Belonging Takes Centre Stage for World Judo Day 2026

World Judo Day 2026 will focus on belonging, bringing the Judo community together around the shared connections created on and off the tatami. The annual occasion is celebrated on 28 October, the birthday of Judo founder Jigoro Kano Shihan.

This year’s theme highlights belonging to a sport, a group, a club and a wider family shaped through Judo. It reflects the idea of dojos as welcoming spaces, where people can take part without discrimination and experience the values of the sport in everyday training.

The message is simple but meaningful: Judo is built not only through technique and competition, but also through the people who train together. From clubs and training partners to coaches and families, World Judo Day is a moment to recognise the bonds that keep the global Judo community connected.

World Judo Day is celebrated each year on 28 October.

Graphic resources have been made available for the 2026 celebrations. The materials include memos in English, French and Spanish, along with World Judo Day logos in the same languages.

Two posters are also included among the available resources. They give clubs, groups and members of the Judo community visual material to support the 2026 World Judo Day theme.

With belonging at its heart, the campaign places the spotlight on an open Judo family and the role of every dojo in making people feel part of it.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation