"A Japan-South Korea match, yet only 998 spectators"… Even the final saw just "6,243" in a 50,000-seat stadium… Japanese women's soccer gold medal heroes also feel "bitter" [Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games]

*This content was translated by AI.

Amid the poor box office performance of the Asian Games, even players from host country Japan expressed disappointment.

AFP reported on the 3rd (Korean time), "The Japanese Yeo Ja-chuk-gu (CEO) team won the Asian Games gold medal amid thousands of visible empty seats," adding, "Shiokoshi Yuzuko, Japan's penalty shootout hero, said she hopes more fans will come to watch women's soccer."

Japan secured the gold medal by winning 5-3 in a penalty shootout after failing to separate from North Korea with a 2-2 draw after extra time in the women's soccer final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held in Shizuoka, Japan on the 2nd.

However, even at the moment the host country's gold medal was decided, empty seats were visible throughout the stands.

According to reports, the official attendance for the final that day was 6,243. Considering that the stadium is a large venue with a capacity of approximately 50,000 that hosted matches during the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea-Japan, the number appeared even more dismal.

Attendance for the Japan-South Korea match was even lower. Japan had advanced to the final by defeating South Korea in the semifinal held earlier in the same Shizuoka venue, but despite the draw of a showdown between their biggest rivals, only 998 spectators attended the game. The Japan-South Korea match unfolded before fewer than 1,000 fans.

AFP pointed out, "The Asian Games currently being held in Japan are struggling with low attendance across many events, including the opening ceremony."

Shiokoshi took the field as Japan's fifth kicker in the penalty shootout against North Korea in the final, securing the victory.

However, after the match, she did not hide her disappointment over the poor box office performance.

While stating, "The attendance for the final may have been relatively high by the standards of this tournament," Shiokoshi said, "But compared to the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, it still feels insufficient."

She continued, "We are fighting hard on the field. I hope people will come directly to the stadium to watch our games."

She also touched upon the reality facing women's soccer. Shiokoshi confessed, "It can be difficult because women's soccer does not always receive priority in TV broadcasts."

At the same time, she expressed gratitude to the 6,243 spectators who attended the final scene while hoping that more fans would visit women's soccer stadiums.

Shiokoshi conveyed, "I hope this event serves as an opportunity for more people to come directly watch matches of Japan's professional women's soccer WE League and helps increase interest and heat for the league."

Meanwhile, Japanese women's soccer has won gold medals three times in a row, following the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and 2022 Hangzhou Games. This marks the first-ever three-peat in Asian Games women's soccer history.

Simultaneously, they claimed their fourth title overall, writing another piece of history. Since women's soccer was first adopted as an official event at the 1990 Beijing Games, Japan, China, and North Korea have each topped the podium three times, reigning as traditional powerhouses in Asian women's soccer.

However, this balance was broken through this tournament. Japan became the first to reach four overall titles, surpassing China and North Korea to become the sole most successful nation in Asian Games women's soccer history.

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*This content was translated by AI.