"Why Wear Lipstick?" and "Are You Idols?" Backlash Pours in After Crushing Defeat in Final

The Japanese women's volleyball team, which attempted to win its first Asian Games gold medal in 48 years, suffered a crushing defeat in the final, sparking fierce criticism from local fans.

The Japanese women's national volleyball team was decisively beaten 0-3 in sets by China in the final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held yesterday (September 22).

In particular, as Japan, ranked 6th in the world, failed to put up any real fight and lost to China, which is ranked one spot lower at 7th, criticism has grown locally that Japanese players are overly focused on their appearance rather than concentrating on the match.

On Yahoo Japan, a popular portal site in the country, one netizen wrote, "Are earrings or partial hair dyeing really necessary for the match? The court is not a place to show off fashion."

Another netizen pointed out, "Idols are not needed in volleyball. There are far too many flashy performances."

In particular, one netizen posted a captured broadcast screen showing a Japanese player applying something to her lips just before the start of the semifinals match against South Korea, criticizing, "Was applying lipstick 30 seconds before the South Korea match really that important?"

There were also opinions taking issue with the players' facial expressions after the defeat.

One fan criticized, "They high-five and smile even after losing. It doesn't look like the time to be smiling," while another fan wrote, "I cannot tell if there is any sense that they are fighting desperately."

Having also lost 0-3 to China in the final of the Hangzhou Asian Games three years ago to settle for a silver medal, Japan surrendered the championship once again on home soil.

The defeat in the final third set was especially painful.

Although they widened the gap to 18-12 in the middle of the game, they allowed China six consecutive points and eventually lost 23-25, bringing the match to an end.

Disappointment among local fans toward the Japanese women's volleyball team, which was blocked by China and left with consecutive silver medals, is not expected to subside easily.

(Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video edited by Na Hong-hee, Design by Sumin Lee, Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.