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 29th year. Since its establishment, a total of 89 athletes have participated in competitions worldwide. The club has actively engaged in teaching judo at home and abroad, and in welcoming foreign judo competitors, with the goal to develop and popularize this sport.
The 2019 World Judo Championships in Tokyo was held at the Nippon Budokan. Four athletes from the Komatsu Women's Judo Club participated in this preliminary event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Tsukasa Yoshida (57 kg weight class), who won gold at the 2018 World Judo Championships in Baku, looked to win the championship for the second consecutive year. However, she was narrowly defeated by Christa Deguchi of Canada, in the final round, finishing with silver.
Miku Tashiro (63 kg weight class) again competed against her rival Clarisse Agbegnenou of France. The two had previously battled in the final round of last year's World Judo Championships. Neither athletes offence or defense ceded an inch as they struggled for the long-cherished gold medal. Sadly, Tashiro lost the over 11-minute-long death match, taking home the silver medal. However, the match was a big step forward for her, as she sets her eyes on Olympic gold.
On the last day of the world championships, Yoko Ono (70 kg weight class) and Tsukasa Yoshida (57 kg weight class), as they did last year, participated in the mixed team event, which will be a new Olympic event, and won the gold medal, leading the Japanese team to their third consecutive victory.
In addition, Komatsu employees rushed to cheer on our representatives from countries around the world, such as France, Germany, Russia and China. In Tokyo, Fukuoka, Hyogo and Chiba, employees and their families from neighboring factories and sales offices within the area joined the cheering. Our support, which is worldwide, is helping not only to promote judo but also to strengthen a sense of corporate unity (global teamwork).
You can see details of the tournament records, player profiles, and more.
The Komatsu Women’s Judo Club has continued to coach the Komatsu Kids Judo Club in Tokyo, while also directing and coaching judo classes around the world, including Japan, aiming to popularize this sport and train the next generation of judoka. In FY2019, judo classes continued to be held mainly in areas where Komatsu production sites are located. In Japan, judo class was held at Komatsu NTC Ltd.'s Plant Fair for the first time in the Hokuriku region, enabling both children with judo experience and children who were beginners to participate. One class in Yaroslavl, Russia, was held for the ninth consecutive year, with about 150 participants, mainly children aged from 6 to 15 years old.
| Month | Place | Number of Participants |
|---|---|---|
|
July |
Chicago (United States) |
150 |
|
September |
Yaroslavl (Russia) |
150 |
|
September |
Koriyama (Fukushima) |
40 |
|
September |
Komatsu NTC (Toyama) |
30 |