is a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese judo

Judo

is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

ka.

He was born in Tenmei

Tenmei, Kumamoto

was a town located in Hōtaku District, Kumamoto, Japan.On February 1, 1991 Tenmei, along with the towns of Akita, Kawachi and Hokubu, all from Hōtaku District, was merged into the expanded city of Kumamoto and no longer exists as an independent municipality....

(ja), Kumamoto Prefecture

Kumamoto Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyushu Island. The capital is the city of Kumamoto.- History :Historically the area was called Higo Province; and the province was renamed Kumamoto during the Meiji Restoration. The creation of prefectures was part of the abolition of the feudal system...

, and began judo at the age of a fifth grader.

After graduating from Nippon Sport Science University

Nippon Sport Science University

is a private university with campuses in Setagaya, Tokyo and Aoba-ku, Yokohama. The precursor of the school was founded 1893, and it was chartered as a university in 1949...

, he worked with a teacher in Yamagata

Yamagata Prefecture

-Fruit:Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced.- Demographics :...

 and Yamanashi

Yamanashi Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...

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He won a gold medal at the -65 kg category of the World Championships in 1987.

As of 2009, Yamamoto coaches judo at his alma mater, Nippon Sport Science University, where he previously studied as an undergraduate. Among his students is former Pacific Rim champion Arata Kojima.