Founded in 1991 as part of social contribution activities during the 70th anniversary of the company founding, the Komatsu Women's Judo Club is celebrating its 34th year. Over this period, including alumnae, about 100 athletes have competed in tournaments worldwide. The club has actively engaged in promoting and developing judo by welcoming foreign athletes and providing judo instruction both domestically and internationally.
The Judo competition of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was held from July 27 to August 3 in Paris, France. Two Komatsu-affiliated athletes competed: Lien Chen-ling (57 kg) representing Taiwan and Miku Takaichi (63 kg) representing Japan.
Both athletes made their third consecutive Olympic appearance, following the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Games. On Day 3, Lien Chen-ling won her opening match by ippon using her specialty in groundwork. In the second round, she faced an opponent known for strong throwing techniques and was narrowly defeated by waza-ari. Despite the loss, her bright and graceful demeanor after the match left a lasting impression. Miku Takaichi appeared on Day 4 of the competition. She won her first match by scoring a waza-ari with a foot technique and securing an ippon through osaekomi. In the second round, she controlled the match and forced her opponent into two shido penalties. However, during the golden score period, she was thrown with seoi-nage and lost by waza-ari in a close contest.
Takaichi also competed in the Mixed Team event held on the final day of the Games. Participating in the 70 kg division, she won her bout against Spain in the first round. When the match was tied and went to a deciding bout, she was selected again and secured victory with an ippon by kosoto-gari, bringing the win to Team Japan. In the final match against host country France, Takaichi faced her long-time rival Clarisse Agbegnenou in an intense showdown. Although she was narrowly defeated, her performance contributed to Japan’s silver medal finish.
In domestic tournaments, Wakaba Tomita (over 78 kg) won her fifth consecutive title at the All-Japan Selected Judo Championships in April, and Hibiki Shiraishi (52 kg) claimed her third straight championship. Both athletes were selected to represent Japan at the 2024 World Judo Championships held in Abu Dhabi in May. Tomita achieved her long-awaited first world title by winning the final match by ippon. In her World Championship debut, Shiraishi narrowly lost in the bronze medal match and finished in fifth place.
The Komatsu Women’s Judo Club continues to coach the Komatsu Kids Judo Club locally and hosts judo classes worldwide, including in Japan, to promote judo and foster the next generation of judoka.
In FY2024, we were able to resume judo classes that had been suspended due to global circumstances and the COVID-19 pandemic. During our visit to Komatsu Middle East (KME), we held a judo class in Dubai and engaged in meaningful exchanges with local children. In March, we participated in an International Women’s Day event at Komatsu Australia Pty Ltd. (KAL), where our athletes demonstrated judo techniques. In Japan, we gave live judo demonstrations at events held at the Ibaraki Plant and in Ishikawa Prefecture in November. These events allowed us to build bonds of friendship and understanding with participants through judo. We will continue our efforts to promote judo around the world.
