Newspaper articles of judo injuries resulting in death: 1984 – 2010 [43]
Judo club ordered to pay compensation; student died due to hitting his head during practice
The Asahi Shimbun
August 8, 2009
The Hiroshima District Court ruled on Aug. 7 against Mr. Takao Kawaguchi, the head of a judo club, Kawaguchi Dojo, to pay compensation of about 24 million yen for neglect of safety procedures to the parents of Tenma Sasaki (12 at the time), who died as a result of hitting his head during judo practice. The father (41) and the mother (41) of Tenma sought compensation of about 84 million yen against the head of the club and 5 other teachers. The court determined that Mr. Kawguchi, the head, had management responsibility but charges against the other 5 teachers were dismissed.
In June, 2007, Tenma, who was a first year junior high school student, hit his head during a repetitive throwing practice. He died of acute subdural hematoma about two weeks later. The court decision indicated that Kawaguchi Dojo had neglected other students who had hit their heads in the past. It was decided that Mr. Kawaguchi violated his duty of care and that he must assume responsibility as the head of the club. Neglect of duty by the other five teachers was not admitted because their presence at the dojo when other members hit their head could not be proven.
Mr. Kawaguchi was the lightweight class gold medalist at the 1972 Munich Olympics and is the director of the All Japan Judo Federation.
Hiroshima District Court order judo gold medalist to pay compensation for death of first year junior high school student
The Mainichi Shimbun
August 8, 2009
At Kawaguchi Dojo in Hiroshima, managed by Mr. Takao Kawaguchi (55), a judo gold medalist at the 1972 Munich Olympics, a first year junior high school student, Tenma Sasaki (12 at the time), hit his head during practice and died in 2007. The Hiroshima District Court delivered a decision on Aug.7 regarding the charges filed by the parents of Tenma against Mr. Kawaguchi and 5 members of the dojo, seeking compensation of about 84 million yen for neglect of duty of care. The judge stated that instruction and supervising must be conducted with maximum emphasis on safety, ordering Mr. Kawaguchi to pay about 24 million yen to the parents. According to the plaintiff, Tenma fell unconscious by hitting hard the back of his head during a repetitive throwing practice with a male junior high school student on June 22, 2007 and died of acute subdural hematoma on July 6 of the same year. The judge indicated that many other junior high school students have hit their heads during repetitive throwing practice in the past, therefore, as the head of the judo club, Mr. Kawaguchi could not avoid taking responsibility.
Mr. Kawaguchi won a lightweight class gold medal at the Olympic Games in Munich when he was a student at Meiji University. He is the director of the All Japan Judo Federation.
Mr. Kawaguchi reelected; Judo Union of Asia
The Asahi Shimbun
April 5, 2011
Mr. Takao Kawaguchi, the Referee Chairman of the All Japan Judo Federation, was reelected at the general meeting of the Judo Union of Asia held in Abu Dhabi on Apr. 3, 2011. He will be Referee Director for four years.
