 Maeda was born in Funazawa Village , Hirosaki City , Aomori Prefecture , Japan , on November 18 , 1878 . He attended Kenritsu Itiu high school ( currently Hirokou — a Hirosaki school ) . As a child , he was known as Hideyo . He practiced sumo as a teenager , but lacked the ideal build for the sport . Because of the interest generated by stories about the success of judo at contests between judo and jujutsu that were occurring at the time , he changed from sumo to judo . In 1894 , at seventeen years of age , his parents sent him to Tokyo to enroll in Waseda University . He took up Kodokan judo the following year . 
 Maeda was born in Funazawa Village , Hirosaki City , Aomori Prefecture , Japan , on November 18 , 1878 . He attended Kenritsu Itiu high school ( currently Hirokou — a Hirosaki school ) . As a child , he was known as Hideyo . He practiced sumo as a teenager , but lacked the ideal build for the sport . Because of the interest generated by stories about the success of judo at contests between judo and <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>jujutsu</mark></a> <a href='null_relcl' title='2'><mark>that</mark></a><a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> occurring at the time , he changed from sumo to judo . In 1894 , at seventeen years of age , his parents sent him to Tokyo to enroll in Waseda University . He<a href='been_done' title='4'><mark></mark></a> took up Kodokan judo the following year . 
Maeda was born in Funazawa Village , Hirosaki City , Aomori Prefecture , Japan , on November 18 , 1878 . He attended Kenritsu Itiu high school ( currently Hirokou — a Hirosaki school ) . As a child , he was known as Hideyo . He practiced sumo as a teenager , but lacked da ideal build fir the sport . Because of the interest generated by stories bout tdasuccess of judo at contests between judo and jujutsued was occurring at the time , he changed from sumo to judo . In 1894 , at seventeen years of age , his parents sent him to Tokyo to enroll in Waseda University . He been took up Kodokan judo thdaollowing year .