#KoreaWrestling

Special referee at national meet part of Japanese efforts to get more women to become officials

Tuesday, January 16, 2024 - 20:32 By Ikuo Higuchi

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(Editor's Note: The following appeared on the Japan Wrestling Federation website on Jan. 1. It has been translated and published by permission.)

With its connection to the Paris Olympics, this year's Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships drew a record field of 470 competitors. But history was also made regarding the third person on the mat. For the first time ever, a foreign referee was on the whistle, one specifically invited with the hope of producing long-term effects beyond the outcome of matches.

The Japan federation brought in Ji-Woo LEE, one of six Korean women holding international licenses, as part of its efforts to get more women interested in becoming referees. Lee is a holder of the UWW's highest Category IS License, which qualifies her to officiate at the Olympics and World Championships.

While Japan remains the dominant country in women’s wrestling, in the case of women referees, it can be regarded as “undeveloped.” Of Japan’s 19 international referees, only two are women, putting Japan far behind United World Wrestling’s objective of having equal numbers from both genders.

JPN1Ji-Woo Lee holds the highest Category IS License. (photo by Japan Wrestling Federation)

"It was a big surprise, and wonderful," Lee said of being asked to officiate at the All-Japan Championships, which was held Dec. 21-24 in Tokyo and was serving as a qualifier for the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament in April. "It is really a joyful [moment] in my life. A big honor, also."

Lee said she was impressed by the large and enthusiastic crowd that packed into Yoyogi No. 2 Gym, saying it reminded her of the atmosphere at the big venues that stage the World Championships and European Championships.

JPN4Lee faces Saori YOSHIDA at the 2004 Asian Championships in Tokyo. (photo by Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Lee herself was no stranger to Japan. Long before she officiated at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she came on numerous trips during her career as a wrestler to train at the well-known Oka Wrestling Dojo in the mountains of Niigata Prefecture. Wrestling at 55kg and competing under the name LEE Na-Lae, she faced three-time Olympic champion Saori YOSHIDA three times, in the final at the 2002 Asian Games, and at both the 2004 and 2005 Asian Championships. Lee was the lone Korean woman to appear at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

While she knows a little Japanese, she basically operates in her native Korean or English. As for communicating on the mat at the All-Japan, she said, "I used very simple words. 'Fingers.' 'Open.' Maybe after a foul, I say, 'Next time caution.' Or 'One more time, the match is finished.'" Having Olympic experience both as a wrestler and a referee has given her the confidence to dish out warnings as she sees fit and remain in control on the mat.

JPN2Lee made her Olympic refereeing debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021. (Photo by Japan Wrestling Federation)

Handling the big matches

After retiring as a wrestler, Lee went to the 2012 London Olympics as a national team coach, then changed course and embarked on a new path to become a referee, while also earning a doctorate and becoming a professor at Yong-In University. She obtained the Category IS License just before the 2019 World Championships, and was among the officiating crew at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

It was Isao OKIYAMA, head of the Japan Federation's refereeing commission, who suggested inviting Lee to the All-Japan. Okiyama's thinking took a two-pronged approach. In the big matches with so much at stake,  the federation would get a neutral official completely free of any suspicions -- justified or not -- about college affiliations and other links that are so strong in Japanese wrestling.

And, by having a female Category IS official at Japan's highest-level tournament, it would bring national attention on the existence of female referees and further motivate more women to want to become one.

JPN5Lee was on the whistle when Nonoka OZAKI defeated Ami ISHII in a vital 68kg match with Olympic implications. (photo by Takeo Yabuki / Japan Wrestling Federation)

At this year's All-Japan, three matches in particular stood out, each with global implications: 1) the first-round match at women's 68kg in which Nonoka OZAKI defeated Ami ISHII, who had needed to win the title to fill the Paris Olympic berth she secured for Japan at the World Championships; 2) the freestyle 65kg semifinal between Tokyo Olympic champion Takuto OTOGURO and collegian Kotaro KIYOOKA, which Otoguro lost to end his chances of a repeat in Paris; and 3) the 68kg final between Ozaki and Miwa MORIKAWA, which Ozaki won to advance to a future playoff with Ishii for the Paris ticket.

Lee was the mat official for all three. Asked if she was nervous, she replied, "I'm never nervous. I know this championships is very important for Japan, also in the world because the champions [can go to the Olympic qualifier]. More than being nervous, I was concerned with doing my best to make fair and clear decisions."

She admits she did feel jittery at her first major tournament at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan (now Astana). She particularly recalled a bronze-medal match between Iranian and Azerbaijan wrestlers where it seemed the entire crowd turned against her. "I was very nervous. One time [I made a] mistake, just a warning, and everyone goes, 'Boooooo,'"she recalled with a laugh.

JPN4Lee poses with the three Japanese female referees at the All-Japan Championships, from right, Mariko SHIMIZU, Airi FURUSATO and Honoka SAITO. (photo courtesy of Airi FURUSATO)

Getting more women involved

At the All-Japan, there were only three other women referees, Airi FURUSATO, Mariko SHIMIZU and Honoka SAITO, putting them well in the minority. Only Furusato and Haruka WATANABE, currently on maternity leave, hold international licenses, and neither is at the Category IS level.

Of the 393 referees registered domestically in Japan, just 19 are women, or 4.8%. The percentage is even lower for those with a Class A license, which is required for officiating at the All-Japan — just seven out of 197, or 3.6%.

In its Global Gender Gap Report released in June last year by the World Economic Forum, Japan ranked 125th out of 146 countries in terms of achieving gender equality. While Japan is on top in women's wrestling, when it comes to women referees, it unfortunately aligns with the gender gap ranking.

JPN6World champion Akari FUJINAMI tries her hand as a referee at a men's collegiate event last May. ((photo by Ikuo Higuchi / Japan Wrestling Federation)

Among recent moves to cultivate women referees was having world champions Akari FUJINAMI and Yuka KAGAMI serve as referees at the men's East Japan Collegiate League last May. Officials hope that seeing the female stars filling such roles will appeal to more women to consider becoming referees.

Lee said she hopes to see more Japanese women entering the referee ranks and believes that with the right training and support, they can become as much as factor as their wrestling sisters. In fact, it was Japan's Osamu SAITO, a former member of the UWW Refereeing Commission, who encouraged and mentored her and to whom she credits her advancement.

"I am waiting for the day when I can work with Japanese women referees," Lee said. "We are professionals with skills. I support the development of women referees."

--Translation and editing by Ken Marantz

#JapanWrestling

Ono entered at 57kg, Susaki at 50kg for All-Japan Championships

Thursday, December 4, 2025 - 15:34 By Ken Marantz

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TOKYO (December 4) -- After winning both the U20 and senior world titles at freestyle 61kg within a two-month span in the autumn of 2024, Masanosuke ONO all but disappeared from the Japanese wrestling scene.

That culminated with his announcement in March this year that, having left Yamanashi Gakuin University, he had committed to wrestle at U.S. collegiate powerhouse Penn State. He has not been seen on the mats of Japan since.

Ono will compete once again in his home country, dropping down from 61kg to 57kg for the upcoming Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships at Tokyo's Komazawa Gym, according to the entry list announced Thursday by the Japan Wrestling Federation.

The tournament, to be held December 18-21, will also serve as the domestic qualifier for next year's Asian Championships, and the first of two qualifiers for the Asian Games and World Championships in 2026.

Yui SUSAKI (JPN)Yui SUSAKI (JPN) will compete at 50kg at the Emperor's Cup. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari)

Among other notable recent absentees appearing on the entry list is Yui SUSAKI, the 2021 Tokyo Olympic champion at 50kg who had to settle for a bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She will compete at 50kg, putting to bed speculation that she might move up to the 53kg division.

"This will be a tournament to start me anew on the road to the Los Angeles Olympics," Susaki said in an online press conference with the Japanese media, as reported by Wrestling-Spirits.jp.

"In order to reclaim the gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics, as a challenger starting from scratch, I want to win in a Yui Susaki-esque way of wrestling."

The 21-year-old Ono had been a question mark with the tournament falling in the middle of the Penn State season. But the decision to redshirt Ono -- the system of allowing him to train with the team while withholding him from competition to maintain an extra year of eligibility -- opened the door for him to make the trip back to Japan.

Assuming he does not have trouble making weight, he should be the class of the 57kg field, with his toughest competition most likely coming from two-time Asian bronze medalist Rikuto ARAI.

One opponent he won't have to contend with is Paris Olympic champion Rei HIGUCHI, who decided to continue delaying his return to action. Also missing is defending champion Rin SAKAMOTO, who was injured at the World Championships. With Sakamoto also across the Pacific at Oklahoma State University, it prevents a rare clash of U.S.-based wrestlers.

Susaki only returned to action in September, and both of her forays were at 53kg. That, and the well-publicized move up to 57kg by Akari FUJINAMI, the 53kg champion in Paris, fueled conjecture that Susaki might also move up.

Susaki started at the National Sports Festival, where she competed at 53kg if for no other reason that it was one of only two women's weight classes in the competition. She lost a defensive-oriented 2-1 decision to 2024 world 55kg champion Moe KIYOOKA in the quarterfinals, marking her first loss to a Japanese opponent in six years.

"Losing at the National Sports Festival gave me the chance to look inside myself," Susaki said. "The result was really disappointing, but I'm glad I took part and was grateful for the opportunity."

Now 26, the four-time world champion is firmly determined to regain the Olympic gold that eluded her in Paris with a heart-breaking last-second loss to Vinesh PHOGAT (IND) in the opening round.

"I truly was shown just how difficult and challenging it was to win at the Paris Olympics. It also gave me a chance to reflect on the preparation process leading up to the competition and what was needed mentally for the Olympics. I will work hard to use that experience to make sure I win the gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics."

Susaki's top challengers at the Emperor's Cup appear to be world U23 bronze medalist Umi ITO and Haruna MORIKAWA, the world U23 champion at 53kg.

Meanwhile the presence of Fujinami, who added the world U23 title in October to her burgeoning resume, has been immediately felt at 57kg. Despite being an Olympic weight class, the division drew just nine others who will look to end the 21-year-old superstar's 147-match winning streak.

Her most potentially dangerous opponent could be Asian champion Sara NATAMI. At the National Sports Festival, she was losing 8-1 at 62kg to world 59kg champion Sakura ONISHI when she countered a takedown attempt by slamming her to her back for a fall.

Sakura MOTOKI (JPN)Paris Olympic and 2025 world champion Sakura MOTOKI (JPN). (Photo: United World Wrestling / Amirreza Aliasgari) 

Golden trio at women's 62kg; returns of Paris champs Fumita, Kagami

As with any Japan competition that has world or Olympic berths at stake, a number of weight classes could see clashes between multiple wrestlers with global successes as they jockey for position in the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

And in one case, there are three at once, while two other weight classes could have direct clashes of champions from this year's worlds in Zagreb, Croatia.

At women's 62kg, Paris and 2025 world gold medalist Sakura MOTOKI will renew her rivalry with two-time former world champion Nonoka OZAKI, while Onishi moves up from 59kg to join the mix and can't be overlooked.

At women’s 68kg, reigning world champion Ami ISHII could lock horns with Miwa MORIKAWA, the gold medalist at 65kg, while at freestyle 74kg, we could see a battle between Zagreb winner Kota TAKAHASHI and 70kg titlist Yoshinosuke AOYAGI.

Like Susaki, all of Japan's large group of Paris medalists took some time off to bask in the spotlight before gradually returning to the mat over the past two years.

Two of the remaining gold medalist holdouts -- Kenichiro FUMITA and Yuka KAGAMI -- will both take the mat for the first time since their Paris victories at the Emperor's Cup.

Fumita, who won an elusive gold medal in Paris at Greco 60kg after taking the silver at Tokyo 2021, is entered at 63kg, where he will aim for a fifth national title and first since 2022. Kagami is entered at her gold medal-winning weight of women's 76kg. Their own rustiness may be more of a factor then the opponents.

While away from competition, Fumita spent the ensuing time experimenting with different methods as he looks to expand his reportoire.

"I have some anxiety, but I'm also looking forward to it," Fumita told Wrestling-Spirits.jp. "I achieved my goal in Paris, and on top of that, I've been taking a good look at wrestling. it. It was a year and four months full of new experiences. This will be a battlefield to reveal my new wrestling. I want to show wrestling that is free and unrestrained."

Fumita said he observed the nerves shown by fellow Paris gold medalists Nao KUSAKA (Greco 77kg) and Kotaro KIYOOKA (freestyle 65kg) when they returned to mat ahead of him at the Meiji Cup All-Japan Invitational Championships last spring.

"Before their matches, both of them looked pale," Fumita said. "I want to focus on fighting without putting too much pressure on myself. For better or worse, I want to fight thinking of myself as a different person than I was in Paris."

Other intriguing weight classes include freestyle 65kg, where Kiyooka may have to contend with Asian champion Kaisei TANABE, Asian 61kg champion Takara SUDA and two-time world U20 champion Yuto NISHIUCHI.

Two gold medalists from Tokyo who took time off for marriage and childbirth are back, with Mayu SHIDOCHI (nee MUKAIDA) challenging Moe Kiyooka at women's 55kg and Yukako INAMURA (nee KAWAI) entered at 59kg.

In Greco, rising star Taizo YOSHIDA, a bronze medalist at both the U20 and senior worlds this year at 82kg, has moved up to 87kg, where he will challenge two-time defending champion So SAKABE.