Cryptic crossword clue
Japan’s not first to get winning scores in judo 6

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word IPPONS

I
P
P
O
N
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "winning scores in judo" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case winning scores in judo = ippons.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does IPPONS mean?

IPPONS noun
  1. The highest score in judo, awarded for a throw that places the opponent on their back with impetus or for holding the opponent on their back for a number of seconds.

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