Judo

Maki Tsukada Named New Coach of Japan Women's Judo Squad

The move comes more than 10 years after the women's judo team was rocked by accusations of verbal and physical abuse during former coach Ryuji Sonoda's tenure.

by
Jim Armstrong
October 10, 2024

The All Japan Judo Federation appointed its first female head coach of the women's national team on Wednesday, October 9, more than 10 years after a coaching scandal rocked the sport that was invented in Japan.

Olympic gold medalist Maki Tsukada, 42, will coach the women's team as it prepares for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Tsukada won the women's over-78-kilogram division gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games.

A native of Ibaraki Prefecture, Tsukada took the silver in the same category four years later in Beijing.

"It's almost impossible not to think about being the first female head coach," Tsukada said at a press conference on Wednesday in Tokyo. "I feel a heavy sense of responsibility."

Tsukada succeeds Katsuyuki Masuchi as the Japan women's team head coach.

After retiring from competition, Tsukada served as a national team coach and had a successful stint as a coach at Tokai University.

In 2012, 15 Japanese female judoka sent a letter to the Japanese Olympic Committee complaining that they had been subjected to verbal and physical abuse by then-national head coach Ryuji Sonoda.

The letter of complaint led to Sonoda's resignation in 2013.

New Judo Coach Tsukada Vows to Support the Team's Athletes

Japan took home only one gold medal in women's judo at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the federation has been looking to rebuild the women's program.

Natsumi Tsunoda was the sole gold medalist for Japan in Paris when she won the 48-kilogram event.

"I want to support the athletes so that their time as representatives of Japan is a fulfilling one in their long careers, and I want to help them achieve results," Tsukada said.

Japanese women won four judo gold medals at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 so there is significant work to be done.

The only other medals for Japanese women in Paris were a bronze for Haruka Funakubo in the 57-kg division and a silver in the mixed-team event. In judo, it was the fewest medals for Japanese women at an Olympics.

There have been several female coaches of Japanese national teams over the years.

Asako Takakura was the manager of the national women's soccer team from 2016 until 2021. Reika Utsugi is the current head coach of the national women's softball team.

2004 Olympic gold medalist Keiji Suzuki will stay on as head coach of the men's judo team. Japanese men won two gold, a silver and two bronze at the Paris Games.