Newspaper articles of judo injuries resulting in death: 1984 2010 [40]
High school judo club member in Nara dies in locker room after practice
The Asahi Shimbun
July 18, 2005
On July 17, at around 6:20 am, a teacher of Nishiyamato Gakuen High School in Nara found a first year judo club student lying dead on his back in the judo club locker room at the school. He was found after the teacher had received a call at about 5:30 am from the student’s mother informing him that her son had not returned home the night before. The student did not have any external injuries. Seiwa Police indicated that he may have fallen ill after the practice. According to the investigation the student attended the judo club practice for about three hours until 4:45 pm on July 16. After complaining of tiredness he rested in the locker room after other members had left. The locker room is on the second floor of the training hall. The teacher, who locked the door on the first floor at around 7:30 pm, had not checked inside the locker room.
High school judo club member in Nara dies of head injury
The Asahi Shimbun
July 19, 2005
Seiwa Police announced on July 18 that the cause of death of the first year student of Nishiyamato Gakuen High School, who was found dead in the locker room of the judo club on the morning of July 17, was cerebral hemorrhage due to head injury. Based on the autopsy, the estimated time of death was around 12:00 midnight and the student was assumed to have hit his head during judo club practice on the afternoon of July 16. He attended practice for about 3 hours until around 4:45 pm. After complaining of tiredness he rested in the locker room after other members had left.
Nishiyamato Gakuen High School judo club teachers not prosecuted
The Asahi Shimbun, Nara
March 28, 2007
The Nara District Public Prosecutors Office dropped the case against two judo club teachers (40, 26) of Nishiyamato Guakuen High School, who were charged on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death. A first year student was found dead in the judo club locker room in July 2005. The Public Prosecutors Office determined that the teachers would not have been able to predict the student’s death when his respiration was normal after practice. It was indicated that the club head teacher had management responsibility over the practice but was not responsible for what happened after it. The student complained that he was tired after the practice and stayed in the locker room to rest after other members had left. He was found dead of a brain hemorrhage in the locker room early the next morning due to hitting his head during judo practice.
