The 10 Greatest Japanese Football Players of All Time

Japanese football has produced some of the most talented and inspiring players in the history of the sport. These players have not only dominated on the home turf but have also made their mark on the international stage.

So who are the best Japanese players who shaped football history?

10. Hiroshi Kiyotake

Hiroshi Kiyotake , renowned for his creativity and skills as an attacking midfielder , brought his flair and technique to several European leagues, leaving his mark with an exceptional ability to create goalscoring chances.

9. Atsuto Uchida

Atsuto Uchida is an exemplary defender, known for his speed and ability to launch attacks from the back. His time at Schalke 04 in Germany was marked by consistent and reliable performances (153 games in 7 seasons). He is the first Japanese footballer to play in a Champions League semi-final .

8. Junichi Inamoto

Junichi Inamoto , who shone at the 2002 World Cup, is renowned for his robustness and defensive skills as a midfielder. His ability to play under pressure has been demonstrated on several continents. He has a total of 83 caps for the Samurai Blue .

7. Yuto Nagatomo

Yuto Nagatomo , a fierce defender, is famous for his speed and determination. After a successful career in Italy at Inter Milan, Nagatomo moved to Olympique de Marseille . In 2024, he is 38 years old and continues to play for FC Tokyo. He is to date the second most capped player in the history of the Japanese national team (142 caps). Will he surpass Yasuhito Endō, who started 152 matches in the Japanese colors?

6. Yasuhito Endo

Yasuhito Endo , who we mentioned earlier, is known for his vision of the game and his precise passes. A pillar of the Japanese national team, he has never left the country and has only known J-League clubs. With 152 selections, he holds the record for the number of matches played for Japan .

5. Shunsuke Nakamura

Shunsuke Nakamura had a distinguished career in Europe and Japan. Known for his accuracy on free kicks, he scored 30 goals from direct free kicks in his career. Often decisive, notably with Celtic FC in Scotland, his name is etched in the annals of football.

4. Shinji Kagawa

Shinji Kagawa , famous for his time at Dortmund (145 games in 5 seasons) where he won two Bundesliga titles , is a master midfield tactician. His performances for club and country have made him one of the best Asian players of recent decades in Europe.

3. Keisuke Honda

Keisuke Honda is known for his incredible kicking and versatility on the pitch. Capable of playing in midfield or as a centre-forward, he has played in the biggest stadiums in Europe, Asia and America. Honda has been a key part of the Japanese national team, leading his country to multiple successes in international competitions. With 38 goals scored for Japan, he is also the first Japanese footballer to score in three World Cups (2010, 2014 and 2018).

2. Hidetoshi Nakata

Hidetoshi Nakata , often described as the greatest Japanese midfielder of all time, played a crucial role in popularizing Japanese football abroad. With successful stints in Italy and England, Nakata was an inspiration to many young Japanese players aspiring to an international career. He also etched his name in the history of the Italian Serie A , having played 182 games in the league for 5 different clubs (Parma, Perugia, Roma, Fiorentina and Bologna).

1. Kazuyoshi Miura

Nicknamed "King Kazu" , Kazuyoshi Miura is an iconic figure in Japanese and world football. Starting his career in the 1980s, he became famous for his dynamic playing style and exceptional endurance. Miura holds the world record for the oldest professional footballer and goalscorer , showing unparalleled sporting longevity. He notably played for clubs on 3 continents (South America, Europe and Asia). At 54 years old, he recently declared "I don't know if I could ever stop" ... Another even more impressive statistic: Miura scored 55 goals in 89 games played with the Japanese national team from 2000 to 2010.