> Kodokan Judo Institute

The Kodokan Judo Institute (公益財団法人講道館) is the world headquarters of judo, established in 1882 by Kanō Jigorō in Tokyo, Japan. Kanō — then a student at Tokyo Imperial University — synthesized classical jujutsu traditions, primarily from the Tenjin Shin’yō-ryū and Kitoryu schools, into a unified system he called judo: the “gentle way.” The Kodokan moved through several locations in Tokyo before settling in its current eight-floor building in Bunkyō ward, which houses five primary training halls — the Main, School, International, Women’s, and Boys’ dojo — distributed across more than 1,200 mats. The institute is open to visitors: short-term guests may watch practice or participate with permission in randori sessions alongside foreign students. The Kodokan has served as the central credentialing and technical authority for judo worldwide, seeding the sport across six continents and into the Olympic Games (where it has been a core discipline since 1964). Its notable alumni include Mitsuyo Maeda — whose Brazilian lineage gave rise to Brazilian jiu-jitsu — as well as Masahiko Kimura, Anton Geesink, Yasuhiro Yamashita, Kosei Inoue, and Olympic champion Ronda Rousey. Haruki Uemura has served as institute president since 2009.