Jo Shimoda has added another milestone to his breakout year, with the Honda HRC Progressive rider honoured at Japan’s most prestigious all-sports awards ceremony after a history-making 2025 season.
At a distinguished Wednesday evening ceremony held at Tokyo’s Hotel New Otani on December 18, Shimoda was presented with the Kanto Sho, or “Fighting Spirit” Award, as part of the Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize. Widely regarded as the country’s top professional sports awards, the event celebrates elite athletes across all disciplines, with Shimoda recognised following his landmark achievement of winning the 2025 250 SuperMotocross Championship. The title made him the first Japanese rider to ever claim a professional AMA championship.
Shimoda’s season also included a successful step up to the 450 class on the world stage, where he recorded solid 2–6 moto finishes while representing Team Japan at the Motocross of Nations in October.
Organised by the Japan Professional Sports Association, the awards are intended “to contribute to the sound development and promotion of the professional sports world in Japan,” with winners selected by a committee representing major Tokyo-based sports media, including newspapers, television, radio and wire services. Apart from a three-year hiatus between 2019 and 2021, the ceremony has been held annually since 1968, with the overall Grand Prize typically awarded to athletes from mainstream sports such as baseball, boxing, sumo wrestling, golf, tennis and soccer. This year’s Grand Prize went to Los Angeles Dodgers World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was seated at the same table as Shimoda during the ceremony.
Reflecting on the recognition, Shimoda said, “It’s an honour just to be considered for an award like this, let alone to win it,” adding that motocross remains a niche sport in Japan. “Motocross isn’t big in Japan, so I’m very proud be included along with athletes from mainstream sports. Thank you to everyone involved. I hope that this will be good for our sport, and I will try to continue having success for my sponsors and my home country.”
The celebrations continued the following day, with Shimoda welcomed by Honda and HRC at a pop-up event in downtown Tokyo. The appearance gave fans the chance to meet the SuperMotocross champion and collect autographs, while Shimoda and Honda HRC Progressive Team Manager Lars Lindstrom took part in a small press conference. Shimoda also appeared on stage alongside IndyCar star Takuma Sato, with the event additionally recognising 2025 JMX Champion Yuki Okura and professional freestyle BMX rider Rim Nakamura.
HRC Off-Road Racing Manager Yasuhiro Yokoyama said the award was fitting recognition for Shimoda’s standout season, explaining that “everyone at Honda is proud that Jo has been able to enjoy great success on the track in 2025, and we are happy to see him get the recognition he deserves.” Yokoyama added that the event allowed the Japanese public and media to congratulate Shimoda in person, noting, “he was able to see how much his efforts are appreciated. We thank Jo for his hard work this year, and we look forward to more success in the future.”
Currently recovering from a neck injury sustained in a training crash, Shimoda remains on track to continue with Honda HRC Progressive in 2026, carrying both his on-track momentum and newfound recognition back into international competition.
