With less than a month to go before the start of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, preparations are entering their final stage for one of the most important judo competitions on the Asian calendar.
The Asian Games will take place in Japan from 19 September to 4 October 2026, bringing together athletes from across the continent for Asia’s largest multi-sport event. Judo competition is scheduled for 30 September to 3 October, with both individual weight categories and the mixed team event included in the programme.
For the Judo Union of Asia (JUA) and its member federations, the Games represent a major continental showcase. The JUA lists the 20th Asian Games as its next major upcoming event, underlining the importance of the competition within the Asian judo calendar.
Photo credit: aichi-nagoya2026.org
Judo Returns to Japan on a Major Continental Stage
The 2026 Asian Games will offer a particularly symbolic setting for judo, with the competition taking place in the country where the sport was founded.
All judo contests will be staged at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, a major new venue that officially opened in July 2025. The arena has a maximum capacity of approximately 17,000 spectators and features advanced ICT infrastructure and one of Japan’s largest centre-hung video screens. During the Asian Games, it will host both basketball and judo.
The organising committee has confirmed that judo competition at Aichi-Nagoya will feature the familiar combination of individual men’s and women’s weight categories together with the mixed team format.
The mixed team event has become an increasingly important part of international judo, placing added emphasis on national depth, tactical team selection and the ability of men and women to contribute together toward a collective result.
Asia’s Leading Judo Nations Prepare for Another Major Test
The Asian Games traditionally bring together many of the strongest judo nations in the world.
Japan, the Republic of Korea, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and numerous other JUA member nations regularly produce athletes capable of winning medals at IJF World Judo Tour events, World Championships and Olympic Games.
The strength of Asian judo has again been evident throughout the 2026 international season, including recent IJF Grand Slam events where athletes from across the continent have continued to reach finals and podiums.
The forthcoming Asian Games will therefore provide a rare opportunity for many of these athletes to compete directly against their continental rivals in a major multi-sport environment.
Beyond medals, the Games also offer developing national federations an opportunity to expose athletes to high-level international competition while strengthening experience among coaches, referees and support teams.
Photo credit: aichi-nagoya2026.org
A Major Moment for Asian Judo
The wider Aichi-Nagoya 2026 programme will feature 43 sports across 54 competition venues, with athletes travelling to Japan from across Asia.
For judo, however, the location carries additional historical and cultural significance. Hosting the Asian Games judo competition in Japan provides an opportunity not only to celebrate elite performance but also to highlight the values and traditions that have allowed judo to develop from its Japanese origins into one of Asia’s most internationally successful sports.
Preparations for the competition are already highly detailed. Official Aichi-Nagoya documentation confirms the judo competition period as 30 September to 3 October 2026, with competition and training arrangements centred on the Aichi International Arena.
As national teams complete their final preparations, attention will increasingly turn to Nagoya and to the athletes who will compete for one of the most prestigious titles in continental judo.
The Judo Union of Asia looks forward to welcoming the Asian judo family to Aichi-Nagoya and to another memorable chapter in the development of judo across the continent.