Despite the fact that he is a -90kg player, Goki Tajima has won the 2026 All-Japan Open Weight Championships, defeating teammate and rival, Shanshiro Murao (also -90kg) in the final.
Tajima did most of the attacking though it looked very much like a hit-and-run tactical play because none of his attacks came close to scoring. Murao only really attacked twice but both times he nearly scored.
As they headed towards the end of regular time, Tajima suddenly attacked with sumi-gaeshi and scored waza-ari for it. There was not enough time after that for Murao to get the score back.
It's interesting to note that for the All-Japan Open Weight Championships, both players wear white, and that regular time meant 8 minutes (not 4).
It's also worth noting that after he was declared the winner, Tajima shook hands with Murao. Japanese players typically do not shake hands in domestic competitions but merely bow. When they do break from tradition and actually shake hands, it's usually a sign of deep respect and even affection for their rivals.
Podium Results
1) TAJIMA, Goki
2) MURAO, Sanshiro
3) OTA, Hyoga
3) ARAI, Dota
(Photo courtesy of eJudo.info)
