TOKYO ­- Akiko Amano, who has been selected as a judge for judo events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, felt a bit uncomfortable when she heard someone describe her, saying, “she has two irons in the fire.”

Amano, 37, the first Japanese woman to become a judo judge at the Olympics, is the 15th proprietor of Sohke Hanabi Kagiya Co., one of the nation’s most prestigious fireworks companies with a history dating from the Edo period (1603-1867).

Amano, who has been successful in the two unrelated fields, laughed away concerns expressed by those around her, saying it was quite natural for her as she has been balancing the two since childhood.

It was her father Osamu, Kagiya’s 14th proprietor and also a judo school head, who induced Amano, who was expected to lead the family business, to take up judo.

Amano’s “ippon” win over former female world champion Kaori Yamaguchi using a shoulder throw at the 1986 national women’s judo tournament when she was a first-year high school student, is still an oft-told tale. Later that year, she was ranked third at the Fukuoka International Women’s Judo Championships, giving strength to her dream of taking part in the Olympics.

Amano reflected with a bitter smile that she never did develop into a champion, however, because she lacked the hunger to succeed. After graduating from university, she retired from judo training and started studying to become a pyrotechnician.

Despite having kept her distance from judo, she became involved in the sport again. Encouraged by those around her, she obtained a judo judge national C-class license in 1995.

“(Having a judging license,) I developed (a new) insight into judo and began to love working as a judge,” said Amano, who felt like she had found another vocation.

Amano received high praise when she worked as a judge for the first time at the World Judo Championships in September, which was her final qualifying test to be an Olympic judge.

Judges cannot win respect unless they are trusted by the athletes who commit themselves to the competition. “What is important for judges is to keep (their) presence of mind in a tense atmosphere,” Amano said.

Now there is only a brief period of time in which Amano can rejoice in the realization of her dream to go to the Olympics – not as an athlete but as a judge. She resolutely sets her jaw in preparation for the task.

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(c) 2007, The Yomiuri Shimbun.

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AP-NY-11-24-07 1432EST