DOJO MILESTONE. "Obukan Judo: A 100-Year Portland Legacy," an exhibit at the Oregon Historical Society Museum in downtown Portland, is on view through August 30, 2026. The display explores Obukan’s deep roots in Portland’s Japanese American community. (Photos/Evan Kierstead, courtesy of Oregon Historical Society Museum)

From The Asian Reporter, V36, #5 (May 4, 2026), page 16.

The Obukan Judo Dojo, one of the oldest continuously operating judo schools in the United States, is celebrating its 100th year. Founded by members of Portland’s Japanese community in 1926, the dojo has been a place to practice judo while fostering discipline, respect, and connection.

"Obukan Judo: A 100-Year Portland Legacy," an exhibit currently on view at the Oregon Historical Society Museum in downtown Portland, explores Obukan’s deep roots in Portland’s Japanese American community and its lasting impact on the city’s cultural life.

The display honors the generations of students and instructors who sustained the dojo for a century. With photographs, trophies, memorabilia, uniforms, and more, the community’s resilience and the enduring power of sport to build character and connection shines through.

Obukan Judo was founded at a time when Japanese immigrants faced widespread difficulties, including discrimination and limited opportunities, so the dojo was more than a martial arts school. It grew into a community gathering place where friendship, mutual respect, and perseverance thrived.

It was a place where people could train, build friendships, and pass on cultural traditions.

Judo is a Japanese martial art and Olympic sport that incorporates throwing and pinning maneuvers. Judo was founded in 1882 by Jigoro Kano Shihan at the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo, Japan. (Shihan is an honorific meaning "master teacher.") Developed from earlier martial arts traditions, judo emphasizes balance, technique, and strategy rather than strength alone.

Kano Shihan believed judo was more than a sport. Its guiding principles — Mutual Welfare and Benefit (Jita Kyoei) and Maximum Efficiency (Seiryoku Zenyo) — encourage cooperation, discipline, and personal growth.

Obukan Judo Dojo’s connection to judo’s founder is especially significant, as he visited the Portland dojo twice in the 1930s. Obukan was also one of the last dojos he personally named before he passed away in 1938.

The Obukan Judo Dojo is located in northeast Portland. To learn more, call (503) 208-3035 or visit <www.obukanjudo.org>.

"Obukan Judo: A 100-Year Portland Legacy" is on view at the Oregon Historical Society Museum, located at 1200 S.W. Park Avenue in Portland, through August 30, 2026. Admission to the museum is free for Multnomah County residents. For more information, please call (503) 222-1741 or visit <www.ohs.org>.