The 10th All Japan Full Contact Karate Championship – 2026, 30/31 May. The elite of Japan will meet to decide who’s the best fighter in weight-categories.

The 10th edition of All Japan Full Contact Karate Championship line up is ready, Even though it is far from Europe to Japan, one should be interested in what is happening – especially considering that in the long term one will meet the best Japanese athletes in, for example, the World Championships. ⇓ Photo by the eminent Piotr Sztencel see more: Pi.Sztencel 

JFKO have as you know 5 categories for men / women, just like the European Championship WKO / EKO. Fighting and judging for that matter is quite different from Europe. When it comes to the fast decision judging, that we see more and more – no doubt that it is a topic to discuss.

This category do have an extra nerve this time. The winner will be qualified for the last spot in the KCC . In that matter, we suspect that some athletes have chosen this category instead of -90, which they fall within by weight. Shota Maeda 88 kg, Daiya Katagiri / Kembukai 92 kg, Yuto Eguchi 83 kg.

Not only are they under or close to the -90 kg limit, the all are podium holders from previous championships in the category -90 kg. Last years final: Maeda vs Eguchi. When it comes to these fighters, who are used to fight in Open weight categories as well – they can mix in among the best.

Other notable names in the +90 kg category would be Ryuji Toda, Yuki Okada, and reign WFKO World Champion ⇓ Yuta Goto / MAC Karate. Remember that Okada is already qualified to KCC, so if he wins, most likely the runner up will go.

For the KCC Championship – we do mean that the best fighter would be Yuta Goto – he can challenge all, and not many of the fighters from outside Japan have fought him. The category have 33 fighters, 7 of them U-18, including 15 years.

This category have 28 fighters in the line up, and do also contain notable names. ⇓ Yuhei Ashitaka / IKOKU – Kyokushin Union, reign World Champion, and highly merited for many years. Similar to him,Yuta Takahashi Takahashi Dojo. Being one of the star in IKO1, founding his own Dojo, Takahashi Dojo.

Yuta Takahashi has been on the podium several times in the JFKO, and received also the technical award as he is a fighter with unique style. He is a fighter we would like to see climb all the way to the top, because the level is there – and it must be noted that even fights have not been decided his way.

Further on in the category we have Koki Oba / Mugen Yushinkai, third place holder from last year. Young up and coming fighter, expected to move on i the tournament. With several of the former top fighters in this class having moved up to the upper class, it will be interesting to see who emerges.

But there are also fighters entering this category who have previously competed in -80kg. Not only that, but here we find one of the favorites – despite entering a heavier class. Keijiro Tsukamoto, runner up in the WFKO last year. What about a final between him and Takahashi?

The middleweight category have 51 fighter, a hard category to go trough. ⇓ Harumasa Kitajima, reign champion ready to defend his title. Maybe some remember the name from Kokoro Cup 2024 in Poland, when he fought Vladimir Artyushin to extension, before he lost. Kitajima is a very interesting young fighter, and it will be interesting to see if he keep up the level from last year.

⇓ Hotaka Yoshizawa / Shinkyokushinkai. Lost the final vs Ushirosako in 2022 – but became World Champion in weight categories WKO later same year, and finished at 7th in the 54th All Japan Open (open weight) in December – earning the Spirit award as well. Reaching the JFKO final in 2023 and 2024, and top 8 in the 1st WFKO World Championships – It is highly likely that he will reach the podium again, all the way to the top is quite possible.

One of the challenger to Hotaka Yoshizawa would be JFKO All Japan Open two time winner ⇓ Ryuki Ushirosako. Do have quite similar record, but not a World Champion title – but instead of that – he did beat Yoshizawa in the 7th JFKO All Japan Weight Tournament – 2022. We do smell a rematch here!

Furthermore we have some fighters coming up from the division below (-70kg), with results that make them worth count in. ⇓ Toma Maehira /WKO runner up in the 1st WFKO World Championships, and winner of  9th JFKO All Japan Weight Tournament – 2024. Sho Mizutani / Kubota – 2nd WFKO International Tournament – 2025

Several different organizations are represented in this category, and do have fighters with different record. As always – it will be of great interest to see them up against the more profiled fighters. Yutaka Inamori / Shobukan, Yuya Tanaka / Koshikan etc

This category is the largest with 68 fighters in the line up. 6-7 fights depend on the draw to be the champion. As mention some of the top fighters in this category have moved on to the one above, and someone are out. Luckily the division can offer quite many top fighters.

⇑ Yuki Otsubo / WKO 3rd place holder in the two last World Championship in this category. And two times finalist in the JFKO All Japan Open, lost to Toma Maehira and  Kaede Hiraki. With Maehira moving up a division, and Kaede not listed this time – could this be Yuki Otsubo first All Japan Open win?

The JFKO runner up in 2025, Tetsunari Murata is an highly interesting fighter. At now age 16, with a podium record from JFKO All Japan Open – it will be a question how much he grow from on tournament to another. In this age, things happens fast – and it might be a podium place again!

⇑ Gai Beniya / Kyokushin Kenbukai – also 3rd place holder from the 1st WFKO World Championships, but in -60 kg. Beniya is four time a row All Japan Weight Category Tournament – JKJO champion Light middleweight – we can not be surprised if he bland in among the top fighters. He did win the JFKO in the lightest category 2024 – can he make this happen again in a new category?

Fighters like ⇑ Hiroki Kureya / IKOKU Rengokai and Eiji Kanbara / Shinkyokushin are fighters who have decent results, but not in the top level. Most likely they have to keep on for a little more before the eventually advance up among the top. But the do have such good level that it will cost “you” to face them.

The lightest category so also have a solid number of fighters, 58. The favorite will be Tenshin Sawai / WKO – reign world champion for start, but also JFKO Champion from 2023. Year before that, runner up in JFKO All Japan, and 3rd place holder in the World Championship – meaning, this fighters hold a extraordinary level proving that over time. The winner of The 2nd WFKO International Tournament – 2025, ⇓ Seita Otsubo / WKO is the next fighter we look at. Now at age 17, he can look back at last year WFKO final that went all the way. A long hard war with runner up Keita Yamakawa.

(⇓ Left) Masamitsu Nissato / Buritsukaikan is a very interesting fighter. We haven’t see so much of him – that said, he have a very decent record. All Japan Open Champion JKJO, and runner up 9th JFKO All Japan Weight Tournament – 2024. But do also a quite active fight career besides that.

The Japanese “Karate Machine” grinds on, producing new fighters at a relentless pace. Unknown young fighters are emerging and performing like veterans – And speaking of age, over half of the category is under 18 years – a huge contrast to European fighting. How can he rest of the world face this?