1. Overview
Rika Takayama is a prominent Japanese judoka who competes in the -78 kg category. Born on August 27, 1994, in Miyakonojō, Miyazaki Prefecture, she has established herself as a consistent medal contender on the international stage. Her career is marked by numerous victories in IJF Grand Slam and Grand Prix events, including five Grand Slam gold medals and two Grand Prix golds. Takayama has also secured significant accolades at continental competitions, earning a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games and a gold medal at the 2024 Asian Championships. Her perseverance culminated in her debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she achieved a fifth-place finish in the individual event and contributed to Japan's silver medal in the mixed team competition. Takayama's competitive style, characterized by her strong ne-waza (groundwork) and expertise in throws like harai goshi, has made her a formidable opponent and a respected figure in the sport of judo.
2. Early Life and Junior Career
Rika Takayama's foundational years in judo began at a very young age, leading to a distinguished junior career marked by early national and international successes. Her journey through the youth and high school ranks provided the essential groundwork for her later professional achievements.
2.1. Early Training and Youth Competitions
Takayama was introduced to judo at the age of three, beginning her training at the Taramoto Jushinkan Dojo. During her time there, she trained alongside Ai Shishime, who would later become a world champion in the -52 kg category. In her sixth year of elementary school, Takayama participated in the National Elementary School Grade-Specific Judo Tournament in the over 45 kg division but was eliminated in the preliminary rounds. Her competitive spirit continued through junior high school, where she achieved a fifth-place finish in the National Junior High School Judo Tournament in the -63 kg category during her second year. In her third year, she was eliminated in the second round.
2.2. High School and Junior International Success
Takayama continued her judo development at Kagoshima Minami High School. As a first-year student, she competed in the -70 kg division at the Inter-High School Championships, reaching the third round. In her second year, she contributed to her team's third-place finish at the Kinshuki High School Judo Tournament alongside her senior, Nami Inamori. That year, she competed in the -78 kg division at the Inter-High School Championships, again reaching the third round, and also made it to the third round of the open-weight category at the National High School Judo Championships.
Her senior year of high school saw a significant breakthrough as she won the Inter-High School Championships in the -78 kg division, securing all five of her matches by ippon using her favored ne-waza (groundwork) techniques. Following this, at the All Japan Junior Judo Weight Category Championships, she competed in the -70 kg category, reaching the semifinals before losing to Chizuru Arai of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance by two shido (penalties), finishing third. She concluded her junior international career by winning the Aix-en-Provence Junior International tournament in the -78 kg category.
3. Senior Career
Rika Takayama's senior career showcases a gradual but determined ascent through the ranks of professional judo, marked by consistent participation and significant victories in both domestic and international competitions.
3.1. Professional Debut and Early Success
In 2013, Takayama joined Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, marking her transition to senior-level judo. She immediately made an impact, winning the Asian Junior Championships in the -78 kg division. In September 2014, she claimed victory at the All Japan Junior Judo Weight Category Championships. However, her performance at the World Junior Championships in October 2014 saw her defeated in the third round by Beata Pacut of Poland due to two shido. Later that year, she secured a third-place finish at the Kodokan Cup.
The year 2015 brought her first senior international title at the European Open Sofia in February, where she won all her matches by ippon, including a final victory over France's Madeleine Malonga with kesa-gatame (scarf hold). In April, at the All Japan Selected Weight Category Championships, she defeated Mami Umeki of International Pacific University in the semifinals with an ouchi-gari (large inner reap), but lost in the final to her former high school senior, Shori Hamada of the Self-Defense Forces Physical Training School, by awase-waza (combined techniques), finishing second. She later took third place at the Grand Prix Ulaanbaatar in July and second at the Kodokan Cup in November, again losing to Hamada by tate-shiho-gatame (vertical four-quarter hold). She concluded 2015 with another third-place finish at the Grand Prix Jeju.
3.2. Rise to Prominence and Major Victories
In April 2016, Takayama earned a silver medal at the Asian Championships, losing to China's Zhang Zhehui by yuko. Her first IJF World Judo Tour title came in July 2016 at the Grand Slam Tyumen, where she defeated Klara Apotekar of Slovenia with an ude-hishigi-juji-gatame (armbar). After a fifth-place finish at the Kodokan Cup in November, she won the Grand Prix Qingdao with all ippon victories, including a final win over a Chinese opponent by yoko-shiho-gatame (side four-quarter hold). She also secured a bronze medal at the Grand Slam Tokyo in December.
The year 2017 saw her continue to vie for top positions, earning a bronze medal at the Grand Prix Düsseldorf after losing to Malonga in the quarterfinals. At the All Japan Selected Weight Category Championships in April, she lost in her first match to Mao Izumi. However, she advanced to the semifinals at the All Japan Women's Judo Championships, notably defeating Rio de Janeiro Olympic -78 kg bronze medalist Kanae Yamabe of Miki House by two shido in golden score, before losing to Sara Asahina of Tokai University by harai goshi (sweeping hip throw) just before the end of the match, earning another bronze. She also placed third at the Kodokan Cup in November.
Takayama's career reached new heights in 2018. At the Grand Slam Ekaterinburg in March, she achieved an impressive victory, defeating world champion Mayra Aguiar of Brazil by awase-waza in the quarterfinals and then overcoming Germany's Luise Malzahn in the final with an arm entanglement, securing her second Grand Slam gold with all ippon wins. In April, she won her first All Japan Selected Weight Category Championships, defeating then-World Championship silver medalist Mami Umeki by awase-waza in the first round, Rika Sato of Komatsu by tate-shiho-gatame in the semifinals, and Hamada by awase-waza in the final, all by ippon. Despite this commanding performance, she was not selected for the 2018 World Championships or the Asian Games. In June, her team, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, won the All Japan Business Group Judo Tournament, though Takayama had a mixed record. In August, at the Grand Prix Budapest, she won two matches by ippon before losing to Umeki in the final by tani-otoshi (valley drop), taking silver. She then won the All Japan Business Group Individual Championships by defeating Umeki by waza-ari. In October, she claimed gold at the Grand Prix Cancún, winning all her matches by ippon, including a close final against Aguiar decided by a hansoku-make (disqualification) after nearly eight and a half minutes of golden score. She finished 2018 with a bronze at the Kodokan Cup but was defeated in her opening match at the Grand Slam Osaka.
In March 2019, Takayama secured a bronze medal at the Grand Slam Ekaterinburg, recovering from a quarterfinal loss to Aguiar to defeat Natalie Powell of Great Britain. However, she faced early exits at the All Japan Selected Weight Category Championships and the All Japan Women's Judo Championships in April. In May, at the Grand Prix Hohhot, she finished fifth.
Her resilience was evident in 2020. After an early exit at the Grand Prix Tel Aviv in January, she won her first Kodokan Cup title in October, defeating Mao Izumi by waza-ari. In December, at the postponed All Japan Women's Judo Championships, she lost in the third round.
The year 2021 began strong with a victory at the All Japan Selected Weight Category Championships in April, defeating Sato by tate-shiho-gatame in the final. In October, she reached the final of the Grand Slam Paris but settled for silver after losing to Russia's Aleksandra Babintseva by ko-soto-gake (small outer hook).
In 2022, Takayama faced early setbacks, including a hansoku-make loss at the Grand Slam Paris in February and a defeat to Hamada in the All Japan Selected Weight Category Championships final in April. Her team, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, again won the All Japan Business Group Judo Tournament in May. Her determination paid off in October when she won her second Kodokan Cup, defeating Izumi by waza-ari. A significant victory followed in December at the Grand Slam Tokyo, where she defeated Hamada with a yoko-shiho-gatame, becoming the first judoka in seven years to defeat Hamada on the ground in an international competition since Anamari Velenšek. After this win, she publicly declared her goal of winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. She concluded 2022 with a fifth-place finish at the World Masters.
3.3. Olympic Qualification and Debut
Takayama continued her strong momentum in 2023, crucial for Olympic qualification. In March, she won the Grand Slam Tashkent with all ippon victories, including an arm entanglement in the final against Italy's Giorgia Stangherlin. In April, she won her third All Japan Selected Weight Category Championships, winning all matches by ippon, including the final against Izumi. Despite her team placing second at the All Japan Business Group Judo Tournament in June, she earned a bronze medal at the Grand Slam Ulaanbaatar in June, defeating Yun Hyun-ji of South Korea by arm entanglement in the bronze medal match. In August, she lost in the second round of the World Masters.
In September 2023, Takayama secured a silver medal at the Asian Games, winning all her matches by ippon up to the final, where she was defeated by China's Ma Zhenzhao by ko-soto-gake. The decisive moment for her Olympic qualification came at the Grand Slam Tokyo in December. She won a bronze medal, defeating Misaki Sugimura of Tokai University by ude-hishigi-juji-gatame in the bronze medal match, after losing to world champion Inbar Lanir of Israel by hiki-komi-gaeshi (pulling-in throw). Her third-place finish, combined with the non-medal performances of her Olympic qualification rivals Hamada and Umeki, secured her a spot on the Japanese team for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
In the lead-up to the Olympics, Takayama won the Grand Slam Tashkent in March 2024, defeating Anna-Maria Wagner of Germany and Fanny-Estelle Posvite of France, both by waza-ari. She followed this with a gold medal at the Asian Championships in April, defeating Yun Hyun-ji by kami-shiho-gatame (upper four-quarter hold) in the final.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Takayama finished fifth in the individual -78 kg event, losing to Wagner in the quarterfinals and then to Patricia Sampaio of Portugal in the bronze medal match by awase-waza. Despite this, she played a pivotal role in the mixed team event. Stepping in for the injured Akira Sone, Takayama competed in all team matches. While she lost her matches in the first round against Spain and the second round against Serbia, she secured a crucial victory against Germany in the semifinals. In the gold medal match against France, she achieved a significant victory over Romane Dicko, the -78 kg bronze medalist, with a waza-ari from an ouchi-gari. Although the team ultimately settled for a silver medal, Takayama's performance was lauded for her determination and contribution. As of July 22, 2024, her IJF world ranking stood at 10th with 3791 points.
4. Competition Style and Characteristics
Rika Takayama is a right-handed judoka who stands at 67 in (169 cm) tall and competes in the -78 kg weight class. She holds the rank of Judo Ni-dan (second degree black belt; 弐段Ni-danJapanese). Her competitive style is characterized by her strong preference for harai goshi (sweeping hip throw; 払腰harai goshiJapanese) and her exceptional proficiency in ne-waza (groundwork; 寝技ne-wazaJapanese) techniques. She has effectively utilized a variety of ground holds and submissions, such as kesa-gatame (scarf hold), tate-shiho-gatame (vertical four-quarter hold), yoko-shiho-gatame (side four-quarter hold), kami-shiho-gatame (upper four-quarter hold), ude-hishigi-juji-gatame (armbar), and ude-garami (arm entanglement), to secure victories by ippon throughout her career. Takayama is currently affiliated with Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, where she trains as part of their women's judo team. Her blood type is O.
5. Major Competition Results
Rika Takayama's medal record and notable placements in various domestic and international judo competitions are listed below.
| Year | Competition | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | National Junior High School Judo Tournament | -63kg | 5th |
| 2011 | Kinshuki High School Judo Tournament | Team | 3rd |
| 2012 | Inter-High School Championships | -78kg | Gold |
| 2012 | All Japan Junior Judo Weight Category Championships | -70kg | Bronze |
| 2012 | Aix-en-Provence Junior International | -78kg | Gold |
| 2013 | All Japan Junior Judo Weight Category Championships | -78kg | 5th |
| 2013 | Asian Junior Championships | -78kg | Gold |
| 2014 | Polish Junior International | -78kg | Silver |
| 2014 | All Japan Junior Judo Weight Category Championships | -78kg | Gold |
| 2014 | Kodokan Cup | -78kg | Bronze |
| 2015 | European Open Sofia | -78kg | Gold |
| 2015 | All Japan Selected Weight Category Championships | -78kg | Silver |
| 2015 | Grand Prix Ulaanbaatar | -78kg | Bronze |
| 2015 | Kodokan Cup | -78kg | Silver |
| 2015 | Grand Prix Jeju | -78kg | Bronze |
| 2016 | Asian Championships | -78kg | Silver |
| 2016 | Grand Slam Tyumen | -78kg | Gold |
| 2016 | All Japan Business Group Individual Championships | -78kg | Bronze |
| 2016 | Kodokan Cup | -78kg | 5th |
| 2016 | Grand Prix Qingdao | -78kg | Gold |
| 2016 | Grand Slam Tokyo | -78kg | Bronze |
| 2017 | Grand Prix Düsseldorf | -78kg | Bronze |
| 2017 | All Japan Women's Judo Championships | Open | Bronze |
| 2017 | All Japan Business Group Individual Championships | -78kg | Bronze |
| 2017 | Kodokan Cup | -78kg | Bronze |
| 2018 | Grand Slam Ekaterinburg | -78kg | Gold |
| 2018 | All Japan Selected Weight Category Championships | -78kg | Gold |
| 2018 | All Japan Women's Judo Championships | Open | 5th |
| 2018 | All Japan Business Group Judo Tournament | Team | Gold |
| 2018 | Grand Prix Budapest | -78kg | Silver |
| 2018 | All Japan Business Group Individual Championships | -78kg | Gold |
| 2018 | Grand Prix Cancún | -78kg | Gold |
| 2018 | Kodokan Cup | -78kg | Bronze |
| 2019 | Grand Slam Ekaterinburg | -78kg | Bronze |
| 2019 | All Japan Women's Judo Championships | Open | 5th |
| 2019 | Grand Prix Hohhot | -78kg | 5th |
| 2019 | All Japan Business Group Individual Championships | -78kg | Gold |
| 2019 | Kodokan Cup | -78kg | Bronze |
| 2020 | Kodokan Cup | -78kg | Gold |
| 2021 | All Japan Selected Weight Category Championships | -78kg | Gold |
| 2021 | Grand Slam Paris | -78kg | Silver |
| 2022 | All Japan Selected Weight Category Championships | -78kg | Silver |
| 2022 | All Japan Business Group Judo Tournament | Team | Gold |
| 2022 | Kodokan Cup | -78kg | Gold |
| 2022 | Grand Slam Tokyo | -78kg | Gold |
| 2022 | World Masters | -78kg | 5th |
| 2023 | Grand Slam Tashkent | -78kg | Gold |
| 2023 | All Japan Selected Weight Category Championships | -78kg | Gold |
| 2023 | All Japan Business Group Judo Tournament | Team | Silver |
| 2023 | Grand Slam Ulaanbaatar | -78kg | Bronze |
| 2023 | Asian Games | -78kg | Silver |
| 2023 | Grand Slam Tokyo | -78kg | Bronze |
| 2024 | Grand Slam Tashkent | -78kg | Gold |
| 2024 | Asian Championships | -78kg | Gold |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | -78kg | 5th |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Mixed Team | Silver |
6. Assessment and Impact
Rika Takayama's career as a judoka reflects a journey of consistent growth, resilience, and a deep commitment to her sport. Her methodical approach, particularly her strong groundwork and effective throwing techniques, distinguishes her in the highly competitive -78 kg division. Despite facing challenges such as non-selection for major championships earlier in her senior career, Takayama steadily climbed the international rankings through persistent effort and a series of impressive victories at Grand Slam and Grand Prix events.
Her achievement of Olympic qualification for the Paris 2024 Games, especially after a strategic performance at the Grand Slam Tokyo in 2023, underscores her dedication and determination. While she narrowly missed an individual Olympic medal, her crucial contribution to Japan's silver medal in the mixed team event, including a significant win against a formidable opponent in the final, solidified her legacy as a valuable team player and a high-caliber athlete. Takayama's career serves as an inspiration for younger generations of judoka, demonstrating the importance of perseverance, continuous improvement, and the ability to perform under pressure on the global stage. Her consistent presence and medal-winning performances have made a substantial contribution to Japan's strong standing in international judo.