New coaching staff for Japanese teams

The Japanese Judo Federation has unveiled the coaching staff for its men's and women's national teams, following the recent announcement of new head coaches. While the men’s team remains largely unchanged under the leadership of Keiji Suzuki, the women’s team has undergone a historic shift with the appointment of Maki Tsukada as the first female head coach for Japan’s women’s judo team.

\On the men’s side, the only change is the replacement of long-serving coach Minoru Konegawa with Masashi Ebinuma, a respected figure in judo. Einuma joins a coaching team that includes Takashi Ono, Hiroyuki Akimoto, and Masaru Momose.

The bigger transformation is on the women’s team, where Maki Tsukada, an Olympic champion from 2004 and silver medalist in 2008, has taken over as head coach. Tsukada, previously in charge of the women’s judo team at Tokai University, brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to the role. She will be supported by coaches Nae Udaka, Kengo Takaichi, Nozomi Nemoto, Noriyuki Hayakawa, and Rikiya Muto.

Additionally, the performance committee has seen a shift, with Toshihiko Yamada replacing Jun Konno. The international committee has also been strengthened with the addition of Kenichiro Agemizu and Takamasa Anai, both well-regarded university coaches from Tokai and Tenri, respectively.

These changes mark an exciting new chapter for Japanese judo as it continues to build on its legacy and prepare for future international competitions.