Japan`s AJJF President Uemura to resign in June

IMHO Uemura came to be the head of an existing organization with several faults as witnessed by recent revelations. He was considered as having new ideas, but how fast can you change anything? Having knowledge on ways sports organizations operate then change is very, very difficult to do. And before he really had time he got caught on events. So we can only speculate ...

And one suspects that 'how we manage the slush funds' and 'protocol for illegally groping females' wasn't really on the list of inbriefing items....

Judo federation’s next move
JUL 24, 2013 Japan Times EDITORIAL PAGE

The scandal-ridden All Japan Judo Federation will hold an extraordinary meeting of councilors on July 30 to discuss a proposal to dismiss 23 directors, including chairman Haruki Uemura.

The very submission of the proposal testifies to the seriousness of the problems the federation is facing. The federation needs to have Mr. Uemura take responsibility for the problems in a clear way — by resigning. If it does not come up with a convincing conclusion, it will further deepen people’s distrust of it.

In January it surfaced that the coach of the All-Japan women’s judo team used violence on female judo players during practice. The coach, Mr. Ryuji Sonoda, resigned Feb. 1.

In a separate incident, the AJJF’s misappropriation of funds from the Japan Sports Council (JSC) also surfaced. The AJJF had 27 unqualified judo coaches receive ¥36.2 million in support funds from the JSC and then donate most of the money to the AJJF. A third-party investigation committee has called on the federation to return ¥60.55 million to the JSC.

In its report on the AJJF’s scandals handed to Mr. Uemura at the end of April, the committee said that the AJJF is plagued by unreasonable old customs and lacks both a law-abiding spirit and the ability to govern itself. It also pointed out that the responsibility lay with Mr. Uemura as head of the judo organization as well as with a former secretary general and a former head of the section to improve the skills of judo players.

The Public Interest Corporation Commission of the Cabinet Office, upon receiving a report from the AJJF on its scandals, also pointed out that the judo organization lacked sincerity in its handling of the scandals because the federation tried to give slapdash explanations without holding a meeting of directors.

Mr. Uemura changed his attitude over time. In April he hinted that he would resign. But in mid-June, he suddenly said that he would stay on to fulfill his duty. On June 24, he said that he would resign in October after efforts to reform the AJJF have been firmly set in motion. On the same day, he set up a task force to speed up the reform efforts. But many people concerned harbor suspicions about him because he changed his attitude quickly.

Mr. Kenji Ryotokuji, a councilor of the AJJF, has submitted a proposal to dismiss 23 directors including Mr. Uemura. The AJJF has 59 councilors. If a majority of the councilors present at the June 30 meeting support the proposal, the directors must resign. The proposal does not cover six new directors, including two-time Olympic gold medalist Ms. Ryoko Tani.

In case the councilors fail to dismiss Mr. Uemura and other directors, he should not take a defiant attitude by saying that he overcame a crisis. Instead, he should resign immediately to take responsibility for the AJFF’s scandals. This will give impetus to the organization’s reform efforts.

KEYWORDS
ALL JAPAN JUDO FEDERATION, HARUKI UEMURA

THE JAPAN TIMES ST
JT WEEKLY

NBK wrote:Judo federation’s next move
JUL 24, 2013 Japan Times

The scandal-ridden All Japan Judo Federation will hold an extraordinary meeting of councilors on July 30 to discuss a proposal to dismiss 23 directors, including chairman Haruki Uemura.

The very submission of the proposal testifies to the seriousness of the problems the federation is facing. The federation needs to have Mr. Uemura take responsibility for the problems in a clear way — by resigning. If it does not come up with a convincing conclusion, it will further deepen people’s distrust of it.

In January it surfaced that the coach of the All-Japan women’s judo team used violence on female judo players during practice. The coach, Mr. Ryuji Sonoda, resigned Feb. 1.

In a separate incident, the AJJF’s misappropriation of funds from the Japan Sports Council (JSC) also surfaced. The AJJF had 27 unqualified judo coaches receive ¥36.2 million in support funds from the JSC and then donate most of the money to the AJJF. A third-party investigation committee has called on the federation to return ¥60.55 million to the JSC.

In its report on the AJJF’s scandals handed to Mr. Uemura at the end of April, the committee said that the AJJF is plagued by unreasonable old customs and lacks both a law-abiding spirit and the ability to govern itself. It also pointed out that the responsibility lay with Mr. Uemura as head of the judo organization as well as with a former secretary general and a former head of the section to improve the skills of judo players.

The Public Interest Corporation Commission of the Cabinet Office, upon receiving a report from the AJJF on its scandals, also pointed out that the judo organization lacked sincerity in its handling of the scandals because the federation tried to give slapdash explanations without holding a meeting of directors.

Mr. Uemura changed his attitude over time. In April he hinted that he would resign. But in mid-June, he suddenly said that he would stay on to fulfill his duty. On June 24, he said that he would resign in October after efforts to reform the AJJF have been firmly set in motion. On the same day, he set up a task force to speed up the reform efforts. But many people concerned harbor suspicions about him because he changed his attitude quickly.

Mr. Kenji Ryotokuji, a councilor of the AJJF, has submitted a proposal to dismiss 23 directors including Mr. Uemura. The AJJF has 59 councilors. If a majority of the councilors present at the June 30 meeting support the proposal, the directors must resign. The proposal does not cover six new directors, including two-time Olympic gold medalist Ms. Ryoko Tani.

In case the councilors fail to dismiss Mr. Uemura and other directors, he should not take a defiant attitude by saying that he overcame a crisis. Instead, he should resign immediately to take responsibility for the AJFF’s scandals. This will give impetus to the organization’s reform efforts.

KEYWORDS
ALL JAPAN JUDO FEDERATION, HARUKI UEMURA

THE JAPAN TIMES ST
JT WEEKLY

Strange article. The journalist instead of simply reporting news is apparently himself saying and demanding that Uemura would resign. That seems to be far removed from journalist duties or objective reporting irrespective of whether one likes or dislikes Uemura.

Cichorei Kano wrote:

NBK wrote:Judo federation’s next move
JUL 24, 2013 Japan Times......
EDITORIAL PAGE
........
Mr. Kenji Ryotokuji, a councilor of the AJJF, has submitted a proposal to dismiss 23 directors including Mr. Uemura. The AJJF has 59 councilors. If a majority of the councilors present at the June 30 meeting support the proposal, the directors must resign. The proposal does not cover six new directors, including two-time Olympic gold medalist Ms. Ryoko Tani.

In case the councilors fail to dismiss Mr. Uemura and other directors, he should not take a defiant attitude by saying that he overcame a crisis. Instead, he should resign immediately to take responsibility for the AJFF’s scandals. This will give impetus to the organization’s reform efforts.

KEYWORDS
ALL JAPAN JUDO FEDERATION, HARUKI UEMURA

THE JAPAN TIMES ST
JT WEEKLY

Strange article. The journalist instead of simply reporting news is apparently himself saying and demanding that Uemura would resign. That seems to be far removed from journalist duties or objective reporting irrespective of whether one likes or dislikes Uemura.

My error - this was actually an editorial piece. I'll edit my original post to correct that omission.
Apologies, but it does go to show the strong sentiment against the judo machine for getting out of control and failing to take corrective action.
NBK

New news.... a day late.  

Tue Jul 23 All Japan Judo Federation Chairman Uemura was summoned to the Cabinet Office and given instructions from the Abe administration to improve the AJJF.  Here he gets it:



There's a showdown coming next week, when in a special meeting the board votes on Ryotokuji Kenji's motion to dismiss the entire standing operations committee, a total of 27 Directors, including Chairman Uemura, for their mishandling of the funds and sexual harassment claims.

That would be a lot of the leadership of Japanese judo, the old guard.

NBK wrote:New news.... a day late.  

Tue Jul 23 All Japan Judo Federation Chairman Uemura was summoned to the Cabinet Office and given instructions from the Abe administration to improve the AJJF.  Here he gets it:



There's a showdown coming next week, when in a special meeting the board votes on Ryotokuji Kenji's motion to dismiss the entire standing operations committee, a total of 27 Directors, including Chairman Uemura, for their mishandling of the funds and sexual harassment claims.

That would be a lot of the leadership of Japanese judo, the old guard.

So maybe my friends in Osaka ... the cultists if you recall ... were not just being left-wing, anti-nuclear wingnuts when they remarked about the recent election "this result is the end of Japan."  Getting rid of the old guard, as you put it, seems a bit radical.  What goes in its place will be telling on so many levels perhaps. Any predictions?

Can you imagine a similar thing taking place in the White House (anyone's White House) over the doping scandal in baseball?  Senate hearings to be sure, makes it look like they are actually working on something, but an executive order?

Meantime ... similarly through the looking glass ... it seems you will have an opportunity to hang a new, history-making picture in the dojo?

I am not commenting on politics herein - the judo world is not ready for NBK's political opinions....

NBK wrote:I am not commenting on politics herein - the judo world is not ready for NBK's political opinions....

Well I'll leave the smart-ass-chop-busting to the email world ... but seriously if I read the article you posted correctly, this is the executive telling a national sports governing body "this is what you will do, this is who will resign their position." That's different than expressing disappointment, different even than "if you don't change we will reduce your funding." It reads like a direct order from a government to a private organization, from current seat of power to living national symbol, do I have that right? If so, how extraordinary!

Plenty has been written here by you, and discussed over beer and noodles elsewhere about the politics of judo in Kano-shihan's time. If I have been paying attention correctly, I note that Judo was shaped by the political climate of the era. At various distances Judo sometimes led, sometimes followed but never lost contact with the Establishment throughout his life. In your role as martial arts researcher how usual or unusual is it for a modern Japanese government to become so directly involved with Judo?

Yes, even more so after 2008 legislature of Public Utility Foundation Law (公共財団法人). On application, an organization providing public services may acquire a legal body as P.U.F., financial benefit of which is to obtain tax exemption, subject to abiding by prescribed conditions e.g. organizational structure and its functions, salary level for staff and officers, control of financial income and expenditure etc. More important than "tax exemption" may be "public acceptance" as such, the purpose of which is to enhance public interests, though limited to 13 categories. AJJF, Kodokan and Tokyo Metropolitan Judo Federation have acquired this status at the same time. As Tokyo Metropolitan Judo Federation is "local" (limited to regional Tokyo), it took years to achieve it.

These organizations are subject to regular surveillance. Loss of such legal status means, apart from financial consequences, loss of credibility or faith in the organization in terms of the extent to which such organization has achieved its goals as upheld and registered by itself. So this Government intervention is of course least welcome but unfortunately expected.

Earlier on 19 Jul. Uemura said "I do not want to hide the truth, but we have mutual privacy ... can be settled within". I think he was honest when he said it; he can neither step forward nor down. The whole affair is, as he hinted, is very complex.

BillC wrote:

NBK wrote:I am not commenting on politics herein* - the judo world is not ready for NBK's political opinions....

Well I'll leave the smart-ass-chop-busting to the email world ... but seriously if I read the article you posted correctly, this is the executive telling a national sports governing body "this is what you will do, this is who will resign their position."  That's different than expressing disappointment, different even than "if you don't change we will reduce your funding."  It reads like a direct order from a government to a private organization, from current seat of power to living national symbol, do I have that right?  If so, how extraordinary!

Plenty has been written here by you, and discussed over beer and noodles elsewhere about the politics of judo in Kano-shihan's time.  If I have been paying attention correctly, I note that Judo was shaped by the political climate of the era.  At various distances Judo sometimes led, sometimes followed but never lost contact with the Establishment throughout his life.  In your role as martial arts researcher how usual or unusual is it for a modern Japanese government to become so directly involved with Judo?

Addressing the former later.... for the latter, my interest in post-war judo ends with self-emasculation of the martial art in the effort to get judo back into the public school system postwar.  I don't follow it later as it is more properly the purview of sports history.  

Regarding the letter, I will try to find the exact wording, but I sincerely doubt it has 'names' to be dismissed.  More likely a general 'improvement order', a formal, legal, and very public (witness the photograph!) along the lines of 'get your house in order, or else'. Remember that the athletes' improvement funds to ghost coaching that was culled to provide the AJJF party slush fund came from the national sports organization, hence the national government.  

Kuden wrote:Yes, even more so after 2008 legislature of Public Utility Foundation Law (公共財団法人).  On application, an organization providing public services may acquire a legal body as P.U.F., financial benefit of which is to obtain tax exemption, subject to abiding by prescribed conditions e.g. organizational structure and its functions, salary level for staff and officers, control of financial income and expenditure etc. More important than "tax exemption" may be "public acceptance" as such, the purpose of which is to enhance public interests, though limited to 13 categories.  AJJF, Kodokan and Tokyo Metropolitan Judo Federation have acquired this status at the same time.  As Tokyo Metropolitan Judo Federation is "local" (limited to regional Tokyo), it took years to achieve it.

These organizations are subject to regular surveillance. Loss of such legal status means, apart from financial consequences, loss of credibility or faith  in the organization in terms of the extent to which such organization has achieved its goals as upheld and registered by itself.  So this Government intervention is of course least welcome but unfortunately expected.

Earlier on 19 Jul.  Uemura said "I do not want to hide the truth, but we have mutual privacy ... can be settled within". I think he was honest when he said it; he can neither step forward nor down. The whole affair is, as he hinted, is very complex.  

One wonders if the 'complexity' includes undeclared income.  That's what landed Al Capone in jail.

I have written about the issue of the foundations.  

The proper name of the Kodokan is the 'Kodokan Judo Foundation'.  It was established as a (educational?) foundation in the early 1900's, and recently changed status to another type of foundation, as Kuden describes above.   There was a mad scramble to get NPOs registered as tax exempt after the relaxation of the new law, which has a big impact on your ability to fund raise.  The KDK, too.  

The public acceptance factor looms large, as is the government acceptance of your proposal; this is where the bureaucrats rule, in the minutia.  Also, as general policy, I understand the government doesn't like multiple, overlapping organizations, which is one of the reasons, I believe, that there are capstone karatedo and aikido organizations despite multiple splinter groups under the capstone - I understand that getting the funding and political horsepower to get a national level competing organization AND secure an advantageous tax exempt status is not possible.  It's very different in say, the US, where you can get tax exempt status very easily and quickly without regard to what someone else is doing (unless, of course, you're trying to register a Tea Party group**).  

My question years earlier was if the Kodokan was actually fulfilling the charter of the foundation as established by Kano shihan; that takes place under the supervision of the board, but if you think there's much direction from the KDK board, I'd like to hear why.  They almost certainly defer to its direct leadership in most issues.  

That is now OBE*** - the new charter probably took away most if not all of Kano's original intent, which had been pretty much ignored for decades anyhow.  Frankly I haven't even bothered to look.  

NBK

* my promise not to go political
** breaking my promise about ten lines later
*** Overcome By Events (i.e., too darn late)

The resignations have been announced:

http://japandailypress.com/japans-judo-head-other-directors-announce-resignation-over-abuse-scandals-3033099/

I think it is a shame for Uemura-sensei. I maintain that he his part of the answer, not part of the problem.

Resignees:

Chairman
- Uemura kancho
Vice Chairmen
- Fujita
- Sato Nobuyuki
Managing Director
- Onozawa Hirofumi
Secretary General
- Murakami Kiyoshi

These are all nominee directors (i.e., not prefectural representatives) that were nominated by the head of the Kodokan. I think he has ten on the board; the rest are ken/do/fu geographical units (47) plus the All Japan Enterprise/Business Judo Association and I think the last is the All Japan Students Judo Federation; I don't think the police are represented directly.

I expect they're resigning in an attempt to save the other near thirty named in the motion to dismiss a lot of the directors seen as too supportive of the old guard / not supportive enough of change. It will be interesting to see if it works.

NBK

NBK wrote:... the rest are ken/do/fu ...

That's what they teach at the "martial arts" place at the strip mall up the street ... kendofu ...

(clears throat)

What you note ain't gonna work. Even the most vacuous politician in Japan knows that is less than 27. And even if he forgot, he has an army of bureaucrats whose job it is to remind him.

NBK wrote:Resignees:

Chairman
- Uemura kancho
Vice Chairmen
- Fujita
- Sato Nobuyuki
Managing Director
- Onozawa Hirofumi
Secretary General
- Murakami Kiyoshi

NBK

小野沢弘史 pronounced Onozawa Kōshi, not ‘Hirofumi’ in this case.

The Fujita being referred to here is Fujita Hiroaki, to avoid the name being confused with that of someone else with the same surname.

Jonesy wrote:The resignations have been announced:

http://japandailypress.com/japans-judo-head-other-directors-announce-resignation-over-abuse-scandals-3033099/

I think it is a shame for Uemura-sensei.  I maintain that he his part of the answer, not part of the problem.

There are in fact also some other competent people among those resigning, Murakami-san Or Satô-san to name just two.

Indeed, and by the way it is also not true as some suggest that nothing or not much has been done since. They have actually worked hard on the issue, and also have realized several improvements. I cannot properly judge the role or responsibility or guilt of any one in particular, but suffice to point out that there were forces who also just wanted to see heads roll, specific heads, that is to say, and this irrespective of anybody's guilt or role. There is quite a power struggle going on and not just within the AJJF.

More: http://www.insidethegames.biz/sports/summer/judo/1015321-all-japan-judo-federation-president-finally-agrees-to-step-down-after-scandals#.UfjN-vtrZzQ.facebook

Cichorei Kano wrote:

NBK wrote:Resignees:

Chairman
- Uemura kancho
Vice Chairmen
- Fujita
- Sato Nobuyuki
Managing Director
- Onozawa Hirofumi
Secretary General
- Murakami Kiyoshi

NBK

小野沢弘史 pronounced Onozawa Kōshi, not ‘Hirofumi’ in this case.

The Fujita being referred to here is Fujita Hiroaki, to avoid the name being confused with that of someone else with the same surname.

I hate Japanese names.... and don't read this in English, and don't address these gents other than to say 'sensei'.

The obligatory apology / bow for the cameras.  Exit stage right.  

L to R: Vice Chair Sato, Chairman Uemura, Vice Chair Fujita, General Secretary Onozawa.

One news report cites the total misused funds involved at ６０５５万円 = >60 million yen, over $600,000, and I think over several years.   There is no indication that the funds were directly pocketed by anyone but rather kicked back by 'ghost' instructors into a kitty used as a pooled, off the books entertainment slush fund.  

Culturally, entertainment of supporters and volunteers is very important, but in this instance that was Japanese government money, meaning, my tax ￥, not the organization's money moved around to various accounts．

You know, that's a pretty good amount of money.  What's the annual support budget of USJA?

Before there is a gleeful outpouring of schadenfreude by some at the plight of the AJJF and its leaders I would suggest that people pause and remember that even modem Japan remains culturally a very different place from the West, and attitudes towards loss of face, feelings of guilt and shame at failings remain very different. People would do well to pause and remember that tragic story of the late great Isao Inokuma-sensei who committed suicide in 2001 at the age of 63 due to failings and financial losses at the Tokai Construction Co. Ltd. of which he was President. Men like Uemura-sensei and Sato-sensei (and of course Inokuma-sensei himself) have been raised in a cultural environment totally different to Western men of their age, and we should remember that analysing every set of circumstances solely through Western cultural norms and filters does not always yield a complete understanding......

Well, there hasn't been a gleeful or other outpouring, but some are waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The resignees are closely associated with Uemura kancho, among the ten directors nominated by the head of the Kodokan. But once outside those ten the rest of the directors targeted for dismissal are the heads of judo in Japan.

After staggering around last night under a mikoshi with a judo bud, in the aftermath the discussion turned to this with other martial artists, lubricated by vats of adult beverage.

The gist:
- the timing couldn't be worse - Tokyo's bid for the Olympics, introduction of martial arts again as a compulsory subject in school (an objective since the 1945 school budo ban), a rare upsurge in interest in martial arts driven by popular culture, etc
- there were more than warning signs for some of the personal activities, supposedly there were incidents covered up previously, and plenty of opportunity to nip problems in the bud
- there are few AJJF board members with any business or academic experience outside judo, so many simply don't have experience with best practices, legal and board responsibilities, etc. and don't necessarily see multiple red flags that might occur to more experienced senior advisors from a larger pool
- lots of this meant lots of latitude for staff

NBK

I guess the champagne corks are gleefully popping at Vizer-towers, or should I say IJF HQ. Vizer is now unchallenged as the colossus that bestrides the judo world. I would be far from convinced that a prominent former champion, such as Yamashita, is the right answer for the AJJF, but it is hard to see them doing anything else...

And the media war continues:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2013/08/04/editorials/judo-federation-forfeits-respect/#.UgCVlqz4Xog

The news is that the board did not back the motion to dismiss Uemura kancho and 22 other directors, presumably close to him or the scandals. Seems the motion was over reaching, misjudged the 'kuki'.

Other than the ten that are nominated by the AJJF president, mostly from the Kodokan and the Tokyo area, the other directors are the heads of the 47 local prefectures, etc.

That's at least what the Japan Times says, rendez-vous next week, August 14th !

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/08/06/more-sports/new-judo-chief-to-be-chosen-next-week/#.UgHS7qz4Xog

NBK wrote:The news is that the board did not back the motion to dismiss Uemura kancho and 22 other directors, presumably close to him or the scandals.   Seems the motion was over reaching, misjudged the 'kuki'.  

Other than the ten that are nominated by the AJJF president, mostly from the Kodokan and the Tokyo area, the other directors are the heads of the 47 local prefectures, etc.  

次は。。。