TOKYO – Japan is the home of judo, and the 19th-century martial art is sure to get more attention at home than any other sport at next year's Tokyo Olympics.
But it’s also drawing unwanted scrutiny over widespread allegations of violence, and accompanying injuries, abuse, and more than 100 deaths in Japan over the last several decades attributed to judo and its military-like training methods.“I feel it is sad judo is being perceived as extremely dangerous, and Japan’s judo world must take this seriously,” Yasuhiro Yamashita, the head of the All Japan Judo Federation, told Associated Press in an interview at his office.Yamashita is also an Olympic legend — an Olympic gold medalist, an International Olympic Committee member, and the president.