'Real names were even mentioned': Japanese referees now highly suspected of receiving sexual favors, sending Japan into high alert

*This content was translated by AI.

As news emerged that the Korea Football Association (KFA) provided sexual favors to foreign referees and others in the past, Japan is now on high alert. The list of referees who may have received such favors from the KFA very likely includes Japanese officials.

On the 7th, the Japanese media outlet Football Tribe reported, "With allegations surfacing that Japanese referees who previously officiated A-matches for the South Korean national team received sexual favors, shockwaves are rippling through Japan's football community ahead of the 2026-2027 J.League season kickoff."

According to sources in the football world, the KFA provided sexual favors to over ten foreign referees across seven matches between March 2011 and one year later. These acts occurred during various competitions, including official tournament qualifiers such as FIFA World Cup and Olympic qualifiers, as well as friendly matches for the A national team and Olympic representative team.

The issue is that among the matches where sexual favors were confirmed through an audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, some were officiated by Japanese referees. For instance, during the A-match against Honduras on March 25, 2011, referee Ryuji Sato served as the main referee, while Tomokazu Tajiri and Shinya Iribe acted as assistant referees. These three officials also directed a friendly match between China and the Olympic representative team led by then-coach Hong Myung-bo just two days later.

Both matches were confirmed through the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism audit to involve the KFA providing sexual favors. In both games, a Korean referee served as the fourth official, while three Japanese referees — one main referee and two assistant referees — officiated the matches. Coincidentally, the Ministry's audit revealed that exactly three referees received sexual favors in each of the two matches.

Moreover, during the February 2014 World Cup qualifier against Kuwait for the 2014 Brazil World Cup, Yuichi Nishimura served as the main referee, and all four officials — including two assistant referees and a fourth official — were Japanese nationals. At that time, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirmed that sexual favors from the KFA were provided to two of these referees. This means two of those referees received such favors.

Notably, since KFA officials at the time had indicated that foreign referees initiated the requests, the possibility that a significant number of referees accepted sexual favors has grown substantially, intensifying shock within Japan. Furthermore, it is reported that Ryuji Sato currently works as a manager overseeing J.League referees under the Japanese Football Association.

The media added, "Names such as Ryuji Sato and Yuichi Nishimura are also included in the past allegations of sexual favors by the KFA. If the Korean reports prove true, it is highly likely that both the Japanese Football Association and the J.League will be required to respond in some form."

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*This content was translated by AI.