Jigoro Kano
嘉納治五郎 · 1860 — 1938
Jigoro Kano
Who was Jigoro Kano?
Born in 1860 in Mikage, Japan, Jigoro Kano was a small man of extraordinary intelligence and determination. A gifted student, he entered the Faculty of Political Science and Letters in Tokyo in 1871.
Passionate about martial arts, he began learning jujitsu in 1877. Frustrated by its pedagogical shortcomings, he decided to create his own discipline: judo, in 1882, aged just 22.
The creation of the Kodokan — 1882
In February 1882, Kano opened the Kodokan — literally "the school to study the way" — at Eishoji Temple in Tokyo, with 9 students and 12 tatami mats.
The Kodokan was not just a gym. It was a laboratory where Kano refined his techniques, codified the rules and developed his philosophy.
Eishoji Temple — first Kodokan
A global visionary
Kano understood early that judo was destined to reach beyond Japan's borders. In 1889, he gave demonstrations in Marseille. In 1909, he became the first Asian member of the International Olympic Committee.
His dream was to see judo at the Olympic Games. He died in 1938 without seeing it, but his wish was granted in 1964 at the Tokyo Olympics.