Gonoi attends White House ceremony for women of courage award

Congratulations. Good for her.

What award did she received in Japan? None? Why? Because Japan still having difficulty in recognizing her contribution? Or Japan still not considering a problem at all?

Considering what the award was for, the judo outfit is perfectly appropriate. She is showing both her determination and her origins. Good for her all the way.

Well deserved.

Love the gritted teeth smiles… you can imagine them thinking ‘Good God, did she somehow misinterpret or misunderstand the dress code for formal occasions?’…

Most, if not all, of the recipients were wearing some form of national dress. Most were a little more glamorous than a judo gi, but her point was made.

https://www.voanews.com/a/us-recognizing-international-women-of-courage-/7512577.html

I couldn’t imagine her attending a formal ceremony in a chic dress or kimono. Unisex attires like a judo outfit best suit her.

Good for Rina. All those criticising her attire should realize how proud and honoured she feels to be a judoka. Don't mess with this woman! She stood up to despicable, sexual-assaulting criminals - and emerged victorious.

What award did she received in Japan? None? Why? Because Japan still having difficulty in recognizing her contribution? Or Japan still not considering a problem at all?

The Japanese government will almost certainly award Rina in due course.

Guess, the US forgot about supporting the women and girls of Afghanistan. Just easier to pick Gonoi San.

Guess, the US forgot about supporting the women and girls of Afghanistan.

Or Gaza.

Just easier to pick Gonoi San.

Of course.

Guess, the US forgot about supporting the women and girls of Afghanistan. Just easier to pick Gonoi San.

Nope. Benafsha Yaqoobi of Afghanistan was also a recipient.

Considering what the award was for, the judo outfit is perfectly appropriate

Agreed

The judogi makes no sense.

Makes Kishida san look bad

Congratulations to Ms Gonoi. Well deserved.

CONGRATULATIONS, to you Ms. Gonoi.

This really means a lot to so many women who suffer daily from the abuse of their so called friends, classmates and coworkers.

Best of luck to you.

Somehow bittersweet that she is not honored in the same way here in Japan, but maybe her bravery can help things change.

Great news for her. Congratulations! More power to women around the world.

People are going to nit-pick and complain about the stoopidest guano just because they are jealous this woman got a well deserved award that they have not a whit of an idea what it's about.

Well done! Congrats to her! (No matter what she wears!)

Japan needs to wake up. It's so funny that all these outsiders have such deep opinions on Japan and its culture. Will be eradicated within the next 20 years if they allow this gender ideology to shift along with moving away from conservative and traditional values.

Why so much focus on what she wore to the event?

To me it was totally appropriate for her to wear the gi. A clear message she is a fighter and won't bow down to male dominated and mandated norms.

Gonoi should have worn her JGSDF dress uniform rather than a judo outfit to the White House.

A number of posters point out that Japan should have given this award to Ms Gonoi for bravely speaking out against sexual harassment in the JSDF.

I question why no one in the US Military received this award.

There were 8,942 reports of sexual assault across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps in 2022.

https://apnews.com/article/army-media-social-media-sexual-assault-texas-c7277011ba4b7300bf7a9708b0ca82b2

https://time.com/6129740/vanessa-guillen-sexual-misconduct-military/

Japan humiliated on World stage, some people might be gnashing their teeth

Good old U.S. masquerading as champions of freedom with these awards look very hypocritical and ridiculous..

LOL

The award is well earned and congratulations to her, but why in god's name did she, or anyone associated with her, think it's appropriate to wear a judogi to a formal ceremony at the White House? It defies common sense. She may be a judoka, but only as a personal pursuit and not as a professional or national representative, and most importantly it has absolutely nothing to do with the reason she's being honored. It isn't a national costume and I doubt that even an Olympic judoka in her shoes would have worn it for this occasion. To say that it somehow represents her struggle is a ridiculous stretch and I'm surprised that the U.S. side allowed it.

I don't know this young woman so I cannot comment on what she did to win the award, but the photo of her standing next to Blinken (!) with his rictus smile jabbed my eye while her comment jarred my ear:

"Together, we will keep chipping away at the quiet that haunts our world, and while there may be those who wish for us to fall silent, we will never fall because the steepness of the struggle will not stop our ascent,"

like, how can our world listen calmly with self-satisfaction to these words standing for 5 months at the foot of the Mt. Everest of the Sound of Silence from the ICC and the powerful leaders of the West as the massacre of the 30,000 women and children continues unabated with only a mouse squeak from the ICJ to echo through our "quiet-haunted" world helped by the MSM on bended knee struggling to muffle the cries and screams to high heaven of the victims and to hide the tears of rage of the insulted and humiliated voices of all the people in protest around the world.

USNinJapan2,

Land of the free, baby. She can wear what she wants.

Thank you for standing up for justice and propriety in Japan . . . .

Does Japan even have awards like this?

I only remember geriatric scientists and kabuki actors getting awards from the Emperor.

Good way to rub the embarrassment in the face of the Japanese military!

Good old U.S. masquerading as champions of freedom with these awards look very hypocritical and ridiculous..

As ridiculous and hypocritical as your posts?

“Nope. Benafsha Yaqoobi of Afghanistan was also a recipient”.

So she was! I stand corrected.

I question why no one in the US Military received this award.

There were 8,942 reports of sexual assault across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps in 2022.

You of all people come across as being intelligent enough to understand what this award is all about and WHO it is directed towards! I guess I was wrong!

It's disappointing to say the least that all you can do is find a dumb-arsed and off topic reason to complain about her getting recognition by the US STATE DEPARTMENT!

Take your issue up with the people that matter IN the US! Educate yourself to the reason for having the award in the first place.

FYI American's an NOT eligible to receive the award!

Hope she finds peace and happiness somewhere.

Good on her! Fully deserved! Japan must be very proud of her! Everyone likes to see someone victorious!

Amazing, congrats to her for her courage!!!

How ironic that most comments here are not about the substance but about the outfit.... I wonder if the discussion steered in the same direction if it was about a male award recipient...?

Lola

How ironic that most comments here are not about the substance but about the outfit.... I wonder if the discussion steered in the same direction if it was about a male award recipient...?

What irony? Most, if not all, of the posters above already support her receiving and deserving this award so why are you surprised that there's little debate about the "substance"? The complaints above about her attire aren't based at all on her sex/gender so why are you trying to turning this into a feminist issue?

Wow, a misogynistic comments here. The men who attacked her claimed in their defense to be “practicing Judo moves” so I believe there is a lot of character on display here, not only did she not leave the sport which she got abused doing, she has defied the odds and become a professional instructor!

Also, Gonoi has moved on with her life – see the article below. Please think twice before attempting to put this person down she will get back up again and again and again… inspiring multitudes of women to do the same. That is why she is awarded this prize.

“Judo taught me that it’s important to get up and face the opponent no matter how many times I am thrown.

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14857494

"shows how women are proficient at it" I call BS, If Gonoi was proficient at judo she would not got assaulted. It show how inadequate Gonoi is at Judo.

Absurd. You do realize there were multiple male assailants, right? You expect a small female judoka to be able to fight off several young male soldiers at once? These were young, fit soldiers in their early 20s. Not physically past-it sixty-something year old men.

No wrong and Absurd . "They are young fit soldiers" . NO. young fit scum. How could refer to these scum as soldiers. Like you don,t know a soldier from low life scum. Scum bolt, soldier stay a fight. If Gonoi was good at self defence these scum wound of Bolted at the first sign of a decent resistance.

Nana korobi yao oki : kocked down seven times, got back up eight times. A model of Japanese resilience.

 It isn't a national costume and I doubt that even an Olympic judoka in her shoes would have worn it for this occasion.

If she were an Olympic athlete she would have had the official suit that all athletes are given. I can guaruntee you that "protocol" officials went over the dress code with her or people who represent her and they gave the official ok!

If you noticed, women from other countries wore their national costumes as well, and since she is no longer in the JSDF she could no longer wear her uniform.

Please note discharge status notwithstanding (I presume it was a general discharge), she’s a former member of the JGSDF. She’s now considered a veteran and is allowed to wear her dress uniform at ceremonial events (like the one held in the White House). Why she chose not to is anyone’s guess.