At the Rio de Janeiro Olympics Japan won a record total of 41 medals. Medals were won in all seven classes of men’s judo: two gold medals, one silver medal, and four bronze medals. As judo is a sport that originated in Japan, it is taken for granted in Japan that medals will be won. However, at the global level standards have improved and traditional rules have been changed, making it more difficult to win a medal. At the London Olympics, male wrestlers were unable to win a gold medal for the first time since 1964 – when judo was first included in the Olympics. Japan entrusted the men’s team to coach INOUE Kosei – a gold medalist at the Sydney Olympics. Inoue put wrestlers through their paces by instructing them to go back to the basics of judo. There is a “do” suffix added not only on the end of judo, but to the names of other Japanese traditional sports and disciplines, such as kendo (a martial art), kyudo (archery), sado (tea ceremony), kado (flower arrangement), and shodo (calligraphy). “Do,” which can also be read as “michi” (road), means a way to improve oneself. In other words, in the world of sport, this means to become such an honorable player that the world accepts you as a true champion. It is said that Japanese traditional sports begin and end with a bow. Inoue prioritized the wrestler’s sense of human decency. Nowadays in judo bouts, there is a tendency for wrestlers to concentrate on winning points with subtle techniques. That is, winning by accumulating points. In the over 100-kilogram category final, Japanese wrestler HARASAWA Hisayoshi ended up with a silver medal because he had incurred a penalty. The winner, Teddy RINER of France, managed to slip out of a hand grip. His victory was a tactical one, but Japanese fans were disapointed as it lacked the finesse of true judo. Inoue hoped that the Japanese wrestlers could win with an “ippon,” which is similar to a knockout victory in boxing. He achieved this himself at the Sydney Olympics. The Japanese team was motivated by Inoue’s coaching. They are trying to preserve the true spirit of judo by fighting fair and praising their opponents even in defeat.