Kaori Yamaguchi

Kaori Yamaguchi (山口香) is a Japanese university professor and retired judoka.

Yamaguchi won the All-Japan Judo Championships 10 consecutive times from 1978 to 1987 (twice in the 50 kg division, seven times in the 52 kg division) and won her first medal at the 1980 World Judo Championships. Yamaguchi went on to win 4 silver medals and one gold medal at the World Judo Championships. Yamaguchi also won a bronze medal in the 52 kg division at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, where women's judo was held as a demonstration sport. She retired from competitive judo in 1989 when she graduated from the University of Tsukuba. She worked as an instructor for the University of Tsukuba and Musashi University since retiring. Yamaguchi is currently Associate professor of Tsukuba.

Yamaguchi is the model for the protagonist in Naoki Urasawa's judo manga, Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl, and makes a cameo appearance in the film version of the manga as well.