Councilors of the scandal-ridden All Japan Judo Federation held an extraordinary meeting July 30 to discuss a proposal to dismiss 23 directors, including Chairman Haruki Uemura, but rejected it. After the meeting, Mr. Uemura announced that he will resign in mid-August along with two vice chairmen, the managing director and the secretary general.
The development shows that the AJJF lacks not only a sense of crisis in this matter but also the ability and will to take the immediate action needed to reform itself. By resigning, Mr. Uemura is merely following the Cabinet Office's July 23 recommendation to renew the AJJF leadership in August.
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. 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; the coaches then donated most of the money to the AJJF. A third-party investigation panel has called on the AJJF to return ¥60.55 million to the JSC.