Isamu Sonoda: key obituary facts
Is Isamu Sonoda dead? Yes. Isamu Sonoda died on July 16, 2026, at age 79.
Cause of death: Isamu Sonoda's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Isamu Sonoda known for?
He was a Japanese judoka.
More about Isamu Sonoda
Born: 4 November 1946.
Place of birth: Yanagawa.
Gender: male.
Occupation: judoka.
Nationality: Japan.
Education: Fukuoka Institute of Technology.
Isamu Sonoda, the Japanese judoka who won Olympic gold, died on July 16, 2026, at the age of 79.
Born in Yanagawa, Fukuoka, Japan, on November 4, 1946, he became one of Japan’s leading competitors in the middleweight division and won a gold medal at the 1969 World Judo Championships, sharing that achievement with his older brother, Yoshio, who took gold in the lightweight class. Sonoda later competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics, where he won the Olympic title.
He attended the Fukuoka Institute of Technology and, after graduating, worked for the Maruzen Oil Company while continuing his judo career. He also served as a judo instructor for the Fukuoka prefectural police before retiring from competition in 1978.