Japanese mixed martial artist Yushin Okami has clarified allegations that he took aim at the production team of Netflix’s Physical: Asia.
On November 19th, Okami posted a statement on Instagram, writing, “I want to clarify something I reposted earlier—I didn’t fully understand the English meaning behind it, and it may have caused confusion. Physical: Asia was an amazing competition and an honor to compete with so many incredible athletes. I’m very proud of Team Japan. I sincerely apologize if my post caused any misunderstanding to fans around the world. Thank you always for your support.”
The next morning, he shared two photos—one taken with Kim Dong Hyun in 2009, and another from this year’s Physical: Asia shoot—along with a message congratulating the Korean team, led by Kim as captain, on their final victory. “Dong Hyun, Team Korea, congratulations,” he wrote. “The oldest photo I have with Dong Hyun is from 16 years ago. I miss you, my friend—please come back to Japan. I’ll always be waiting.”
The misunderstanding stems from controversy that surfaced online on the 19th, after Okami reposted a fan-made image containing phrases such as, “Japan was the best overall team. This program was biased from the beginning. Many things were lacking. Above all, the show should have been directed by a country other than an Asian one. Anyway, I’m proud of Team Japan.” It was quickly confirmed that the text was not written by Okami himself but shared from a fan account.
>> Netflix’s ‘Physical: Asia’ Winner Revealed, But Fans Are Calling Results Unfair
Okami captained Japan in the finale of Physical: Asia, which wrapped on the 18th. His team ultimately ranked third after failing to clear the fifth quest, a fortress-capture challenge requiring competitors to pull a rope to shut an extremely heavy gate within one hour—a task Korea and Mongolia succeeded in completing.
The global competition brought together top athletes from Korea, Japan, Thailand, Mongolia, Türkiye, Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines. Team Korea clinched first place, with Mongolia taking second and Japan finishing third.
Currently, Korean athletes’ Instagram accounts are being flooded with comments like the following: “You literally knew everything beforehand and trained for it. Anyone with a brain would know. Produced in Korea, set in Korea. Great acting”, “The last three episodes were strange. It looked like a perfectly tailored setup for Korea to win it all. Sorry”, “What a disgrace. This is a rigged game”, “Aren’t you ashamed?”
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