There are 10 quota places for each competition, these are allocated as follows:
1 to Japan as the host nation
4 to the best athletes in the Olympic ranking with the deadline of March 18, 2020
2 to athletes as continental representatives or by wildcard
Since the World Karate Federation has five weight classes, but there are only three at the Olympic Games, some results of the ranking are based on a combination of two WKF weight classes. In this case, the two best athletes in each class qualify. Otherwise the top four athletes in each class.
At the qualification tournament, the athletes compete in the Olympic weight classes. Only nations that have not yet qualified for the respective weight class are eligible to participate. The top three athletes in each weight class will receive a quota for the Tokyo Games.
A total of 12 quota places will be awarded to continental representatives. The quota places are selected in the following order:
Oceania: 2 quota places (1 per gender)
Africa: 2 quota places (1 per gender)
America: 2 quota places (1 per gender)
Asia: 2 quota places (1 per gender)
Europe: 2 quota places (1 per gender)
Africa: 1 further quota place (men or women)
America: 1 additional quota place (for the opposite sex that Africa chose)
For each continent, all gold medal winners of the respective continental games are counted together. The best placed athlete receives the quota place, if it is not yet qualified or otherwise cannot be selected without violating one of the following criteria: 10 athletes per weight class, 1 athlete per nation per weight class, 2 athletes per nation through continental representation (only applies to Africa and America). If the highest ranked gold medalist cannot be reported, the next higher ranked gold medalist will qualify, if possible. This process goes through all gold medal winners by rank, all silver medal winners by rank and all bronze medal winners by rank until the quota places on the continent are filled. If none of the medalists can be reported, the highest ranked athlete on the continent in the ranking will qualify. Its deposition at the respective continental games is irrelevant.
A commission will award wild cards for the last four quota places.