Judo in Japan is a school sport, an elite university discipline and part of professional police training. Since 2012, a budo discipline has been compulsory in junior high school, and judo is the most common choice. Japanese judo is known for its upright posture, its two-handed kumikata (gripping) and its pursuit of ippon.
Judo at school
In Japan, many children first meet judo at school rather than in a club. An education reform made martial arts compulsory in physical education for the first two years of junior high school, for girls and boys alike, starting in 2012. Each school chooses the discipline, most often judo, kendo or sumo. Judo wins by a wide margin.
The reform had a dark side. School judo in Japan has seen serious and sometimes fatal accidents, before and after 2012. That triggered a national debate about teacher training and how falling is taught, and safety guidelines were tightened. It is a useful reminder for every club in the world: ukemi (breakfalls) comes before throwing, and time spent on it is never wasted.
Beyond compulsory classes, there are school clubs, called bukatsu. Students who join train almost daily, often before and after lessons. The inter-high school championships draw the attention of the whole Japanese judo world.
Universities: the heart of elite judo
The real center of gravity of Japanese judo is the university system. Several universities are famous for their judo programs, including Tokai, Tenri, Kokushikan and Nippon Sport Science University. The University of Tsukuba, heir to the teacher training college once run by Jigoro Kano, also keeps a strong tradition.
University training is known for its volume. Long randori sessions, uchi-komi (fitting-in drills) by the hundred, and a strict hierarchy between senpai (seniors) and kohai (juniors). First-year students often get the least pleasant chores. People who have trained there describe a pace with no equivalent in a European or American club.
Police and company teams
The Japanese police is one of the historic pillars of judo. Officers practice judo or kendo as part of their training, and some units run specialized training groups that include former champions. Morning sessions in police dojos have a reputation as some of the toughest in the country.
Some companies also run judo teams, where elite athletes are employees while continuing their sporting careers. This model is rare in most Western countries, where elite judo runs through national training centers and clubs.
A unique event: the open-weight All-Japan Championships
The All-Japan Championships are traditionally held without weight classes, at the Nippon Budokan. A middleweight can face a heavyweight. The format keeps Kano's founding idea alive: technique should let the lighter judoka beat the heavier one. For anyone used to weight categories, it is worth watching at least once.
How Japanese judo style differs
These are generalisations. Every Japanese judoka has a personal style. Still, some clear trends stand out when you compare with judo in Europe.
| Aspect | Common in Japan | Common in Europe |
|---|---|---|
| Posture | Upright, chest high | More varied, often lower |
| Gripping | Classic sleeve and lapel, two hands | Longer grip fights |
| Favorite techniques | Uchi-mata, seoi-nage, o-soto-gari | More counters and sacrifice throws |
| Groundwork | Solid, often in transition | Very developed among the best |
Japanese kumikata often surprises visitors. The aim is to take a proper grip first, then attack. In Europe, judoka tend to fight longer to stop the opponent from gripping at all. Japanese judoka also throw a lot of seoi-nage (shoulder throw) and uchi-mata (inner thigh throw), with entries polished by thousands of repetitions from their teenage years.
Training judo in Japan: practical tips
Plenty of judoka dream of a trip to Japan. Here is what helps.
Start with the Kodokan. It is the easiest entry point for a foreigner. Sessions are open to visitors, with a registration process. Our article on the Kodokan explains how to prepare.
For a university or police dojo, get a recommendation. These are not open gyms. A letter from your coach or national federation opens more doors than a cold message. Some clubs abroad have ties with Japanese dojos, so ask around.
Get your body ready. Randori follows randori with no break. Arrive fit, with solid breakfalls, and plan rest days. If you get injured, see a local doctor rather than training through it.
Learn a few words. Judo terminology will cover you on the mat. Off the mat, basic polite phrases (thank you, excuse me, good morning) change how people receive you.
Stay humble. Your grade from home carries little weight there. People will judge you by how you bow, how you fall and how you accept randori with the younger students.
One last tip, probably the most useful: keep a journal during the trip. Each evening, write down one thing you learned, whether a grip, a foot placement or a way of falling. Back home, that journal is what will make you improve, not the photos.