{"id":13354,"date":"2015-06-12T14:04:06","date_gmt":"2015-06-13T00:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=13354"},"modified":"2015-06-12T14:05:12","modified_gmt":"2015-06-13T00:05:12","slug":"aol-news-j-league-soccer-ref-speaks-english-to-then-denigrates-japanese-german-player-denies-anything-discriminatory-but-then-official-protests-from-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/?p=13354","title":{"rendered":"AOL News: J-League soccer ref speaks English to, then denigrates Japanese-German player, denies anything discriminatory. But then official protests from club!"},"content":{"rendered":"

eBooks, Books, and more from Dr. ARUDOU, Debito (click on icon):
\n\"Guidebookcover.jpg\"<\/a>\"japaneseonlyebookcovertext\"<\/a>\"Handbook<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\u300c\u30b8\u30e3\u30d1\u30cb\u30fc\u30ba\u30fb\u30aa\u30f3\u30ea\u30fc\u3000\u5c0f\u6a3d\u5165\u6d74\u62d2\u5426\u554f\u984c\u3068\u4eba\u7a2e\u5dee\u5225\u300d\uff08\u660e\u77f3\u66f8\u5e97\uff09\"<\/a>\"sourstrawberriesavatar\"<\/a>\"debitopodcastthumb\"<\/a>\"FodorsJapan2014cover\"<\/a>
\nUPDATES ON TWITTER: arudoudebito
\nDEBITO.ORG PODCASTS on iTunes, subscribe free
\n“LIKE” US on Facebook at http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/debitoorg<\/a>
\nhttp:\/\/www.facebook.com\/handbookimmigrants<\/a>
\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JapaneseOnlyTheBook<\/a>
\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BookInAppropriate<\/a>
\nIf you like what you read and discuss on Debito.org, please consider helping us stop hackers and defray maintenance costs with a little donation via my webhoster:
\n\"Donate<\/a>
\nAll donations go towards website costs only. Thanks for your support!<\/i><\/p>\n

Hi Blog. \u00a0Read this article and then I’ll comment:<\/p>\n

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/<\/p>\n

Japan Soccer League 2: Did referee Takayama use discriminatory language towards Avispa Fukuoka’s Sakai Noriyoshi? Outrage\u00a0on the Internet.<\/strong>
\n AOL News, June 10, 2015, courtesy of MMT, article below, translation by Debito<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the June 6 J2 match between teams Avispa Fukuoka and Tokushima Vortis, it has come to light in a club statement that Referee Takayama Hiroyoshi<\/a> used discriminatory language against Fukuoka player Sakai Noriyoshi.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sakai Noriyoshi<\/a> is the younger brother of Japan soccer representative Sakai Goutoku<\/a>, who is half-Japanese, half-German. In the 35th minute of the second half during a foul, Referee Takayama asked in English “Are you OK?”, to which Sakai answered in Japanese, “Daijoubu desu”. Takayama then apparently said, “What the… you [using omae, a masculine, informal, often disparaging or belligerent way to say “you”], you can speak Japanese after all.” To which the bystanding players protested.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

At that time Referee Takayama promised that he would apologize after the game, but no apologies were forthcoming. The club protested to the commissioner, but during investigations Takayama denied that there was any discriminatory statement made.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Although some on the Internet held the opinion that “This was a simple misunderstanding”, many more were critical of Takayama, saying “Even if a mistake had been made, the problem is this attitude afterwards of denying anything discriminatory was said at all”, “Above all else, this very discourse of ‘omigod you can speak Japanese’ is tantamount to an insult, isn’t it?”, “After 10 years of blowing whistles for the J-League, it’s incredible that [Takayama]\u00a0wouldn’t know who Sakai is”.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Working as a J-League referee from 2002, Takayama is a veteran international ref. After this incident the J-League fans’ comments turned to criticisms of Takayama’s past mistaken calls. The club itself sees this incident as something serious, and Avispa Fukuoka plans to issue a statement on this to the J-League.<\/em><\/strong>
\nENDS<\/p>\n

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/<\/p>\n

COMMENT<\/strong>: \u00a0Did you just see what I saw?<\/p>\n

1) A ref basically dealt with a player in a racialized manner (assuming that a player who to him looked “foreign” had to be spoken to in a foreign language; English of course — what else do “foreigners” speak?).<\/strong><\/p>\n

2) The ref made a sarcastic statement of surprise about someone looking foreign speaking Japanese (a common microaggression<\/a>).<\/strong><\/p>\n

3) Bystanding\u00a0players made an issue of it. \u00a0(Amazing in itself, given how people who suffer from these types of microaggressions are usually told to grin and bear them<\/a>.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

4) The ref broke his promise to apologize, in fact denied the fundamental fact of the case.<\/strong><\/p>\n

and… this is the most important bit:<\/p>\n

5) The club stood by their player and made an issue of it too. \u00a0They’re not just sweeping this under the carpet and telling Sakai that he has to grow a pair and be less sensitive. \u00a0They are telling Takayama\u00a0(and Sakai, and the authorities, and the public) that this is irresponsible and unprofessional behavior.<\/strong><\/p>\n

One more pleasant surprise was how the Internet reacted (or was reported to have reacted — often the reporters themselves buy into the microaggression<\/a> and write a biased article<\/a>\u00a0misrepresenting the issue). \u00a0They saw the microaggression for what it is — a means to police someone’s identity into a disempowered\u00a0place. \u00a0It also helped that the Takayama misjudged how his reflex to deny everything would only make the problem worse. \u00a0Great call.<\/p>\n

As far as Debito.org sees things, this is definite progress, and hopefully the arc being traced since the J-League punished the “Japanese Only” J-League exclusionism in March 2014<\/a>. \u00a0Bravo to the players, the reporter, and the club for doing something about this. As FIFA themselves say<\/a>, racism has no place in sports, and cracking down here even on a seemingly minor (but significant in terms of zero tolerance) incident makes for a rare positive precedent in Japan’s egregiously\u00a0racialized sports leagues (see here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Let’s see if Takayama actually grows a pair of his own and apologizes. \u00a0Perhaps if this issue leaks into the foreign-language media (this guy is an international ref, after all), he might. \u00a0Dr. ARUDOU, Debito<\/p>\n

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/<\/p>\n

Original Japanese:<\/p>\n

J2\u30a2\u30d3\u30b9\u30d1\u798f\u5ca1\u30fb\u9152\u4e95\u5ba3\u798f\u306b\u9ad8\u5c71\u4e3b\u5be9\u304c\u5dee\u5225\u767a\u8a00\uff1f\u30cd\u30c3\u30c8\u4e0a\u3067\u3082\u7269\u8b70\u3092\u91b8\u3059
\nAOL\u30cb\u30e5\u30fc\u30b9 2015\u5e746\u670810\u65e5 12\u664200\u5206 (2015\u5e746\u670811\u65e5 10\u664203\u5206 \u66f4\u65b0)
\nhttp:\/\/www.excite.co.jp\/News\/entertainment_g\/20150610\/Aol_celebrity_j2fukuoka.html<\/a><\/p>\n

6\u67086\u65e5\u306b\u884c\u308f\u308c\u305fJ2\u7b2c17\u7bc0\u3001\u30a2\u30d3\u30b9\u30d1\u798f\u5ca1\u5bfe\u5fb3\u5cf6\u30f4\u30a9\u30eb\u30c6\u30a3\u30b9\u6226\u3067\u3001\u9ad8\u5c71\u5553\u7fa9\u4e3b\u5be9\u304c\u3001\u798f\u5ca1\u306e\u9152\u4e95\u5ba3\u798f\u306b\u5dee\u5225\u767a\u8a00\u3092\u884c\u3044\u30af\u30e9\u30d6\u5074\u304c\u610f\u898b\u66f8\u3092\u63d0\u51fa\u3059\u308b\u65b9\u91dd\u3067\u3042\u308b\u3053\u3068\u304c\u660e\u3089\u304b\u3068\u306a\u3063\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\u9152\u4e95\u5ba3\u798f\u306f\u3001\u65e5\u672c\u4ee3\u8868\u30fb\u9152\u4e95\u9ad8\u5fb3\u306e\u5f1f\u3067\u65e5\u672c\u4eba\u3068\u30c9\u30a4\u30c4\u4eba\u306e\u30cf\u30fc\u30d5\u3060\u304c\u3001\u8a66\u5408\u5f8c\u534a35\u5206\u306e\u30d5\u30a1\u30fc\u30eb\u306e\u969b\u306b\u4e3b\u5be9\u304c\u300cAre You OK\uff1f\u300d\u82f1\u8a9e\u3067\u8cea\u554f\u3057\u305f\u3068\u3053\u308d\u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u3067\u300c\u5927\u4e08\u592b\u3067\u3059\u300d\u3068\u8fd4\u3057\u305f\u9152\u4e95\u306b\u300c\u306a\u3093\u3060\u3001\u304a\u524d\u3001\u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u3092\u8a71\u305b\u308b\u3093\u3060\u300d\u3068\u5fdc\u3058\u3001\u5c45\u5408\u308f\u305b\u305f\u9078\u624b\u304b\u3089\u6297\u8b70\u3092\u53d7\u3051\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3068\u3044\u3046\u3002<\/p>\n

\u305d\u306e\u5834\u306f\u9ad8\u5c71\u5be9\u5224\u304b\u3089\u300c\u5f8c\u3067\u8b1d\u7f6a\u3059\u308b\u300d\u3068\u7d04\u675f\u3057\u305f\u3082\u306e\u306e\u3001\u8a66\u5408\u5f8c\u3082\u8b1d\u7f6a\u306e\u8a00\u8449\u304c\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3053\u3068\u304b\u3089\u3001\u30af\u30e9\u30d6\u5074\u304c\u30b3\u30df\u30c3\u30b7\u30e7\u30ca\u30fc\u306b\u6297\u8b70\u3001\u4e8b\u60c5\u8074\u53d6\u3067\u767a\u8a00\u81ea\u4f53\u3092\u4e3b\u5be9\u304c\u5426\u5b9a\u3057\u3066\u3044\u308b\u3068\u3044\u3046\u3002<\/p>\n

\u30cd\u30c3\u30c8\u4e0a\u3067\u3082\u300c\u5358\u7d14\u306b\u52d8\u9055\u3044\u3057\u305f\u3093\u3060\u308d\u300d\u3068\u306e\u610f\u898b\u306f\u3042\u308b\u3082\u306e\u306e\u300c\u9593\u9055\u3063\u305f\u306b\u3057\u3066\u3082\u3001\u305d\u306e\u5f8c\u306e\u767a\u8a00\u81ea\u4f53\u3092\u5426\u5b9a\u3059\u308b\u614b\u5ea6\u306b\u554f\u984c\u304c\u3042\u308b\u300d\u300c\u305d\u3082\u305d\u3082\u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u304c\u8a71\u305b\u308b\u3093\u3060\u3068\u3044\u3046\u7269\u8a00\u3044\u4e8b\u614b\u304c\u4fae\u8fb1\u306b\u3042\u305f\u308b\u306e\u3067\u306f\uff1f\u300d\u300c10\u5e74\u3082J\u30ea\u30fc\u30b0\u306e\u7b1b\u3092\u5439\u3044\u3066\u3044\u3066\u9152\u4e95\u306e\u3053\u3068\u3092\u77e5\u3089\u306a\u3044\u81ea\u4f53\u304c\u304a\u304b\u3057\u3044\u300d\u306a\u3069\u9ad8\u5c71\u5be9\u5224\u3078\u306e\u6279\u5224\u306e\u58f0\u306f\u591a\u3044\u3002<\/p>\n

\u9ad8\u5c71\u4e3b\u5be9\u306f2002\u5e74\u304b\u3089J\u30ea\u30fc\u30b0\u3067\u4e3b\u5be9\u3092\u52d9\u3081\u308b\u30d9\u30c6\u30e9\u30f3\u5be9\u5224\u3067\u56fd\u969b\u4e3b\u5be9\u3001\u3053\u306e\u4e8b\u4ef6\u767a\u899a\u5f8c\u3001J\u30ea\u30fc\u30b0\u306e\u30d5\u30a1\u30f3\u304b\u3089\u904e\u53bb\u306e\u8aa4\u5be9\u554f\u984c\u306a\u3069\u3082\u4f8b\u306b\u6319\u3052\u3089\u308c\u6279\u5224\u3092\u53d7\u3051\u3066\u3044\u308b\u304c\u3001\u30af\u30e9\u30d6\u5074\u3082\u4eca\u56de\u306e\u4e8b\u4ef6\u3092\u91cd\u304f\u898b\u3066\u30a2\u30d3\u30b9\u30d1\u798f\u5ca1\u306fJ\u30ea\u30fc\u30b0\u306b\u610f\u898b\u66f8\u3092\u63d0\u51fa\u3059\u308b\u65b9\u91dd\u3092\u56fa\u3081\u305f\u3068\u3044\u3046\u3002<\/p>\n

ENDS<\/p>\n

\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d\uff1d
\nSimilar Sports Nippon article:<\/p>\n

\u65e5\u72ec\u30cf\u30fc\u30d5\u306e\uff2d\uff26\u9152\u4e95\u306b\u4e3b\u5be9\u304c\u5dee\u5225\u7684\u767a\u8a00\u3000\uff2a\uff12\u798f\u5ca1\u304c\u610f\u898b\u66f8\u63d0\u51fa\u3078
\n\u30b9\u30dd\u30cb\u30c1\u30002015\u5e746\u670810\u65e5 06:30
\nhttp:\/\/www.sponichi.co.jp\/soccer\/news\/2015\/06\/10\/kiji\/K20150610010513970.html<\/a><\/p>\n

\uff16\u65e5\u306b\u958b\u50ac\u3055\u308c\u305f\uff2a\uff12\u30ea\u30fc\u30b0\u306e\u798f\u5ca1\u2015\u5fb3\u5cf6\u6226\uff08\u30ec\u30d9\u30b9\u30bf\uff09\u3067\u9ad8\u5c71\u5553\u7fa9\u4e3b\u5be9\uff08\uff14\uff11\uff09\u304c\u9078\u624b\u306b\u5bfe\u3057\u3066\u5dee\u5225\u7684\u306a\u767a\u8a00\u3092\u3057\u305f\u7591\u60d1\u304c\u6d6e\u4e0a\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\u554f\u984c\u306e\u30b7\u30fc\u30f3\u306f\u5f8c\u534a\uff13\uff15\u5206\u3001\u63a5\u89e6\u30d7\u30ec\u30fc\u3067\u5012\u308c\u8fbc\u3093\u3060\u798f\u5ca1\u306e\uff2d\uff26\u9152\u4e95\u5ba3\u798f\uff08\u306e\u308a\u3088\u3057\uff1d\uff12\uff12\uff09\u306b\u300c\uff21\uff52\uff45\u3000\uff59\uff4f\uff55\u3000\uff2f\uff2b\uff1f\u300d\u3068\u82f1\u8a9e\u3067\u8cea\u554f\u3002\u300c\u5927\u4e08\u592b\u3067\u3059\u300d\u3068\u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u3067\u8fd4\u3055\u308c\u308b\u3068\u300c\u306a\u3093\u3060\u3001\u304a\u524d\u3001\u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u3092\u8a71\u305b\u308b\u3093\u3060\u300d\u3068\u5632\u7b11\u3057\u306a\u304c\u3089\u5fdc\u3058\u305f\u3068\u3044\u3046\u3002\u3084\u308a\u53d6\u308a\u3092\u898b\u3066\u3044\u305f\u30c1\u30fc\u30e0\u30e1\u30fc\u30c8\u304b\u3089\u300c\u5be9\u5224\u305d\u308c\u306f\u306a\u3044\u3067\u3057\u3087\u300d\u3068\u7a81\u3063\u8fbc\u307e\u308c\u308b\u3068\u300c\u5f8c\u3067\u8b1d\u308b\u300d\u3068\u7d04\u675f\u3057\u305f\u304c\u3001\u8b1d\u7f6a\u306f\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\u9152\u4e95\u304b\u3089\u5831\u544a\u3092\u53d7\u3051\u305f\u30af\u30e9\u30d6\u5074\u306f\u8a66\u5408\u5f8c\u306b\u30de\u30c3\u30c1\u30b3\u30df\u30c3\u30b7\u30e7\u30ca\u30fc\u306b\u6297\u8b70\u3002\u4e8b\u60c5\u8074\u53d6\u3092\u53d7\u3051\u305f\u9ad8\u5c71\u4e3b\u5be9\u304c\u300c\u305d\u3093\u306a\u3053\u3068\u306f\u8a00\u3063\u3066\u306a\u3044\u300d\u3068\u8aac\u660e\u3057\u305f\u305f\u3081\u3001\u8fd1\u65e5\u4e2d\u306b\uff2a\u30ea\u30fc\u30b0\u306b\u610f\u898b\u66f8\u3092\u63d0\u51fa\u3059\u308b\u65b9\u91dd\u3092\u56fa\u3081\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n

\u9152\u4e95\u306f\u65e5\u672c\u4eba\u3068\u30c9\u30a4\u30c4\u4eba\u306e\u30cf\u30fc\u30d5\u3067\u30b7\u30e5\u30c4\u30c3\u30c8\u30ac\u30eb\u30c8\u306e\u65e5\u672c\u4ee3\u8868\uff24\uff26\u9152\u4e95\u9ad8\u5fb3\u306e\u5f1f\u3002\u30af\u30e9\u30d6\u95a2\u4fc2\u8005\u306f\u300c\u5916\u56fd\u4eba\u98a8\u306e\u898b\u305f\u76ee\u3067\u306f\u3042\u308b\u304c\u3001\uff2a\u30ea\u30fc\u30b0\u3067\u4f55\u5ea6\u3082\u7b1b\u3092\u5439\u3044\u3066\u3044\u308b\u5be9\u5224\u306a\u3089\u5ba3\u798f\u306e\u3053\u3068\u306f\u77e5\u3063\u3066\u308b\u306f\u305a\u3002\u5dee\u5225\u7684\u306a\u767a\u8a00\u3068\u3082\u53d6\u308c\u308b\u300d\u3068\u554f\u984c\u8996\u3057\u305f\u3002\u9ad8\u5c71\u4e3b\u5be9\u306f\uff10\uff12\u5e74\u304b\u3089\uff2a\uff11\u30ea\u30fc\u30b0\u3067\u4e3b\u5be9\u3092\u52d9\u3081\u3066\u304a\u308a\u3001\u56fd\u969b\u4e3b\u5be9\u3067\u3082\u3042\u308b\u3002
\nENDS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AOL News: In the June 6 J2 match between teams Avispa Fukuoka and Tokushima Vortis, it has come to light in a club statement that will be filed with the J-League that Referee Takayama Hiroyoshi used discriminatory language against Fukuoka player Sakai Noriyoshi.<\/p>\n

Sakai Noriyoshi is the younger brother of Japan soccer representative Sakai Goutoku, who is half-Japanese, half-German. In the 35th minute of the second half during a foul, Referee Takayama asked in English “Are you OK?”, to which Sakai answered in Japanese, “Daijoubu desu”. Takayama then apparently said, “What the… you [using omae, a masculine, informal, often disparaging or belligerent way to say “you”], you can speak Japanese after all.” To which the bystanding players protested. At that time Referee Takayama promised that he would apologize after the game, but no apologies were forthcoming. The club protested to the commissioner, but during investigations Takayama denied that there was any discriminatory statement made.<\/p>\n

COMMENT: When you read the whole article, you’ll see that several positive precedents are being set here, sorely needed in Japan’s sports milieu where racialization of athletes is quite normal. Bravo to the bystanding players, the club, the fans and even the reporter for not letting this migroaggression stand unchallenged. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,28,36,35,5,12,17,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pinprick-protests","category-anti-discrimination-templates","category-bad-social-science","category-good-news","category-human-rights","category-immigration-assimilation","category-sport","category-8"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13354"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13354\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.debito.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}