YAWARA! story timeline

This is a rough timeline of the "Yawara universe" from the manga. I made guesses for things that I did not have the exact dates. There are some discrepancies between this "universe" and the one from the TV series.

There are some spoilers if you haven't read the manga to volume 25.

version 1 by Hitoshi Doi, 1992.04.02
version 2 by Hitoshi Doi, 1992.06.03
(with contributions by Chih-Ping Kuo)
version 3 by Hitoshi Doi, 1992.08.09
version 4 by Hitoshi Doi, 1994.12.28
(conversion to HTML)

1969

12/08: Yawara was born.

1974

summer: Kojiro won the All Japan Judo Championships.
???: Yawara threw Kojiro when they were just playing around. Kojiro left home to pursue his perfect judo.

1986

summer: Yawara, a high school student, threw a thief over her shoulder. Matsuda and Kamoda saw the scene and snapped a picture.
fall: Yawara and Jigoro met Sayaka. Jigoro showed off his judo by throwing Sayaka's body guard, and made Sayaka interested in judo.

1987

01/01: Yawara and Jigoro went to a shrine. Sayaka was also at that shrine. They ran into a kimono slasher, and Yawara threw him.
spring: Yawara fought for the weak Musashiyama judo team against the strong Ganryuuji team. Yawara defeated Ganryuuji's ace, but Jigoro told everyone to keep it a secret.
spring: When Yawara was on the bus, Matsuda was bothering her with questions about judo. Kazamatsuri threw Matsuda off.
spring: Sayaka debuted in a minor judo tournament, and easily defeated everyone.
spring: Yawara went on a date with Kazamatsuri. Kazamatsuri tried to find out more about Yawara's judo, but Yawara pretended like she didn't know anything about it.
spring: The Nikkan Every Sports newspaper featured an article about Yawara. A lot of reporters gathered around Yawara's house the next day, so Matsuda rescued Yawara from the other reporters. Yawara spent the night at Matsuda's apartment. Sayaka tried to get Jigoro as her coach, but Jigoro refused.
04/12: Yawara fought in an exhibition match against Toudou. Yawara was planning to lose on purpose, but she inadvertently threw Toudou when she saw her mother.
summer: Yawara became the coach of the very weak Musashiyama high school team.
summer: Jigoro took Yawara to take a test for her black belt. Yawara easily defeated her opponent and got the belt.
summer: Yawara fought in her first real tournament in the Budoukan. Yawara defeated Sayaka with an ippon throw in a few seconds. On the same day, the Musashiyama high school team had a match. Yawara rushed to the Musashiyama match after her match and gave advice to Hanazono to enable him to win.
summer: Jody arrived in Japan. Yawara fought against Jody, and enjoyed judo for the first time in her life. Jody injured her arm, so Yawara stopped fighting before there was a winner.
fall: Yawara fought in many tournaments, all set up by Jigoro, so that she can build up her record to face Jody in an International tournament.
Dec: Yutenji decided that Yawara should enter the Seoul Olympics in the unlimited class and Sayaka in the 48 kg class. Sayaka's judo record was 31-1 and Yawara's was 25-0.
12/31: Jigoro appeared on TV and claimed that Yawara would win the gold medal in the Olympics next year.

1988

Jan: Yawara was invited to the Honami family new year party. Sayaka's father announced that Kazamatsuri will marry Sayaka.
Jan: Kuniko became Matsuda's partner.
Jan: Yawara injured her hand in a tournament the day before the entrance exam to Mitsuba Jr. College. On the day of the exam, Matsuda tied a pencil to Yawara's hand with his handkerchief so that she could write.
Mar: Yawara graduated from Musashiyama high school. Hanazono fought against Yawara as his last wish, and lost.
Apr: Yawara entered Mitsuba Jr. College and met Fujiko. Yawara joined the golf club. Yawara and Fujiko went to a disco, but some guy touched Yawara's hip. So Yawara threw him.
May: Yawara fought in the All Japan Championship tournament and won. Sayaka injured her ankle in the semi-final match before she could have a rematch with Yawara. IOC president Tamaranch saw Yawara's performance and decided to have an unlimited class in the Seoul Olympics.
summer: Yawara fought in the Seoul Olympics and defeated Belkens and Teleshikova to win the gold medal. Sayaka got the silver medal in the 48 kg weight class. Matsuda caught Kojiro and heard the story of how Yawara had thrown him when she was 5 years old.
summer: Sayaka asked Kojiro to be her coach with an offer of 300,000,000 yen. Sayaka's father doubled it.
fall: Yawara went to Canada to attend Jody's wedding. Yawara fought an exhibition match against Christine Adams. Yawara told Jody that she would not do judo any more.
fall: Fujiko created a judo team in Mitsuba Jr. College to try to get Yawara back into judo.

1989

winter: Mitsuba Jr. College had its first match, a practice match, against Tsukushi University (number 1 in Japan). Yawara returned to judo after seeing her friends trying so hard.
spring: The Mitsuba team fought in the Ajisaihai Tournament and won. Fujiko fought to a draw against Sayaka, but got injured. Yawara defeated all five members of the Tsukushi team by herself.
May: Sayaka went into the mountains for training with Kojiro.
May: Yawara interviewed with Tsurugame Travel.
Jun: Yawara and Fujiko fought in the Japan Weight-Class Championships. Fujiko came in second place in the 61 kg weight class. Yawara won the 48 kg weight class.
Oct: Yawara and Fujiko fought in the World Championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Fujiko fought against Teleshikova in the semi-finals of the unlimited class, and lost at the last minute. Yawara won the 48 kg championship by defeating Furushichova. Yawara fought very poorly until Matsuda showed up.
winter: The Mitsuba team fought against the French team in their graduation match. Jigoro had promised that if Mitsuba won, Yawara could go work.

1990

Mar: Yawara and Fujiko graduated from Mitsuba Jr. College. Sayaka returned from her 10 month training. Kazamatsuri kissed Yawara after their date.
Apr: Yawara started working for Tsurugame Travel. Fujiko transferred to Saikai University.
04/21: Yawara went to Hokkaidou on her first job.
04/22: Yawara almost missed her match, but Matsuda got her to the gym on time. Matsuda fractured his leg when his motorcycle crashed. Yawara defeated Sayaka in their rematch in the All Japan Championships. Yawara also threw Fujiko in the final match.
Jun: Yawara won the Japan Weight-Class Championships. Fujiko performed very poorly in that tournament.
summer: Yawara and Jigoro secretly trained Hanazono so he can fight as one of the members of the Ebitendo team. Hanazono said that he would not see Fujiko until he made himself worthy of her.
Oct: Hanazono fought in the Kanto area regional tournament. Hanazono placed second.
winter: Fujiko won the 61 kg weight class in the Fukuoka International Women's Judo Tournament. Yawara won the 48 kg championship.

1991

Mar: Hanazono and Fujiko had their wedding.
Apr: Yawara won the All Japan Championships.
May: Sayaka and Kojiro came back from their European training tour.
06/08: Yawara found her father. Yawara retired from judo after finding out that Kojiro had been Sayaka's coach.
06/09: Yawara did not show up and lost by forfeit in the Japan Weight- Class Championships. Sayaka won the 48 kg championship.
Jul: Sayaka won the 48 kg championship in the World Championships in Barcelona.
summer: Kuniko told Yawara that Matsuda was going to quit being a reporter and marry her.
10/10: Fujiko's baby girl, Fukuko, was born.
Dec: Sayaka won the Fukuoka International Women's Judo Tournament.
12/24: Yawara refused her date with Kazamatsuri at the last moment. Yawara rushed to see Matsuda because she had been moved when she read his old newspaper articles. Yawara told Matsuda that she would return to judo.

1992

winter: Yawara started her training with Fujiko. Kojiro saw Yawara's training and began a new secret training with Sayaka.
winter: Teleshikova and Furushichova came to Japan as coaches for a company judo team. Teleshikova challenged Yawara, but Jigoro told them to fight in the Olympics. Teleshikova and Furushichova then returned to their country to train.
spring: Sayaka won the Japan Championships. In the final match she used one of her secret moves that she had been practicing. Jigoro accidently told everyone that Kojiro was Sayaka's coach.
May: Yawara and Fujiko returned to judo in the Japan Weight-Class Championships.

[Yawara!]