Asia’s largest sports festival is set to take place from September 19 to October 4. I am referring, of course, to the Asian Games, an exciting multi-sport event. This year, the event is being staged mostly in the city of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture. (Some Asian Games events are also being held in Gifu, Shizuoka, Osaka and Tokyo prefectures.)
The Asian Games have been held every four years since 1951. The event is organized by the Olympic Council of Asia, a member of the International Olympic Committee.
This will be the event’s 20th edition. It also marks the third time that the Asian Games will take place in Japan, with the last occasion being the 1994 Hiroshima Games.
The 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 features 43 sports and 469 events, with approximately 11,000 participants expected from 45 countries and regions across Asia, as well as a refugee team.
‘The Courage to Step Forward, Together’
For the 2026 games, I will be participating as the head of the Japanese contingent, Team Japan.
I take great pride in my responsible role as the head of the Japanese delegation for this Japanese Olympic Committee-related competition. Moreover, I am confident that our meticulous preparations will bear fruit. To this end, I will continue providing my full support, right up to the final day of the tournament, doing my best to ensure every athlete has the opportunity to deliver their best possible performance.
The concept adopted by Team Japan for this tournament is “The Courage to Step Forward, Together.” I sincerely hope that the sight of these athletes taking on new challenges will inspire all their supporters — including the next generation — to dare to take a “new step” themselves.
In addition, as someone representing the host nation, I sincerely wish that these Asian Games will prove truly memorable. After the curtain falls, we hope the athletes and spectators who have gathered from across Asia — as well as all those involved in staging them — will feel happily pleased to have attended and played a part.
Finally, I would like to greet all the athletes and spectators planning to visit Japan. We look forward to welcoming you to Nagoya City and Aichi Prefecture, where the breezes of early autumn have already begun to blow!
The Ecole Mont-Olivet Lausanne Grand Slam 2026 proved to be a truly inclusive event. This commemorative photo shows me with French judoka Teddy Riner and Swiss Judo and Jiu-Jitsu Federation president Sergei Aschwanden (left). (©JUDOs by Kosei Inoue)
The First-ever Inclusive Grand Slam
An historic Grand Slam tournament was held for the first time in Lausanne, Switzerland, from August 28 to 30. Organized by the International Judo Federation (IJF), this was the first time any Grand Slam event was staged in Lausanne.
Even more noteworthy, however, was the fact that it was the first-ever Grand Slam featuring an inclusive format. Simultaneously, Adapted judo and deaf judo matches were held alongside the standard individual competitions across seven weight categories for both men and women.
As an IJF board member, I took part in the tournament’s operations. And I am delighted to say that the participating athletes delivered outstanding performances across all categories. They made it an event that brilliantly showcased the inclusivity and potential of judo, as well as the social role that the sport can play.
Significantly, the opening ceremony featured a video message from Yasuhiro Yamashita, former world champion, Olympic gold medalist in judo, and Japanese Olympic Committee chairman. Speaking with great determination, he said: “Now that I am confined to a wheelchair following a severe cervical spine injury, my mission as a judoka is to build a society where people with disabilities are accepted and supported.”
Yamashita Sensei’s remarks were moving and important. Seeing the audience, the athletes, and the officials all listening spellbound to every word he spoke, with their eyes glued to the video, left a deep impression on me.
Judoka directly physically engage with their opponents. Therefore, beyond its nature as a competitive sport, judo has a powerful capacity to connect people and foster mutual understanding.
I was vividly reminded of that truth during the waning days of summer, 2026, in Lausanne, Switzerland.
RELATED:
Author: Kosei Inoue, President, Certified NPO JUDOs
井上康生 理事長, 認定NPO法人 JUDOs
Continue Reading