Ryuji Sonoda

Who is Ryuji Sonoda?

Ryuji Sonoda is a Japanese judoka.

He was born in Ōmuta, Fukuoka, and began judo at the age of a first grader.

He won a gold medal at the -60 kg category of the Junior World Championships in 1992 and World Championships in 1993. After graduating from Meiji University, he entered the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

Sonoda retired from competition in 2004. By 2009, he coached All-Japan women's judo team before announcing his resignation on January 31, 2013 following accusations of physical abuse by team members.