Here’s who’s on Team Japan after Physical: Asia rigging scandal

by

For the past few weeks, the physical challenges on Netflix’s show have captivated viewers in Asia. The competition really heated up when teams from Japan, Mongolia, and Korea reached the final episodes. Be warned: spoilers follow!

The final showdown of Physical: 100 came down to a battle between Team Mongolia and Team Korea, after Team Japan was eliminated earlier. However, after Team Korea won the competition, many viewers claimed it was fixed, suggesting the outcome was predetermined because the show is filmed in Korea.

Things got more complicated when Yushin Okami, the captain of Team Japan, had to remove a post he shared that claimed the show was unfair. Despite this, Physical: Asia has been very popular on Netflix, and the streaming service is already planning several similar shows based on the Physical: 100 format.

But here’s who’s on Team Japan in Physical: Asia.

Team Japan came in third place after being defeated by Castle Conquest

Team Japan, along with teams from Mongolia and Korea, reached the semi-finals of Physical: Asia. However, they lost to Quest 5 in the semi-finals, finding the ‘Castle Conquest’ challenge particularly difficult.

The competition involved pulling a 2.2-ton cart through a series of obstacles. Team Japan struggled with the drawbridge and ultimately took over an hour to finish, leading to their elimination. Other teams completed the challenge in less than 30 minutes.

Captain Yushin Okami

Yushin Okami leads Team Japan and is a mixed martial arts fighter with experience in major organizations like the UFC, ONE Championship, World Series of Fighting, and the Professional Fighters League.

With a record of 39 wins and 15 losses, Okami has proven himself a skilled fighter. Notably, seven of his losses were decided by judges’ scores. He’s also highly trained in martial arts, holding black belts in both Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Yoshio Itoi

Yoshio Itoi is a baseball player who represented Japan in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He played against teams from Brazil and China during the tournament.

He ended his professional baseball career in 2022, having played for teams including the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Orix Buffaloes, and Hanshin Tigers. This isn’t his first appearance on a Netflix fitness show; he’s participated in similar programs in Asia before.

He won a competition called Final Draft, where retired athletes competed, and took home a prize of 27 million yen.

Kana Watanabe

Kana Watanabe is a mixed martial arts fighter with a record of 13 wins and 4 losses. She’s lost two fights by decision. She began competing in the flyweight division of Bellator MMA in the United States in 2020, and more recently fought in the Professional Fighters League in 2024.

Soichi Hashimoto

Soichi Hashimoto is a highly decorated Judo athlete. He recently earned silver and bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has previously won gold at the Judo World Masters in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2023.

Hashimoto consistently dominates Judo, having won gold medals at the World Championships for six years straight – from 2017 through 2023. He’s practically guaranteed to win any major Judo competition.

Nonoka Ozaki

Nonoka Ozaki is an Olympic bronze medalist from the 2024 Paris Games, and a two-time World Wrestling Champion, having won gold medals in both 2022 and 2023.

She also won gold at the Asian Wrestling Championships in 2022 and 2024.

Katsumi Nakamura

Katsumi Nakamura is a Japanese swimmer who competed in the Olympics in both Rio de Janeiro (2016) and Tokyo (2020). He’s also had success at the Asian Games, earning silver medals in 2014 and 2018, and a gold medal in the 4×100 meter relay in 2018.

Read More

2025-11-20 17:20