Judo gold medalist Toshihiko Koga died on the 24th.


The sudden news from Fukuoka and Saga prefectures, where Mr. Koga was born and raised, heard voices of surprise and sadness.

A regrettable voice in Fukuoka, where Mr. Koga was born

In Fukuoka Prefecture, where Mr. Koga was born, there were voices regretting his death at the young age of 53.



A woman in her thirties in Fukuoka City said, "I had come to a lecture when I was in elementary school and taught me the rigor and importance of practicing. I'm sorry I wanted to be that kind of person." Was there.



A man in his 50s in Fukuoka said, "I remember when I won the gold medal at the Olympics and did a banzai. I'm lonely because I was energized as one of my generation."



A man in his 70s in Fukuoka said, "I was surprised. I feel very lonely. I was impressed by the beautiful judo that was thrown on my back, not by force."

Voices of surprise and sadness in Saga, where Mr. Koga grew up

Even in Saga Prefecture, where Mr. Koga grew up, the news of his death heard voices of surprise and sadness.



I heard it in Saga City.



A man in his 50s said, "I was impressed by the strong spirit of winning the gold medal after hearing Mr. Koga's lecture. I was really surprised to hear that he died. I was talking.



A parent and child of a woman in her 50s and a woman in her 20s said, "I am very famous for local athletes. I was still young and I thought I would be the one who will lead Japanese judo in the future."



A man in his 80s said, "I thought I would continue to be a gold medalist, and I wanted him to be more active for Saga Prefecture."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato "Really young and totally disappointed"

Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato said at a press conference in the morning, "I was very surprised that I died at the young age of 53. Despite being the captain of the Japanese team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, my knees were hurt. He hit the painkiller and finally won the gold medal. I remember it very impressively. It was said to be "Heisei Sanshiro", but it is often said that he "softly controls the stiffness" in Judo. He was the one who embodied those words. He was really young and totally disappointed, and I pray for his soul. "