Tokai University junior Maki Tsukada earned a 2-1 split decision over defending champion Midori Shintani on Sunday to capture her first women's open judo national championship crown.
Officials of the All Japan Judo Federation (JJF), meeting after the competition at Aichi Martial Arts Gymnasium, named Tsukada as Japan's entry for the women's open division at this fall's Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea.
The JJF also picked world silver medalist Shintani to compete at the heavyweight division (over 78 kg) in Pusan and for Japan's team in the judo World Cup competition in Switzerland at the end of August.
Tsukada, the junior world champion in 2000, rolled into the finals Sunday with four ippon victories and then won the nod of the judges by being the more aggressive as the final turned into a struggle for the better grip.