Atsuko Wakai

Atsuko Wakai
若井 敦子
Wakai in 2025
Member of the House of Councillors
Assumed office
29 July 2025
Preceded byYasutada Ōno
ConstituencyGifu at-large
Member of the Gifu Prefectural Assembly
In office
12 April 2015 – 19 July 2025
ConstituencyGifu City
Personal details
BornAkio Ishii
(1971-09-12) 12 September 1971
PartyLiberal Democratic
Alma materKindai University
OccupationKarate athletePolitician
Medal record
Women's karate
Representing  Japan
World Games
1997 Lahti Kata individual
2001 Akita Kata individual
2005 Duisburg Kata individual
Karate World Championships
1998 Rio de Janeiro Kata individual
2000 Munich Kata individual
2002 Madrid Kata individual
2004 Monterrey Kata individual
Asian Games
1998 Bangkok Kata individual
2002 Busan Kata individual

Atsuko Wakai (若井 敦子, Wakai Atsuko; born September 12, 1971) is a Japanese practitioner of karate who has won many international and Japanese national competitions in kata (patterns), including unprecedented numbers of consecutive titles in World Karate Federation (WKF) and All Japan Karatedo championships. She holds the rank of 6th dan black belt from the Japan Karatedo Federation (JKF), training in Seigokan Goju-ryu karate.