Several of the best judokas from across the Pacific will be convening in Hilo town this weekend.
Beginning Saturday at Edith Kanakaole Multi-Purpose Stadium, over 300 competitors of all ages will partake in the 2025 Shudokan Uemura Cup Judo Championships. The tournament will be split up into age and weight divisions, and the club that accumulates the most points will clinch the cup.
The Uemura Cup was named in honor of Uemura Sensei, a Japanese language teacher at Hilo Hongwanji Judo Club, who played a vital role in the early days of Shudokan.
The tournament begins with an opening ceremony at 8:45 a.m., followed by matches beginning at 9:30 a.m. Spectators are encouraged to attend, as the event is free to the public for viewing.
Multiple Big Island judo clubs — Shudokan Judo Club, Hilo Hongwanji Judo Club, Kona Hongwanji Judo Club, Ichimikan Judo Club, Higashi Hongwanji Judo Club, Waiakea Judo Club and the Puna Hongwanji Judo Club — will be in Hilo for the tournament. Other clubs from Oahu and Maui will be in attendance. There will also be a decorated judoka from San Jose, Calif., coming to Hilo for the event.
But perhaps the most notable guests will be Kurume Judo Juku, a club from Fukuoka, Japan — giving Hawaiian judokas an opportunity to go against international competition.
“This year, we’re at about 365 competitors, which exceeds last year’s number,” Shudokan founder and sensei Michael Hayashi told West Hawaii Today. “It’s great for Hawaii, as typical tournaments have around 200 competitors.”
Hayashi, who founded Shudokan in 1988, has maintained close ties with the judo community in Japan — actively welcoming Japanese instructors and clubs to seminars and training sessions, while also guiding Shudokan judokas on trips to Japan. As the executive director of this weekend’s tournament, Hayashi explained that the Uemura Cup is not only a great opportunity to face elite competition, but also a chance for local judo athletes to partake in a unique cultural exchange with the foreign guests.
“When teams from Japan come to this tournament, which is rare, it gives our local clubs a special opportunity,” Hayashi said. “It definitely adds interest for other players to come compete.”
Another special element to this weekend’s tournament is sensei Kazutaka Hayashida of Yokohama, Japan, will host a seminar for the competitors on Sunday. Hayashida has coached several world-class judokas, giving local athletes an opportunity to learn from the best of the best. Over 150 judokas have registered for the event.
A few Olympic gold medalists that Hayashida has coached include Yasuhiro Yamashita, Kosei Inoue and Naohisa Takato. He has also coached world champions Soichi Hashimoto and Ryunosuke Haga and All-Japan champion Takeshi Ojitani.
As for the Big Island judokas planning to participate this weekend, Hayashi explained that they’re excited, but also eager to compete against top-tier competition.
“I think a lot of the players are actually very eager to compete this weekend again, because of the different people that we are able to attract,” he said. “We’re looking forward to a very exciting weekend of judo.”
Sponsors for the weekend include KTA Super Stores, Nani Mau Gardens, Oahu Air Conditioning Service, Pepsi, Waiakea Volcanic Hawaiian Water, Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, Big Island Energy Co. and Aloha International School (Chiba, Japan).