Toru Kamikawa facts for kids

Toru Kamikawa (上川徹, Kamikawa Tōru, born June 8, 1963) is a former Japanese football (soccer) referee. He started his career in Japan's professional J. League in 1996.

Who is Toru Kamikawa?

Toru Kamikawa was born in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, on June 8, 1963. He became an international referee in 1998. This means he was allowed to referee important matches around the world.

From Player to Referee

Before becoming a referee, Toru Kamikawa loved playing football. He played as a forward, which is a player who tries to score goals. He went to Kagoshima National College of Technology and Tokai University, where he also played football.

In 1981, he even played for Japan's national team at a younger age level. After finishing college, he joined a team called Fujita S.C. (which is now known as Shonan Bellmare). He played there until 1991 before deciding to become a referee.

Refereeing Big Games

Toru Kamikawa is well-known for refereeing matches in two major football tournaments: the FIFA World Cup.

2002 FIFA World Cup

In the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he was the referee for one match. This game was between the Republic of Ireland and Cameroon. It was a first-round match, meaning it happened early in the tournament.

2006 FIFA World Cup

Kamikawa refereed three matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

• He oversaw a first-round game between Poland and Ecuador.
• He also refereed the match between England and Trinidad and Tobago.
• His most important game at this World Cup was the third-place playoff match. This was played between Germany and Portugal.

Awards and Achievements

Toru Kamikawa received several awards for his excellent refereeing.

• In 2002, he was named the Referee of the Year by the AFC.
• He also won the J. League Referee of the Year award twice, in 2003 and 2006.

Refereeing in Russia

Kamikawa made history on August 20, 2006. He became the first referee from Asia to officiate a match in the Russian Premier League. This game was between Luch-Energia Vladivostok and Spartak Moscow in Vladivostok.

Retirement and Future Role

Toru Kamikawa announced his retirement from international refereeing in October 2006. He had a knee injury, which was part of the reason for his decision. He officially stopped refereeing completely in January 2007.

Today, he works for the Japan Football Association. His job is to help younger referees learn and improve their skills. He shares his experience to guide the next generation of football officials.

See also

In Spanish: Tōru Kamikawa para niños