republishing the 3 June 2026 directive for prefectural bodies and safety officers to circulate.
Japan
The AJJF public-relations magazine Mind has published issue 48 in a free web edition, alongside a back-catalogue of issues 27 through 47 readable on any device.
Kodokan
Kodokan 9-dan and council member Chiba Midori, born in Iwate, contributes a reflective piece looking back on 85 years of life and a lifetime devoted to judo, urging the next generation to keep exploring the deeper values of Kodokan judo.
Kodokan
The Kodokan has published full details of its 2026 Summer Camp for Juniors, covering tachi-waza and ne-waza instruction plus randori, aimed at primary and secondary school students and held in early August.
Japan
The All Japan Judo Championships, the highest level open-weight individual judo competition in Japan, was held on 26 April at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. Hosted by the Kodokan and the All Japan Judo Federation, with support from Asahi Shimbun and others.
Japan
The All Japan Judo Federation held an online board meeting on 16 March and approved the FY2026 budget assuming a ¥183 million deficit.
IJF
The IJF has announced the inaugural World Judo Continental Team Championships for Peace, to be held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2026.
