Lausanne, Switzerland

Japanese Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita, 62, became a member of the International Olympic Committee at the IOC Session in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Friday.

Yamashita, selected in a vote by IOC members, is the second incumbent Japanese member of the committee. The other is Morinari Watanabe, president of the International Gymnastics Federation.

Yamashita is the gold medalist in the men's judo open category in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

He is the first Japanese to serve as IOC member from the country's judo world since Jigoro Kano, who was given IOC membership in 1909. Kano founded Kodokan, the hub of Japanese judo.

IOC members have the right to vote for the selection of Olympic host cities. Yamashita became JOC president to replace Tsunekazu Takeda in June 2019. Takeda resigned as IOC member in March the same year.

Yamashita won the all Japan judo championship for nine straight years from 1977. He was given the People's Honor Award, an honor presented by Japan's prime minister, in 1984.

Jiji Press