Judo Western Australia is preparing to deliver the next stage of its WA-Japan Judo Exchange Program, with Western Australian athletes, coaches and judo participants set to travel to Japan in December 2025 as part of the program’s Year 2 activities.
The WA-Japan Judo Exchange Program forms part of Judo WA’s broader Asian Engagement Project, which seeks to strengthen sporting, cultural, educational and community connections between Western Australia and Japan through judo. The Year 2 project continues Judo WA’s work to create meaningful international development opportunities for Western Australian athletes, coaches, officials and clubs.
As the birthplace of judo and home to some of the world’s most respected school, university and institutional judo programs, Japan provides an exceptional environment for Western Australian participants to deepen their technical understanding, broaden their cultural awareness and experience the standards of training that underpin Japanese judo.
The upcoming tour is expected to include visits to a range of judo environments in Japan, including high schools, universities, dojos and other judo institutions. These activities will give participants the opportunity to take part in structured training sessions, observe different coaching and athlete development systems, and learn more about the discipline, etiquette and educational values that are central to judo in Japan.
A key part of Judo WA’s Asian Engagement Project is the development of a formal relationship with the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo. The Kodokan is internationally recognised as the home of judo and plays a central role in preserving, developing and promoting the values, techniques, history and educational purpose of the sport. Through the relationship with Kodokan, Judo WA is seeking to establish a cooperative framework that supports training and technical exchange, coach and official development, athlete pathway opportunities, cultural exchange and long-term friendship between the Western Australian and Japanese judo communities.
The exchange program is designed to deliver benefits beyond the individual tour experience. By connecting Western Australian participants with high-quality Japanese judo environments, Judo WA aims to strengthen local knowledge, expose coaches and athletes to different training methods, and build relationships that may lead to future outbound tours, inbound Japanese delegations, joint training activities, seminars, camps and event participation in Western Australia.
Judo WA Chief Executive Officer Jacob Read said the program was an important part of Judo WA’s long-term strategy to connect Western Australia more deeply with the international judo community.
“Japan is central to the history and ongoing development of judo globally, and this program provides Western Australian participants with the opportunity to experience that environment directly,” Mr Read said.
“The tour is not only about technical training. It is also about cultural exchange, relationship-building and exposing our athletes and coaches to different ways of learning, teaching and participating in judo.”
“Our relationship with the Kodokan is an important part of this work. The Kodokan represents the history, values and educational foundations of judo, and we see this relationship as a meaningful step toward building sustainable links between Western Australia and Japan.”
The program also supports Judo WA’s broader objective of promoting Western Australia as a destination for international judo engagement. By strengthening relationships with Japanese judo institutions, Judo WA aims to encourage future inbound visits to Western Australia, including participation in training camps, seminars, cultural exchange activities and international competitions hosted in WA.
Western Australia’s geographic position provides a strong platform for engagement with Asia, and judo offers a practical and values-based way to build people-to-people connections through sport. The WA-Japan Judo Exchange Program will help create opportunities for athletes, coaches, officials, administrators and partner organisations to connect across borders while supporting the ongoing development of judo in Western Australia.
The WA Government through the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport and Lotterywest are major supporters of Judo Western Australia and the WA-Japan Judo Exchange Program in Western Australia. Sport and recreation creates vibrant, inclusive and connected WA communities.
Judo WA looks forward to sharing updates from the tour and highlighting the experiences of participants as they represent Western Australia in Japan.