Kosei Inoue: Spring, A Season of Partings and New Beginnings

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At Tokai University, where I teach, spring is when we hold our graduation ceremony. I watched as students, filled with hope and determination, took flight from the nest. Among them were several of my students, whom I had the joy of sending off on the next stage of their journeys.

Many of them are dedicated judoka who have trained since childhood. I have always told them that judo is more than technique. It is a lifelong pursuit that cultivates patience, builds confidence, and nurtures the strength to live.

As they begin new lives, I hope they will trust in the strength they have cultivated. I hope they will keep challenging themselves, meet each obstacle with courage, and move forward with determination toward lives filled with meaning and fulfillment.

At JUDOs, the certified non-profit organization where I serve as chair, we are reflecting on all we accomplished in 2024 and preparing for the year ahead.

In 2024, we undertook a variety of initiatives. This included educational programs such as the International Judo Coaching Seminar. We also provided support for Deaf Judo and hosted an international conference dedicated to researching and promoting safe falling techniques through ukemi.

*We delivered judo mats to* the volunteer lodging space inside Motoya Supermarket in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture. The mats were carried in by athletes and volunteers sent by The Nippon Foundation. (© JUDOs, The Nippon Foundation)

Finding Ways to Help After Disasters

One of our efforts last year was delivering judo mats to Motoya Supermarket in Wajima City. The area had been hit hard by the Noto Peninsula earthquake and heavy rains.

Motoya Supermarket is the only store serving the Machino district of Wajima City. Even after sustaining heavy damage, the store opened part of its space as free lodging for disaster relief volunteers. Of course, a supermarket floor was never meant for sleeping — cold, hard, and far from comfortable. Hoping to help, we suggested placing judo mats. Thanks to the support of judo tatami manufacturer JT Sekiguchi and The Nippon Foundation's HEROs Project, who shared our vision, we were able to make it happen.

During my visits to evacuation shelters in Ishikawa Prefecture in 2024, I saw firsthand how bitterly cold the floors in gymnasiums can become. It made me wonder — perhaps judo mats, with their resilience and durability, could offer some relief. Though today's judo mats are not made of traditional rush grass, tatami itself is part of Japan's cultural heritage. If those mats can offer even a moment of comfort, it would make me happy.

*In August 2023, we delivered judo uniforms to Maui, Hawaii, for children who had lost theirs in the wildfires. I carried some of these uniforms with me in my luggage. (© JUDOs)*

Judo Uniforms for the Children of Maui ― After the Wildfires

Another of our efforts in 2024 was delivering judo uniforms to children in Maui, Hawaii, following the wildfires. Their uniforms had been lost in the fires that struck in the summer of 2023. I also carried some of these uniforms with me to Hawaii in my luggage. Later, I received word that they had safely reached their destination and that the children were overjoyed. I was truly pleased to hear this.

At JUDOs, we have long gathered judo uniforms that children have outgrown and judo mats no longer needed after facility renovations. We deliver them to people and places around the world where they can still be of use. In recent years, these efforts have also become a way to support communities rebuilding after natural disasters.

Today, we live in a world where climate change brings large-scale disasters more and more frequently. None of us wishes to see such tragedies, but nature cannot be held back. Through the bonds of judo, we can stand together, show solidarity, and face these challenges side by side.

In 2025 and beyond, I hope we can continue these efforts together, hand in hand with all of you who stand with us.