Born in Mikage

Jigoro Kano elevated Japan's traditional martial arts into a modern educational system and became a pioneer of international exchange through sport, bridging Japan and the world. Without him, judo's inclusion as an Olympic sport and Japan's Olympic participation would have been far delayed.

Born in 1860 to a wealthy sake-brewing family in what is now Mikage, Kobe, he enrolled at Tokyo Imperial University. Small and physically weak, he took up jujutsu seeking to transform himself. After studying two schools - Tenjin Shinyo-ryu and Kito-ryu - he founded the Kodokan in 1882 at age twenty-two.

Kano's innovation was reconceiving jujutsu as 'an educational method.' While traditional jujutsu primarily aimed to transmit killing techniques, Kano placed two principles at its foundation: 'Seiryoku Zenyo' (maximum efficient use of energy) and 'Jita Kyoei' (mutual welfare and benefit). He centered practice on randori (free sparring), building a system for learning practical techniques safely. The dan ranking system and unified rules were also his contributions.

As an educator, he excelled equally. He served as president of Tokyo Higher Normal School for many years, practicing his belief that 'education aims at the perfection of character.' His philosophy of physical education as a means of character development, not mere physical training, connects to the later Olympic educational ideal.

In international sport, he became Asia's first IOC member in 1909. He sent Japan's first Olympic delegation to the 1912 Stockholm Games. He also worked to bring the 1940 Olympics to Tokyo, which was awarded (but later returned due to war). However, he died of pneumonia in 1938 aboard the Hikawa Maru during his return voyage, at seventy-seven - the year after hearing the good news.

Kano's legacy is multi-layered: systematization of martial arts, educational philosophy, international sports diplomacy. In each domain, he created 'universally applicable values originating from Japan.' Judo is now practiced in over 200 countries, and his principle of 'mutual welfare and benefit' has become a common language of humanity.