Takato dominates in judo, giving Japan its first gold medal at the Games.


By Ken Belson

Host countries often outperform at the Olympics, and Japan wasted no time capturing its first gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games, appropriately enough in judo, a sport the Japanese dominate.

On the first full day of competition, Naohisa Takato won a gold medal in judo in the under-60 kilogram weight class, making up for his disappointing bronze medal finish at the Rio Games in 2016. The three-time world champion beat Taiwan’s Yang Yung Wei at Nippon Budokan, the sport’s hallowed home.

Takato, who is the highest-ranked judoka in his weight class, won gold just after Funa Tonaki won a silver medal in the women’s under-48 kilogram class.

Japan has medal contenders in virtually every weight class in judo. The national judo team is so dominant its nickname is “Godzilla Japan.”

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