Yamanouchi: How an Ottawa judo club helps Canada-Japan relations

The Takahashi Dojo taught judo to three generations of Trudeaus — and one Mulroney too. It has played an important role in sports diplomacy.

Published Dec 27, 2024  •  Last updated 0 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

The Takahashi Dojo in Hintonburg has played a key role in Canadian sports. Photo by JULIE OLIVER /Postmedia

In order to deal with the geopolitical realities of the 21st century, it is inevitable that Canada and Japan should strengthen their cooperative relationship. One strong foundation of Japan-Canada relations has been the role of sports.

So, today I would like to talk about judo.

It is still fresh in our memory that at this year’s Paris Olympics, Canada’s Christa Deguchi won the women’s 57-kg judo competition. Deguchi is a Japanese-Canadian from Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture. This was the first judo gold medal in history for Canada. It was a great achievement for the Canadian judo world.

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Going back to 1924, Shigetaka “Steve” Sasaki, who is considered the “father of Canadian judo,” established the judo club “Taiiku Dojo” on Powell Street in Vancouver. That was exactly 100 years ago. After that, judo was adopted as a training subject for the Vancouver Police Department, replacing boxing and wrestling. Jigoro Kano, the founder of modern judo, visited Vancouver, and Canadian judo developed.

Happily, Canadian judo also has a large presence in Ottawa. Its base is the Takahashi Dojo. This dojo has played a remarkable role in the development of judo nationwide.

Takahashi Dojo’s tatami mats have produced four Olympic athletes, 18 Canadian champions, and five judokas who have been inducted into the Canadian Judo Hall of Fame.

Pierre Trudeau worked up a sweat at Takahashi Dojo while he was still prime minister. It is no exaggeration to say that the techniques and spirit of judo supported his long-term administration, which imposed extremely harsh strains on both body and mind. On Wednesday, Feb. 29, 1984, a leap year, Trudeau took a “walk in the snow” after working up a sweat at Takahashi Dojo, and decided to resign. He announced his decision the following day, March 1.

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“Mas” or “Masao” Takahashi co-founded the Takahashi Dojo Martial Arts Centre in Ottawa. A second-generation Japanese-Canadian, Masao Takahashi served in the RCAF for 22 years after being interned in Alberta during the Second World War. He died in 2020. Photo by Takahashi family

In other words, Takahashi Dojo was involved in a key moment in national politics.

Trudeau’s eldest son, Justin, also attended Takahashi Dojo as a boy. Now prime minister, Justin Trudeau also sent his son and daughter to the dojo. Furthermore, prime minister Brian Mulroney, who achieved a redress agreement with Japanese Canadians, also enrolled his son in the dojo.

In short, the Takahashi Dojo has made a great contribution to the promotion of Japanese culture and the development of friendly relations between Japan and Canada.

The Takahashi Dojo was established in 1969 by second-generation Japanese Canadian judoka Masao Takahashi, 8th dan (4th dan at the time). A commemorative event was held recently to mark the 55th anniversary of the dojo’s founding.

I would like to pay tribute to those involved in judo who support the foundation of today’s extremely good Japan-Canada relations, and I look forward to working hard to further develop Japan-Canada cooperation, whether at the dojo or in other ways.

Kanji Yamanouchi is the ambassador of Japan to Canada.

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