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Japan Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
From the Abes to the Ohtanis: How siblings shape athletic development
With three Olympic gold medals and nine world titles between them, judo siblings Hifumi and Uta Abe need no introduction. They are arguably Japan's most beloved brother and sister sporting duo. But many sports fans may not know there's an additional sibling. Yuichiro Abe, the oldest of the three, is the lesser-known sibling quietly rounding out the family tree. A former judoka himself, he now works 9 to 5 as a government official. Long ago, he escorted his then-5-year-old brother to the dojo and unknowingly played a crucial role in shaping the future double Olympic champion's sports experience. 'I was tasked with providing emotional support because Hifumi couldn't go alone,' the 29-year-old Yuichiro said. 'I joined the same club but quit in sixth grade because judo wasn't for me. I don't regret it.' There is no denying that Hifumi and Uta won the genetic lottery, but the contributions of Yuichiro can't be overlooked. Uta is aware that her gold medal in the women's 52 kilogram category at the Tokyo Olympics — won the same day Hifumi took gold in the men's 66 kg final — would not have been possible without him, and she credits her brothers for leading her to the tatami mat. 'I started judo only because the two of them were doing it before me. Seeing Hifumi deliver results makes me want to be stronger and keeps me going every day,' Uta, 24, told The Japan Times. 'I can't imagine it, but if I were an only child aiming for the Olympics, I don't think I'd have the drive to train as hard as I do now. Besides, I probably wouldn't have found judo.' Sibling dynamics — whether it's rivalry, support, or a mix of both — can have a profound impact on an athlete's development and success. Yet, in comparison to the wealth of studies on athlete-parent and athlete-coach relationships, relatively little attention has been devoted to understanding the influence of siblings in athletic achievement. Boxer Naoya Inoue (center) with his father, Shingo (left), and brother Takuma after defeating Kohei Kono to retain the WBO super flyweight title in December 2016. | REUTERS Shohei Ohtani (baseball), Rui Hachimura (basketball), Kaoru Mitoma (soccer), Naoya Inoue (boxing), Kei Nishikori (tennis) and Yuzuru Hanyu (figure skating) grew up with siblings, and all have reached elite levels of their respective sports. It's not hard to guess why having siblings can be an athletic advantage. For young athletes, siblings can act as training partners, coaches, teammates, motivators, role models and mentors. They learn lessons about sports and life by watching their siblings. Research also suggests that having siblings means you're more likely to get involved in sports in the first place and spend more time engaged in a particular sport or physical activity. Mikitoshi Isozaki, professor emeritus at Tokyo's International Christian University and an expert on sibling relationships, is a proponent of the birth order theory, which suggests that birth order affects your chances of making it as a professional athlete. He points to a 2010 study by a pair of American psychologists that found that younger siblings engage in more unsupervised play and dangerous sports compared with older siblings, meaning they have more opportunity of making it to the top in these sports. Even in a less dangerous sport like baseball, the authors found that younger siblings were more likely to take bigger risks at the plate and on the base paths, and had more batting success overall. 'I used to take my brother to judo lessons so I guess you could say my contributions helped shape my siblings' judo careers," says Yuichiro Abe, older brother of Uta and Hifumi. | Courtesy of the Abe family 'The 'little sibling effect' is backed by science,' Isozaki said. 'Younger children imitate their older siblings and learn at an accelerated rate. Having siblings makes you much more motivated and competitive. Sibling bonds also toughen you up and help build mental resilience. Parents are more relaxed and experienced with youngest siblings, so last-borns tend to have different personality traits, such as being out-of-the-box thinkers.' Isozaki says it's no coincidence that so many sports heroes are the youngest sibling in their family, naming examples like current and former baseball stars Ohtani, Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui and Shigeo Nagashima, Japanese soccer icons Kazuyoshi Miura and Keisuke Honda, world champion figure skater Mao Asada and four-time tennis Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka. 'The list is endless,' he said. Of course, there are plenty of professional athletes without siblings, and being an only child can offer certain advantages, particularly around financial resources and parental attention. But considering that large families are becoming less common — 19.7% of Japanese families had one child in 2021 compared to 8.9% in 2002, according to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, which analyzed couples who had been married between 15 and 19 years — the proportion of elite athletes who are from multichild families makes it difficult to ignore the role of siblings in the development of sport expertise. In fact, every single one of the 13 Japan-born players who made an MLB team's opening day 40-man roster in 2025 has at least one sibling. That includes Ohtani, who is the baby of the bunch in his family. If his brother had not played baseball before him, or his sister had not been his badminton playmate, Ohtani might not have developed the way he did. There were four sets of siblings on Team Japan's roster at the most recent Summer Olympics in Paris — Hifumi and Uta Abe (judo), Tomokazu and Miwa Harimoto (table tennis), Yuki and Mayu Ishikawa (volleyball) and Evelyn and Stephanie Mawuli (basketball). Sumo wrestlers Takanohana (left) and Wakanohana go head to head in Vancouver in June 1998. | Reuters Sometimes, families churn out not one but two (or more) sports stars. In addition to profiting from favorable genes and sibling interactions, many of these athletes get a leg up on the competition by training with highly driven parents. 'The father of the Abe siblings is a former swimmer who exposed his children to judo early and worked out with them. The father of the three Kameda brothers, Koki, Daiki and Tomoki, trained all his sons to become world champion boxers. The father of sumo yokozuna Wakanohana and Takanohana was also their oyakata (coach and stablemaster),' Isozaki said. According to Isozaki, conflicts are more prevalent among same-sex siblings who play the same sport, particularly brothers. As an extreme example, the 'Waka-Taka brothers,' who are now 54 and 52, respectively, have been estranged from each other for over two decades after a sibling feud escalated into a national sumo soap opera in the late 1990s. Fortunately, destructive sibling rivalry does not exist in the Abe household. 'I feel more motivation than pressure chasing another Olympic gold alongside my brother,' Uta said. Meanwhile, Yuichiro said he has grown used to being called 'the other brother' — it's been going on for 10 years — and he's never felt inferior to his siblings. The three Abe siblings love each other. They're proud of one another. They serve one another. That's a win-win-win. 'I'm always consciously trying to be a good older brother,' Yuichiro said. 'I used to take my brother to judo lessons so I guess you could say my contributions helped shape my siblings' judo careers.'
Japan Forward
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
World Judo Championships: Comprehensive Success for Japan
In Budapest, Japan judo squad members collected six gold medals, including Uta Abe's fourth world title. Five Japanese judoka won their first world titles. Japan's Uta Abe (top) vies for victory against Sofia Asvesta of Cyprus in a second-round match in the women's 52-kg division at the 2025 World Judo Championships on June 14, 2025, in Budapest. (©KYODO) Individual success and stellar across-the-board results highlighted Japan's overall performance at the 2025 World Judo Championships. The competition wrapped up on Friday, June 20, in Budapest. Japan finished No 1 on the medal table with 15 (six gold, four silver, five bronze), collecting more medals than the second- and third-place teams combined. The International Judo Federation squad, composed of Russians, and Georgia had five medals apiece, with the former placing second with three gold medals and the latter winning two. Russian judoka competed as International Judo Federation athletes due to continuing sanctions imposed on the country following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. At the 2024 World Judo Championships, held in May, just weeks before the Paris Olympics, Japan amassed 10 medals, including four gold, in Dubai. A number of top judoka, including four-time world champion Hifumi Abe, skipped the tournament ― avoiding the risk of injury before the Olympics was one factor. At the 2023 World Judo Championships, Japan claimed 11 medals (five gold, two silver and four bronze) in Doha. Ryuju Nagayama, men's 60-kg division world champion. (KYODO) Japan's Ryuju Nagayama captured the world title in the men's 60-kg division on Friday, June 13, the opening day of the 2025 global meet. The veteran judoka, who turned 29 in April, was a runner-up in the same weight class at the world championships in 2018 and '19. This time, Nagayama won his first gold at the world championships. He went 5-0 en route to the title, capping off his impressive day with a convincing win by ippon over France's Romain Valadier-Picard. "I finally became a champion," Nagayama was quoted as saying by Kyodo News before adding, "I wasn't in good form, but I managed to fight calmly." Nagayama insisted he has bigger objectives after becoming the world champion. "This isn't my goal," the Hokkaido Prefecture native said. "I only think about winning gold at the Los Angeles Olympics and will work hard toward the next tournament." Japan's Sanshiro Murao (left) competes against compatriot Goki Tajima in the men's 90-kg division final on June 17. (KYODO) Also collecting their first individual world titles for Japan at the Laszlo Papp Budapest Sports Arena were Takeshi Takeoka (men's 66-kg division), Sanshiro Murao (men's 90 kg), Haruka Kaju (women's 63 kg) and Shiho Tanaka (women's 70 kg). Takeoka, who is 26, feels a sense of duty moving forward to be a strong competitor. "Other athletes will be studying me because of this result, so I need to keep improving and not get complacent," Takeoka said, according to Kyodo News. Shiho Tanaka faces Croatia's Lara Cvjetko in the women's 70-kg final on June 17. (KYODO) In the under 90-kg weight class final, Murao faced compatriot Goki Kajima, who entered the tourney as the defending world champ. The all-Japan final went into overtime, with Murao securing the win by capitalizing on Kajima's passivity (three shido penalty violations). Murao, the 2024 Olympic silver medalist, shared his exhilaration in an Instagram post after winning the world title. "Thank you so much for all your support and encouragement," wrote Murao. "I have achieved my goal since I was a little kid, and I feel happy that I have believed in myself and made it this far." He added, "I will do my best again to reach even higher and stronger." Uta Abe reacts after beating Kosovo's Distria Krasniqi in the women's 52-kg final at the 2025 World Judo Championships on June 14 in Budapest. (KYODO) Uta Abe returned to the world championships for the first time in two years, and her performance concluded with a familiar sight. The Kobe native was awarded the gold medal in the women's 52-kg division for the fifth time on Saturday, June 14. Abe defeated Kazakhstan's Distria Krasniqi, the 2024 Olympic silver medalist, by ippon in the final minute of their title match. Aggressive tactics paid off for Abe, who suffered a shock defeat in the second round at the Paris Games and fell short of her goal of defending her Olympic title in France. Uta Abe (KYODO) "It took me a long time to want to be on the world championships stage," Uta Abe said, according to Jiji Press, describing her emotional state after losing in Paris. She called it "a very difficult year." In Budapest, she lived up to the challenge and vanquished all of her foes. "I was able to do it without feeling fear," Uta Abe told reporters. Highlighting her focus in the title match, she added, "My plan today was to do my own judo and no matter who I would meet, the only goal was to win." In the men's 66-kg quarterfinals, Tajikistan's Obid Dzhebov (left) faces Hifumi Abe on June 14. (KYODO) Also on June 14, two-time Olympic gold medalist Hifumi Abe, Uta's older brother, was knocked out of title contention with an upset loss to Tajikistan's Obid Dzhebov in the 66-kg quarterfinals. It was his first loss in an individual event against an international opponent since 2019. To his credit, Hifumi Abe bounced back with two wins to secure a bronze medal. Like Nagayama, Hifumi Abe viewed the Budapest competition as a building block for a future marquee event. "I think I get stronger by getting beaten," Abe said, according to Kyodo News. "Looking ahead to the Los Angeles Olympics, I don't want to waste this defeat." The four-time world champion continued: "It was positive that I managed to compete at the worlds less than a year after the Paris Olympics." Japan had to settle for bronze in the mixed team event after losing 4-2 to Georgia in the semifinals on Saturday, June 20. Then, in a third-place match, Japan swept Brazil, winning 4-0. Georgia outlasted South Korea to win the gold, and Germany triumphed over Italy for the other bronze. Ichiro Suzuki in a June 2012 file photo. (KYODO) The Seattle Mariners have started a social media campaign to collect baseball fans' stories about Ichiro Suzuki. This initiative was launched just weeks before his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The Mariners, for whom Ichiro played during the majority of his 19-season MLB career, are collecting fans' insights about the legendary outfielder. An announcement was made on the team's social media platforms on Thursday, June 19. "Here's your chance to tell us what Ichiro means to you," the team posted on its Instagram account. "We're inviting you to share your stories about Ichiro — send us a letter, leave a voicemail or submit video for the chance to be featured in a Mariners video." Check out full details at The Baseball Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony will be held on July 27. In other MLB news, Los Angeles Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki, was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Friday. He's sidelined with a right shoulder injury, though he resumed throwing from 60 to 90 feet during a team workout on Friday, The Associated Press reported. EDITORIAL | The Incomparable Ichiro Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters starter Koki Kitayama pitches against the Yomiuri Giants on June 19 at Tokyo Dome. (KYODO) Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters right-hander Koki Kitayama took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Yomiuri Giants on Thursday, June 19. The Giants' Takumi Oshiro slugged a solo home run to right, his third of the year, with one out in the ninth to spoil Kitayama's no-hit bid in the interleague game at Tokyo Dome. Oshiro connected on a 1-2 forkball. Kitayama (5-2) then retired the final two batters to wrap up his complete-game effort, leading the Fighters to a 4-1 victory. He fanned five batters and walked one in his 122-pitch outing. "It was a precious experience," Kitayama said after the game, according to Kyodo News. "Not managing to achieve it (a no-hitter) means I'm still weak in some aspects, and I'll keep setting the bar high to eventually accomplish it one day." chairman Shinji Shimada holds a promotional poster for the league's All-Star Games in 2027 and 2028 during a press gathering on June 19. (©SANKEI) The annual All-Star Game is set to be held at two of the newest basketball arenas in the nation in 2027 and '28. Nagoya will host the 2027 event at IG Arena (which opens in July 2025), followed by Glion Arena Kobe (in Kobe, the venue opened this April) in 2028. An announcement was made on Thursday, June 19. Nagasaki's Happiness Arena is the site for the 2026 All-Star Game. JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK | Utsunomiya Brex Triumph in BCL Asia Final Newly appointed Japan women's handball national team head coach Morten Soubak attends a news conference on June 18 in Tokyo. (KYODO) Well-traveled coach Morten Soubak has accepted an offer to lead the Japan women's handball national team. The 60-year-old Dane was introduced as the team's new head coach on Wednesday, June 18 in Tokyo. Soubak, whose new contract runs through the end of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, has had handball coaching jobs in Denmark, Brazil, Austria, Angola, Romania and Saudi Arabia. During his successful tenure as the Brazil women's national squad head coach (2009-16), the team won the 2013 Women's World Handball Championship title in Serbia. Japan finished 12th among 24 teams in the women's tourney at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and placed 17th among 32 nations at the 2023 world championships. In his new job, Soubak aims to help bolster Team Japan. "First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Japan Handball Association for the great trust you have placed in me," he told a news conference on Wednesday. "I am very proud to have been given the opportunity to lead Japan's women's national team, the best in the country. [And] I am looking forward to making this team stronger and better than ever." Soubak then said, "I have often had the opportunity to compete against the Japanese national team in the past while leading the Brazilian and Angolan national teams. Especially in recent years, I have seen how the Japanese team fights, and I feel strongly that I want to be a part of this team." WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr punches Jin Sasaki during the first round of their title fight on June 19 at Tokyo's Ota City General Gymnasium. (KYODO) WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr retained his title with a fifth-round knockout of Japanese challenger Jin Sasaki on Thursday, June 19 at Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo. Norman (28-0, 22 knockouts) delivered the knockout blow with a devastating left hook. The 23-year-old Sasaki fell to 19-2-1 with 17 KOs. A native of Hachioji, a western suburb of Tokyo, Sasaki had won his previous seven bouts. Attempting to become the first Japanese to win a world title in the welterweight division, Sasaki was dropped to the canvas twice in the opening round. Norman's power punches dictated the fight. "It was a wonderful fight," Norman told reporters after his second successful title defense. "I had a great opponent in front of me. You all seen he got heart. That boy is not a slouch at all. I give nothing but props to him." The San Antonio native added, "I love ya'll over here in Japan, [and] I'd gladly come back." Norman proudly declared that he was well prepared to face Sasaki. "I knew whatever he was bringing to the table, I'm a champion for a reason," he said. "As you saw, I showed that." Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
Japan Today
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Japan Today
Japanese women aim to rebound from Olympic setback at judo worlds
judo After mustering only two medals at the Paris Olympics, the Japanese women's judo team faces a difficult road as it seeks to reassert its dominance at the world championships in June. Japan's nine-woman contingent in Budapest will feature three world championship debutants and only one previous winner in Uta Abe, a shock second-round loser at last summer's Olympics, who will fight for her fifth world title at 52 kilograms. The two medals in Paris were the fewest by Japanese women since judo was officially added to the Olympic program at the 1992 Barcelona Games, and neither medalist will compete in the Hungarian capital. Natsumi Tsunoda, the 48-kg champion in Paris, showed no intention of taking part, while 57-kg bronze medalist Haruka Funakubo is out of the picture after deciding to temporarily move her training base to the French capital through November. Japan has had to contend with a more competitive international judo scene in recent years, most notably marked by the emergence of strong judoka from Europe and Central Asia. Those around the Japan national team stated after the Paris Games that "an even tougher battle awaits in Los Angeles" at the 2028 games. While Abe convincingly won her maiden national division title in early April, no one was outstanding in other weight classes. Haruka Kaju, for instance, was beaten in the first round in the 63 kg, but was still picked by virtue of her strong past record at international tournaments. Maki Tsukada, who in October was named the first female head coach of Japan women's national team, was defiant ahead of her first big test. "Everyone will go for a gold medal," the over 78-kg gold medalist at the 2004 Athens Games said. "While accepting how things are now, we'll be giving our best with the members we've been nurturing, joined by new talents." © KYODO
The Mainichi
23-04-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Judo: Japanese women aim to rebound from Olympic setback at worlds
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- After mustering only two medals at the Paris Olympics, the Japanese women's judo team faces a difficult road as it seeks to reassert its dominance at the world championships in June. Japan's nine-woman contingent in Budapest will feature three world championship debutants and only one previous winner in Uta Abe, a shock second-round loser at last summer's Olympics, who will fight for her fifth world title at 52 kilograms. The two medals in Paris were the fewest by Japanese women since judo was officially added to the Olympic program at the 1992 Barcelona Games, and neither medalist will compete in the Hungarian capital. Natsumi Tsunoda, the 48-kg champion in Paris, showed no intention of taking part, while 57-kg bronze medalist Haruka Funakubo is out of the picture after deciding to temporarily move her training base to the French capital through November. Japan has had to contend with a more competitive international judo scene in recent years, most notably marked by the emergence of strong judoka from Europe and Central Asia. Those around the Japan national team stated after the Paris Games that "an even tougher battle awaits in Los Angeles" at the 2028 games. While Abe convincingly won her maiden national division title in early April, no one was outstanding in other weight classes. Haruka Kaju, for instance, was beaten in the first round in the 63 kg, but was still picked by virtue of her strong past record at international tournaments. Maki Tsukada, who in October was named the first female head coach of Japan women's national team, was defiant ahead of her first big test. "Everyone will go for a gold medal," the over 78-kg gold medalist at the 2004 Athens Games said. "While accepting how things are now, we'll be giving our best with the members we've been nurturing, joined by new talents."
Kyodo News
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Judo: Japanese women aim to rebound from Olympic setback at worlds
KYODO NEWS - 1 minutes ago - 16:01 | Sports, All, Japan After mustering only two medals at the Paris Olympics, the Japanese women's judo team faces a difficult road as it seeks to reassert its dominance at the world championships in June. Japan's nine-woman contingent in Budapest will feature three world championship debutants and only one previous winner in Uta Abe, a shock second-round loser at last summer's Olympics, who will fight for her fifth world title at 52 kilograms. The two medals in Paris were the fewest by Japanese women since judo was officially added to the Olympic program at the 1992 Barcelona Games, and neither medalist will compete in the Hungarian capital. Natsumi Tsunoda, the 48-kg champion in Paris, showed no intention of taking part, while 57-kg bronze medalist Haruka Funakubo is out of the picture after deciding to temporarily move her training base to the French capital through November. Japan has had to contend with a more competitive international judo scene in recent years, most notably marked by the emergence of strong judoka from Europe and Central Asia. Those around the Japan national team stated after the Paris Games that "an even tougher battle awaits in Los Angeles" at the 2028 games. While Abe convincingly won her maiden national division title in early April, no one was outstanding in other weight classes. Haruka Kaju, for instance, was beaten in the first round in the 63 kg, but was still picked by virtue of her strong past record at international tournaments. Maki Tsukada, who in October was named the first female head coach of Japan women's national team, was defiant ahead of her first big test. "Everyone will go for a gold medal," the over 78-kg gold medalist at the 2004 Athens Games said. "While accepting how things are now, we'll be giving our best with the members we've been nurturing, joined by new talents." Related coverage: Judo: 66-kg Olympic champion Hifumi Abe to return at open-weight c'ships Judo: Japan's Haruka Funakubo moves training base to France in bid for gold Judo: Olympic silver medalist Sanshiro Murao among Japanese winners in Baku
