World Champion Aaron Wolf replaced for Grand Slam Tokyo

A Strong Japanese team is expected to shine at the Grand Slam in Tokyo this weekend. Nonetheless in the latest moment to World Champions fell off the roster as current U100kg World Champion Aaron Wolf was replaced by Daiki Nishiyama in his new category. 2015 World Champion Ryunosuke Haga will be replaced by Yusuke Kumashiro, both U100kg. Hisayoshi Harasawa won’t compete +100kg as is replaced by Daiki Kamikawa.

Japan won 10 gold medals last year, just after the Olympic Games. But even before the Olympics the home nation captured 11 titles, the same number as in 2013. Only in 2014 there was a dip with 7 titles for Japan.

Since the famous Jigoro Kano tournament got the Grand Slam status in 2008, Japan won all gold medals in the categories U66kg. The categorie for women U48kg was won 8 times by Japan, except for last year when Munkhbat (MGL) struck. U52kg and U57kg delivered also fully Japanese gold since 2008.

Watch the Japanese team for this weekend’s show. The selection includes the winners of the Kodokan Cup in Chiba in November.

U60kg: TAKATO Naohisa

U60kg: NAGAYAMA Ryuju

U60kg: SHISHIME Toru

U60kg: MIYANOHARA SEIYA

U66kg: ABE Hifumi

U66kg: ISODA Norihito

U66kg: MARUYAMA Joshiro

U66kg: TAGAWA Kenzo

U73kg: HASHIMOTO Soichi

U73kg: ONO Shohei

U73kg: TATSUKAWA Arata

U73kg: NOGAMI RENTARO

U81kg: FUJIWARA Sotaro

U81kg: KOHARA Kenya

U81kg: YAMAMOTO Yuji

U81kg: SASAKI TAKESHI

U90kg: NAGASAWA Kenta

U90kg: KOBAYASHI Yusuke

U90kg: MUKAI Shoichiro

U90kg: KUGIMARU Taichi

U100kg: KUMASHIRO  Yusuke

U100kg: NISHIYAMA Daiki

U100kg: IIDA Kentaro

U100kg: SHIMOWADA Shohei

+100kg: OJITANI Takeshi

+100kg: KAMIKAWA Daiki

+100kg: KAGEURA Kokoro

+100kg: OGAWA Yusei

Women

U48kg: KONDO Ami

U48kg: TONAKI Funa

U48kg: ENDO Hiromi

U48kg: MORIZAKI Yurie

U52kg: SHISHIME Ai

U52kg: TSUNODA Natsumi

U52kg: ABE Uta

U52kg: TATSUKAWA Rina

U57kg: YOSHIDA Tsukasa

U57kg: TAMAOKI Momo

U57kg: UDAKA Nae

U57kg: YAMAMOTO Anzu

U63kg: NABEKURA Nami

U63kg: TASHIRO Miku

U63kg: TSUGANE Megumi

U63kg: DOI Masako

U70kg: ARAI Chizuru

U70kg: NIIZOE Saki

U70kg: ONO Yoko

U70kg: TANAKA Shiho

U78kg: UMEKI Mami

U78kg: SATO Ruika

U78kg: HAMADA Shori

U78kg: WADA Rinoko

+78kg: ASAHINA Sarah

+78kg: INAMORI Nami

+78kg: SONE Akira

+78kg: INOUE Akari