Tokyo said Tuesday it intends to grant about $96,400 to upgrade facilities in the eastern city of Nanjing that train in the martial arts, including judo, wrestling and boxing. The money is being offered for the “Project for the Improvement of Japan-China Friendship JUDO Hall in Nanjing,” according to a press release.

The statement said the goal of such grants, made through a body associated with Tokyo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is to encourage more grass-roots level cultural and educational exchange. The money is earmarked for upgrading a 20-year-old sports facility in Nanjing where top-level athletes are trained for the Olympic Games and other major international competitions.

“The school recruits promising athletes from all over Jiangsu Province and provides them intensive training in judo, wrestling and boxing,” the statement said. A signing ceremony is planned later this week.

The Chinese government claimed it didn’t need or want any war reparations when it normalized relations with Japan in the 1970’s. Since then, Japan has given about $36 billion in aid to China, a policy that some regard as unofficial war reparations.

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