Mr. Ohashi (32 years old) started his refereeing career in 2010 and was recognized as a FIFA referee in 2025. According to data from Transfermarkt, he officiated 168 matches, drew 345 yellow cards, 10 direct red cards and awarded 47 penalty kicks.
At ASEAN Cup 2026, referee Ohashi officiated 3 matches in Group B including Malaysia - Myanmar, Thailand - Myanmar and Philippines - Thailand. In these matches, he drew a total of 10 yellow cards and 2 red cards.
In the match that decides the ticket to the final between Vietnam and Malaysia, the black-clad king will be supported by two compatriot assistants Takeshi Asada and Michiyama Satoshi, who are also familiar members of the Japanese refereeing team.
Meanwhile, the fourth referee, Naufal Adya Fairuski from Indonesia, will take on the task of supporting the match from the technical area.
In terms of expertise, referee Ohashi has experience at many levels of Japanese football. In the 2026 season in J.League 1, he officiated 9 matches, drew 16 yellow cards and 1 red card. Previously, he regularly served in J.League 3, with 20 matches in 2023 and 19 matches in 2022.
Japanese referees also served in Germany in the 2025-2026 season, when officiating matches in the 3rd division and Regionalliga Bayern.
Mr. Ohashi's assignment to referee the second leg was also noted after some controversial situations in the first leg.
Coach Kim Sang-sik once said: "I am not too dissatisfied with the referee's decisions, but they often interrupt the match with decisions and the VAR consultation time is prolonged, so I also feel a little regretful.
