The women's 78 kg (also known as half-heavyweight) tournament in the judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held on August 14 at the Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium.

A total of 21 women competed in this event, limited to jūdōka with a body weight of less than 78 kilograms.

This event was the second-heaviest of the women's judo weight classes, limiting competitors to a maximum of 78 kilograms of body mass.

The tournament bracket consisted of a single-elimination contest culminating in a gold medal match.

The two judokas who lost in the semifinals faced the winner of the opposite half of the bracket's repechage in bronze medal bouts.