The WE League on Wednesday announced that Kikuko Okajima will step down as chairperson at the end of September, with former V-Varen Nagasaki president Haruna Takata nominated to replace her at the head of Japan’s professional women’s soccer league as it enters its second season.
Okajima, a former soccer player and Japan international who has spent most of her career in the United States, was appointed to the role at the height of the coronavirus pandemic as telework became the norm — with the Japan Football Association hoping to leverage her experience and connections in the sports and financial worlds.
The 64-year-old participated in early board meetings remotely from her home in Baltimore, Maryland, but traveled frequently to Japan as border controls eased and was present when the league opened on Sept. 12, 2021, with 11 clubs stretching from northeastern Sendai to western Hiroshima.