Toru Kamikawa facts for kids

Toru Kamikawa (上川徹, Kamikawa Tōru, born June 8, 1963) is a former Japanese football (soccer) referee. He was well-known for officiating many important football matches, including games at the World Cup. He started his career in Japan's professional J. League in 1996.

A Top Football Referee

Toru Kamikawa was born on June 8, 1963, in Kagoshima, Japan. He became an international referee in 1998, meaning he could officiate matches between teams from different countries.

Playing Football

Before he became a referee, Toru Kamikawa actually played football himself! He was a forward, which is a player who tries to score goals. He played for Kagoshima National College of Technology and Tokai University. In 1981, he even represented Japan in youth football. After college, he joined a team called Fujita S.C. (now known as Shonan Bellmare) and played there until 1991.

Refereeing Career

Kamikawa began his professional refereeing career in Japan's J. League in 1996. He quickly became one of the top referees.

He was chosen to referee matches at two different World Cups:

• The 2002 FIFA World Cup
• The 2006 FIFA World Cup

2002 World Cup Match

In the 2002 World Cup, he was the referee for a group stage match between Ireland and Cameroon.

2006 World Cup Matches

At the 2006 World Cup, he refereed three important games:

• A group stage match between Poland and Ecuador.
• Another group stage match between England and Trinidad and Tobago.
• The exciting third-place playoff match between Germany and Portugal.

Awards and Achievements

Toru Kamikawa received several awards for his excellent refereeing:

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

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

Retirement and New Role

Toru Kamikawa announced his retirement from international refereeing in October 2006. He had a knee injury, even though he was still two years away from the mandatory retirement age for international referees. He stopped refereeing completely in January 2007.

Now, he works for the Japan Football Association. His job is to help younger referees learn and improve their skills, sharing his vast experience with the next generation.

See also

In Spanish: Tōru Kamikawa para niños