The 28-year-old, also a three-time world champion, was picked at an All Japan Judo Federation meeting, as reported by Kyodo News. 

Twelve of the 14-strong team were selected, including young talent Uta Abe, a gold medallist at the Dusseldorf Grand Slam this month and the two-times world champion in the women's under-52kg division. 

Rio 2016 silver medallist Hisayoshi Harasawa is set to represent the hosts in the men's over-100kg, while two-times world champion Chizuru Arai will contest the women's under-70kg competition.

Shori Hamada, the women's under-78kg world champion in 2018, has been selected, alongside the 2017 men's under-100kg world champion Aaron Wolf. 

The remainder of the men's team is Naohisa Takato in the under-60kg, Takanori Nagase in the under-81kg and Shoichiro Mukai in the under-90-kg.

In the women's contest, Funa Tonaki will fight in the under-48kg, Tsukasa Yoshida in the under-57kg and Miku Tashiro in the under-63kg.

Akira Sone was the first judoka to be named to the Japanese team, booking her place after triumphing in the women's over-78kg at the Osaka Grand Slam in November. 

Just one place in the team remains for the men's under-66kg category. 

It is likely to go to either reigning world champion Joshiro Maruyama or 2017 world champion Hifumi Abe, older brother of Uta.

The judoka going to the Olympics should be decided at the All-Japan Weight Class Championships in Fukuoka, scheduled for April 4 to 5. 

The judo competition at Tokyo 2020 is due to take place from July 25 to August 1 at Nippon Budokan.