Charisma and Control: The Shadow Behind Nihon University’s Weightlifting Scandal

Collecting tuition fees that were supposed to be exempted

On June 10, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Second Investigation Division arrested Kenji Namba (63), former head coach of the Nihon University weightlifting team and a former professor at the College of Bioresource Sciences, on suspicion of fraud.

“Back in early December 2022, Namba allegedly sent fake invoices to the parents of four prospective sports scholarship students who were set to join the team the following spring. The invoices falsely claimed, ‘Since you are being applied as a scholarship student, tuition will be waived from your second year onward.’ Using this method, he reportedly defrauded them of 2.05 million yen by collecting entrance and tuition fees that should have been waived from the first year,” said a reporter from the social affairs desk.

Police believe that over the past ten years—since fiscal year 2015—at least 48 students were subjected to the same scheme, totaling around 37.95 million yen in unjust fees. Namba has denied the allegations, stating, “I understood the money to be donations that I had the parents’ consent for. I have not used any of the donations for personal purposes.”

Nihon University first disclosed the misconduct in July last year. Namba was subsequently dismissed from his post as professor and removed from his role as head coach of the weightlifting club. The university’s own investigation suggests the fraudulent activity dates back even further—at least to 2005—with a total of 58 students affected and around 53 million yen improperly collected.

The university has filed a criminal complaint against Namba and is also suing him to recover approximately 73 million yen, which includes the cost of refunds and other related expenses.

 

Proxy Receipt, which was supposed to be prohibited was taking place

Why was Kenji Namba able to collect entrance and tuition fees from so many students’ parents? The answer lies in a system unique to Nihon University.

“At some of Nihon University’s athletic clubs, there was a practice known as ‘proxy receipt,’ where payments like tuition and entrance fees—normally paid directly to the university—were instead collected through the club’s bank account. The club would then bundle the funds and transfer them to the university,” explains a university insider. “Although this ‘proxy receipt’ system was officially banned in 2014, several clubs continued the practice afterward.”

Unjust fee collection was also discovered in the track and field and skating teams. In some of those cases, part of the money was redirected to cover other students’ tuition or to fund facility improvements. “It’s suspected that these funds were used to recruit and support top athletes,” the source added.

However, in the case of the weightlifting club, police believe that Namba diverted much of the money for personal use. There’s no evidence that the coaches who cooperated with the scheme personally received any funds.

“Each year, between 3 million and 8 million yen collected into the club’s account was withdrawn by the club’s financial manager or coaches and handed directly to Namba. When the university searched his research lab in June last year, they found 11 bundles of 1-million-yen notes—each still wrapped in bank straps,” said the same social affairs reporter.

While Namba has denied personal use during police questioning, he reportedly told the university during internal inquiries that the funds were spent on dining out with family, maintenance for his favorite car, and purchasing luxury alcohol. His flashy lifestyle—owning multiple luxury watches and driving high-end foreign cars—had apparently long been the subject of gossip among those around him.

He was a “don” himself

Kenji Namba, who himself was a former member of Nihon University’s weightlifting team, became a coach for the same team in 1988. He was known for his dedication—showing up to the training grounds daily and coaching with passion. Widely respected for his ability to nurture talent, Namba is credited with transforming the team into a powerhouse.

The team repeatedly won national collegiate championships and even produced Olympic-level athletes. However, after Namba assumed the role of head coach in 2000, he reportedly became less involved in day-to-day training. It is believed that the fraudulent fee collection began shortly after he took over as head coach.

“For over 20 years, Namba reigned as an absolute figure of authority after building the team into a dominant force. Coaches were made to drive him to and from his home in Komae City. It’s said that he made the coaching staff handle the fake invoices and the money exchanges with parents. Some coaches even tried to persuade him to stop the misconduct, but their concerns were ignored,” revealed a university insider.

This incident has reminded many within the university of the shadow of former board chairman Hidetoshi Tanaka—once known as the “Don of Nihon University.” Tanaka had similarly risen through the ranks from a team coach to professor, just like Namba, and reportedly held him in high regard. The two were known to be close, and both accumulated significant influence within the university.

In response to Namba’s arrest, Nihon University issued the following statement:

“This kind of misconduct has caused a devastating loss of public trust. We sincerely apologize to society and will pursue accountability with strict measures, fully cooperating with investigative authorities.”

Despite revamping its administration in 2022 after the infamous 2018 American football dirty tackle scandal and the 2021 arrest of former chairman Tanaka, Nihon University was rocked again by a cannabis incident involving the football team in 2023. Now, yet another scandal has surfaced. When will the university finally be able to root out the rot of the past?