View source for Isao Inokuma

{{Short description|Japanese judoka (1938–2001)}}
{{Infobox judoka
| image        = Isao Inokuma 1964 (cropped).jpg
| image_size   = <!-- only when absolutely necessary -->
| alt          = 
| caption      = Isao Inokuma at the 1964 Olympics
| birth_date   = February 4, 1938 
| birth_place  = [[Yokosuka, Kanagawa]], Japan
| death_date   = September 28, 2001 (aged 63)
| death_place  = Tokyo, Japan
| height       = 1.73 m
| weight       = 88 kg
<!-- Sport -->
| country      = [[Japan]]
| weight_class = +80&nbsp;kg, Open
| rank         = <!-- Belt color ONLY. Automated when "dan" is used. -->
| rank_ref     = 
| dan          = <!-- Dan rank (number, 1-11), for Black belts only -->
| club         = 
<!-- Achievements and titles -->
| worlds_rank      = 1
| worlds_year      = 1965
| worlds_weight    = <!-- Men's Open -->
| regionals_type   = AS
| regionals_rank   = <!-- 1\2\3\5\7\R16\etc... -->
| regionals_year   = 
| regionals_weight = <!-- Optional – To link to specific weightclass competition article (when one exists) -->
| nationals        = 
| olympics_rank    = 1
| olympics_year    = 1964
| olympics_weight  = Men's +80 kg
<!-- Medal record -->
| show-medals    = 
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Sport| Men's [[judo]] }}
{{Medal|Country| {{JPN}} }}
{{Medal|Competition| [[Judo at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] }}
{{Medal|G| [[Judo at the 1964 Summer Olympics|1964&nbsp;Tokyo]] | [[Judo at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's +80 kg|+80&nbsp;kg]] }}
{{Medal|Competition| [[World Judo Championships|World Championships]] }}
{{Medal|G| [[1965 World Judo Championships|1965&nbsp;Rio&nbsp;de&nbsp;Janeiro]] | [[1965 World Judo Championships – Men's Open|Open]] }}
| updated = June 25, 2023
}}

{{nihongo|'''Isao Inokuma'''|猪熊 功|Inokuma Isao|extra=February 4, 1938 &ndash; September 28, 2001}} was a Japanese [[judoka]]. He won a gold medal in the [[Judo at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's +80 kg|heavyweight division]] (above 80&nbsp;kg) at the [[Judo at the 1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Summer Olympics]] in Tokyo and a [[World Judo Championships|world title]] in [[1965 World Judo Championships|1965]].<ref name=sr>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/in/isao-inokuma-1.html |title=Isao Inokuma |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203085339/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/in/isao-inokuma-1.html |archive-date=December 3, 2016}}</ref>

== Early life and education==
Inokuma was born in [[Yokosuka, Kanagawa]], and took up judo at age 15. He entered the Tokyo University of Education (current [[University of Tsukuba]]) and won the [[All-Japan Judo Championships]] in 1959 at only 21 years of age, to become the first student competitor to win the championship. He placed second in the All-Japan Championships in 1960 and 1961, both times losing to the future Olympic silver medalist and lifelong friend [[Akio Kaminaga]].<ref name=r1>[http://judoinfo.com/inokuma.htm Fighting Spirit by Isao Inokuma]. judoinfo.com</ref><ref name=r2/>

==Career==
Inokuma won the 1963 All-Japan Championships, but placed 4th in the 1964 All-Japan Championships and ended up entering the [[1964 Summer Olympics]] in the +80&nbsp;kg division (the heaviest weight category at the time excluding the open category). His main rivals there were Canadian [[Doug Rogers (judoka)|Doug Rogers]], who trained with Inokuma in Japan, and Georgian [[Anzor Kiknadze]], who nearly defeated Inokuma in 1961 using [[Sambo (martial art)|sambo]] armlock techniques. Inokuma faced Kiknadze in the semifinals. He managed to avoid the armlocks and threw Kiknadze at the five minute to advance to the final against Rogers, who was about 30&nbsp;kg heavier. In the final little happened in the first 10 minutes, and the referee, [[Charles Palmer (judoka)|Charles Palmer]] threatened to disqualify both, with little effect. Inokuma was awarded the gold for a slightly higher activity.<ref>[https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1964/JUD/mens-heavyweight.html Judo at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Games: Men's Heavyweight] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150720222724/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1964/JUD/mens-heavyweight.html |date=2015-07-20 }}. sports-reference.com</ref>

After graduating, Inokuma became a judo instructor for [[Juntendo University]] and the [[Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department]]. In 1965, he entered the Open weight class of the [[World Judo Championships]] intending to wrestle Dutch judo champion [[Anton Geesink]], but Geesink went to the +80&nbsp;kg division that year, and the two never faced off against one another. Both Geesink and Inokuma won gold medals in the competition, and Inokuma announced his retirement shortly afterwards, citing lack of motivation.<ref name=r2/>

==Later life and death==
In 1966, he resigned from his post at the Tokyo Police Department to become an executive at the Tokai Construction company (東海建設株式会社). He continued to work with judo as an advisor for the [[International Judo Federation]], and as an instructor at [[Tokai University]], where he coached future Olympic gold medalist [[Yasuhiro Yamashita]]. He also authored several books and manuals on judo. He became the CEO of  Tokai Construction   in 1993.

Inokuma [[suicide in Japan|died by suicide]] by ''[[seppuku]]'' in 2001, possibly due to  financial losses suffered by his company.<ref name=r2>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425074212/http://www.budokwai.org/isao_inokuma.htm |url=http://www.budokwai.org/isao_inokuma.htm|archive-date=2009-04-25|title=Isao Inokuma|publisher=budokwai.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbm-japan.com/judo/17132770|title=日本柔道オリンピック金メダリスト列伝【第１回】|date=2017-11-21|publisher=Baseball Magazine Co., Ltd.|access-date=2019-10-17|language=ja}}</ref>

==Bibliography==

* ''Best Judo'' (with [[Nobuyuki Sato (judoka)|Nobuyuki Sato]], 1987), Kodansha lnternational Ltd, {{ISBN|978-0-87011-786-2}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Inokuma |first=Isao |title=Best Judo |last2=Sato |first2=Nobuyuki |publisher=Kodansha lnternational Ltd |year=1987 |isbn=978-0-87011-786-2 |edition=1st}}</ref>
* ''Weight training for championship judo'' (with Donn Draeger, 1966), Kodansha lnternational Ltd, {{ISBN|9784770000286}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Sports links}}
* {{The-Sports}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions Judo Heavyweight Men}}
{{WC Judo Men's Openweight}}
{{All-Japan Judo Champions}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Inokuma, Isao}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:2001 suicides]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Tokai University]]
[[Category:Japanese chief executives]]
[[Category:Japanese male judoka]]
[[Category:Judoka at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Male suicides]]
[[Category:Olympic judoka for Japan]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Japan]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in judo]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Yokosuka, Kanagawa]]
[[Category:Seppuku from Meiji era to present]]
[[Category:World judo champions]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:20th-century Japanese sportsmen]]