Two-time Olympic judo champion Hifumi Abe, a national sports hero in Japan, delivered one of the banner performances at the Tokyo Grand Slam on Sunday, December 7.
For the four-time world champion in the men’s 66-kg division, it was a positive result to close out the judo season after falling short of his goal to win a sixth consecutive world title in June in Budapest. Abe lost in the quarterfinals to Tajikistan’s Obid Dzhebov. That was Abe’s first defeat in an individual event since 2019.
In the men’s final in Tokyo, Abe met 21-year-old Kairi Kentoku, a Grand Slam debutant.
Veteran poise and overall skills carried Abe to victory, giving him a record sixth Tokyo Grand Slam title. Prior to his win over Kentoku, Abe outdueled Takeshi Takeoka in overtime via waza-ari in the semifinals.
For Abe, the title-clinching victory was a reminder of his status in the sport.
“I was able to prove my strength,” he said, according to Jiji Press on Sunday.
Hifumi Abe (KYODO)
Losing earlier this year, perhaps it gave the 28-year-old Abe an even greater focus to perfect his skills on the tatami.
“I was fighting, thinking I’m not giving up my position to the younger ones yet,” Abe said, according to Kydo News. “I’m motivated as if I’m still 17.”
He added, “I hope I can also keep proving that next year and onward.”
Comprehensive Sports Success at the Judo Meet
Japanese judoka collected gold medals in 11 of the 14 weight divisions during the two-day meet at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. The host nation won all but one of the women’s categories (over 78-kg division). And it finished in first place in five of seven men’s categories.
In addition to Hifumi Abe, men’s gold medalists included Hayato Kondo (60 kg), Ryuga Tanaka (73 kg), Yuhei Oino (81 kg) and Sanshiro Murao (90 kg). Men’s silver medalists for Japan were Dota Arai (under 100 kg) and Hyoga Ota (over 100 kg).
Kurena Ikeda (KYODO)
Wakana Koga (48 kg), Hifumi’s sister Uta Abe (52 kg), Akari Omori (57 kg), Haruka Kaju (63 kg), Shiho Tanaka (70 kg) and Kurena Ikeda (78 kg) won gold medals for Japan in women’s competition.
Around 300 athletes from 41 countries competed in the final Grand Slam tournament of 2025.
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Ikuma Horishima competes in the men’s moguls event at the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup meet in Ruka, Finland, on December 7. (AP/via KYODO)
Freestyle Skiing
Moguls Star Horishima Triumphs in World Cup Opener
Freestyle skier Ikuma Horishima revved up his preparations for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics by winning the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup season-opening men’s moguls event.
Horishima amassed 83.48 points on Sunday, December 7, in Ruka, Finland, to earn the victory. It was his 23rd World Cup win in his specialized event.
The key to victory for the 2022 Olympic bronze medalist was a well-executed cork 1440 trick. It was an impressive aerial maneuver.
“It’s the beginning of the season, and we haven’t had time to spend in training,” Horishima was quoted as saying by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation Website.
He added, “It didn’t feel so great for skiing, so I was very nervous at the top. I gave it my all for the superfinal, and I was glad at the finish line.”
Four days after his triumph in Finland, Horishima turned 28.
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Hinako Shibuno, Yuna Nishimura and Kokona Sakurai qualified to participate on the LPGA Tour for the 2026 season. The final stage of the LPGA Tour Qualifying Series concluded on December 8 in Mobile, Alabama. (KYODO)
Golf
Japanese Trio Qualifies for 2026 LPGA Tour Season
The final stage of the LPGA Tour Qualifying Series wrapped up on Monday, December 8 in Mobile, Alabama.
At Magnolia Grove Golf Course, Japan’s Kokona Sakurai finished tied for 10th in the four-round event with an 8-under 278. Sakurai, who made her JLPGA Tour debut in her homeland in 2022, will join the LPGA as a rookie in 2026.
The 21-year-old is the youngest of three Japanese qualifiers for 2026 who participated in the event commonly referred to as the Q-Series in order to earn her LPGA Tour card.
Yuna Nishimura, 25, carded a 5-under 281 to tie for 24th. An LPGA Tour rookie in 2023, Nishimura regained her status on the tour for 2026. She opened with a 5-under 66 on December 5.
Hinako Shibuno, now 27, won the 2019 Women’s British Open, raising her profile in the golf world. Like Nishimura, Shibuno also carded a 281 in the final stage of the Q-Series, as did six others.
Japan women’s curling squad members react after clinching a 2026 Olympic berth at a qualifying event in Kelowna, Canada, on December 10. (KYODO)
Curling
Japan Women Secure Berth in 2026 Olympics.
In preliminary qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Japan women’s curling team went 6-1 in the eight-nation competition.
Then, led by skip Sayaka Yoshimura, Japan closed out qualifying with a 6-5 playoff triumph over Norway on Wednesday, December 10, in Kelowna, Canada.
As a result, Team Japan locked up a spot in the Olympic women’s curling tourney, giving the nation its eighth straight berth in the quadrennial event.
“I’m so happy, that was a tough game,” Yoshimura told reporters after the match in the Canadian province of British Columbia. “At the end when we got that victory, I felt we had done everything that we could to win, so I’m just so happy.”
She continued: “We had a good performance there, and we’ve maintained a good position throughout the week. We’ve prepared very well and we’ve shown everything that we’ve prepared for and fought all the way.”
At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Japan, represented by the Loco Solare (aka LS Kitami) curling club from Hokkaido Prefecture, collected the silver medal.
Yoshimura’s Fortius club, also from Hokkaido, won the national competition in September 2025 to represent Japan in Olympic qualifying.
Feyenoord’s Ayase Ueda scores one of his four goals against Dutch League foe Zwolle on December 6 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (GETTY IMAGES/via KYODO)
Soccer
Feyenoord’s Ueda Leads Dutch League in Goals
Ayase Ueda is the runaway leader in goals in the Dutch Eredivisie.
The Japanese striker extended his tally to 18 with a four-goal performance on December 6 in Feyenoord’s 6-1 demolition of Zwolle. It was Feyenoord’s highest-scoring effort by an individual player since Georginio Wijnaldum had four goals in 2011.
Ueda’s goalscoring barrage began with a header in the 11th minute for the second-place club.
PSV’s Guus Til, whose side is in first place, is second with 10 goals.
Ueda has appeared in 15 Dutch League matches in the 2024-25 campaign and has far surpassed his scoring output from the previous season.
Ayase Ueda (GETTY IMAGES/via KYODO)
In 2023-24, Ueda had seven goals in 21 matches.
This season, his strong overall play has resonated with Feyenoord fans. In September, he received the team’s Player of the Month accolade, with voting done by fans. He got 73.4% of the votes.
Up next: Ueda and Feyenoord were set to face FCSB on Thursday night, December 11 (Friday morning JST) in a Europa League fixture.
On Sunday, December 14, Feyenoord will meet Ajax in an Eredivisie clash in Amsterdam.
In 36 games (23 starts) for the Japan national team, Ueda has also made his mark on offense, contributing 16 goals.
Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed’s [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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