Meet the LUFC Japan Whites - Leeds United diehards based 5,800 miles from Elland Road
“There are many Leeds fans all over Japan, from the north to the south, and there are times when more than 30 people gather for a watching party. It is no exaggeration to say that this is on par with the fan size of other Premier League clubs.”
Meet the LUFC Japan Whites, a Leeds United supporters group based in the Land of the Rising Sun. Although, for Yuki Komatsu and his fellow members, they usually have to tune into Elland Road when the sun has long gone to bed.
Such is their dedication to supporting a club 5,800 miles (8,200 kilometres) away in West Yorkshire, they sometimes stay up until the small hours of the morning to watch Leeds marching onto the pitch together, due to the nine-hour timezone difference.
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“It's not easy, but we all love Leeds, so we watch every game at home, even when we don't have a watch party,” says Yuki.
How this unlikely love affair got going was something of a natural evolution. “The trigger was that in March 2023, five people who have supported Leeds United for about 20 years gathered for a dinner party,” Yuki explains.
“They partied while watching the recorded broadcast of the 4-2 win over Wolves and discovered the joy of getting together to watch Leeds United. After that, we held a watch party with a wide range of participants in September 2023, against Millwall.
“LUFC Japan Whites was created in August 2024 and started posting on SNS (a messaging service). However, as mentioned, the fan base has long been formed through personal SNS accounts, and this is the foundation of today's LUFC Japan Whites.
“We have held a watch party nearly 10 times to this day. We hold viewing parties four or five times a year, and we hope to continue to do so in the future.”
The passion they have for Leeds United is visible, perhaps tangible, from their postings on social media. Live voice chats, videos, and the enthusiasm for one player in particular - no prizes for guessing who.
“I don't think there is a football fan in Japan who doesn't know Ao Tanaka,” reveals Yuki. “Even people who don't know much about football may know about him, as he is a regular on the Japanese national team and scored in the World Cup match against Spain.
“To be honest, when he first arrived, I was worried about whether he would be able to adapt to the Championship, mainly physically. However, it is clear that those concerns were wrong.
“He continues to prove his worth through his performances. We are proud that a Japanese player like us plays for Leeds and is active at Elland Road. But even if we ignore the bias that he is Japanese like us, I think his performances are amazing!”
Tanaka has earned the praises of manager Daniel Farke for his performances since joining from Dusseldorf in August. United are stacked with midfield options yet the 26-year-old has started 21 of his 26 Championship matches this season.
The Leeds faithful have even created their own chant for him to the song ‘Tequila’ by The Champs. “I think the chant is very good,” said Yuki.
“At first it felt like they were expecting too much, as many of the supporters at Elland Road had been chanting for him ever since he arrived at Leeds. However, he continued to perform well in response to the chants, and his sense of unity with Elland Road can be felt from the broadcast footage.”
Members from the LUFC Japan Whites partook in a rendition themselves while watching Leeds take on Sheffield Wednesday last month. Excitement went up a notch when Tanaka produced his back-heel flick late on to make it 3-0.
“His goal was so amazing! That scene was the most exciting at the watching party in Kobe!” exclaimed Yuki.
The game was mentally tough, despite leading on the score.However, the audience was thrilled by the super goals at the end of the match, especially Tanaka's goal.
The result was good, but it was an event where all participants seemed happy. pic.twitter.com/wttfBK4T4L— リーズジャパンサポーターズ/JAPAN Whites (@LUFCJapanwhites) January 19, 2025
“He has been active as number eight in the J-League and in the Japan national team, and now he is mainly playing the role of number 6, but I can't help but think that he will make us happy and excited with more goals and assists.”
And Yuki will hope to see Tanaka produce the goods in person next month when he travels to Elland Road for United’s crunch home tie with Sunderland on February 17. “There are several people who have been to Elland Road,” added Yuki.
“One member is currently studying abroad at Leeds University but none of our acquaintances have travelled to watch Leeds matches since Ao Tanaka joined - however, I am planning to go to Elland Road to watch the game against Sunderland next month!”
Of course, not everyone can make the long trip over, and Yuki hopes that watching the club from afar can become more accessible in time. That said, he is keen to stress that it is the local fans who are the fabric of the club and sent a message of good will.
He said: “We believe that if an environment that is easy to watch is created, the community that supports Leeds may expand more even in countries where there is a large time difference.
“We will continue to passionately support Leeds United so that our thoughts reach Leeds from Japan - but we think the main characters of Leeds United are everyone at Leeds. We would be happy if we could feel the wonderful atmosphere at Elland Road created by the local people through the broadcast footage.”
The group plans to host more watch parties in Japan for those nearby, with information about the group found on X (@LUFCJapanwhites), Instagram (@lufcjapanwhites), and Facebook (@LUFCJapanwhites).
Any last words Yuki? “Marching on Together!”