The 10 Most Expensive Japanese Football Players in History
Japanese football has changed its status in the transfer market. For a long time, seeing a Japanese player exceed 10 million euros was almost an event. Today, several Japanese profiles are making their mark in major leagues, driving up transfer fees and attracting increasingly ambitious clubs.
Here is the ranking of the 10 most expensive Japanese football players in history.
10) Shinji Okazaki (11 million euros - 2015)
In 2015, Shinji Okazaki transferred from Mainz to Leicester City for 11 million euros. This transfer rewarded his effectiveness in the Bundesliga and his profile as an offensive fighter, in a context where his off-the-ball intensity perfectly matched the expectations of English football.
9) Keito Nakamura (12 million euros - 2023)
In 2023, Keito Nakamura moved from LASK to Stade de Reims for 12 million euros. This amount shows how much his attacking profile, capable of quick attacks and finishing actions, had appealed to a club that was banking on his potential for improvement as much as his immediate impact.
8) Kyogo Furuhashi (12 million euros - 2025)
In 2025, Kyogo Furuhashi left Celtic to join Rennes for 12 million euros. At this price, the French club was looking for an already mature, mobile attacker accustomed to playing under pressure, with the idea of bringing in his movement and execution speed.
7) Takumi Minamino (15 million euros - 2022)
In 2022, Takumi Minamino transferred from Liverpool to Monaco for 15 million euros. This move was intended to offer him a more stable environment to fully relaunch his career, after a period where his talent had been visible but not always consistently utilized.
6) Shinji Kagawa (16 million euros - 2012)
In 2012, Shinji Kagawa transferred from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United for 16 million euros. This was a very symbolically significant transfer: a top-performing Japanese playmaker in Germany making a leap by joining one of the biggest clubs in the world.
5) Takehiro Tomiyasu (18.6 million euros - 2021)
In 2021, Takehiro Tomiyasu left Bologna for Arsenal for 18.6 million euros. The amount reflects the value of a modern defender, capable of playing in multiple roles, and above all, providing security in a league where physical duels and tactical reading are extremely important.
4) Ritsu Doan (21 million euros - 2025)
In 2025, Ritsu Doan transferred from Freiburg to Eintracht Frankfurt for 21 million euros. This transfer confirms his change in dimension: he is no longer just a well-regarded Japanese player, but a key offensive player valued at the level of an ambitious European club.
3) Hiroki Ito (23.5 million euros - 2024)
In 2024, Hiroki Ito moved from Stuttgart to Bayern Munich for 23.5 million euros. When Bayern invests this type of sum in a Japanese defender, it says a lot: Ito's reputation for reliability, versatility, and tactical maturity had clearly gone beyond mere surprise.
2) Hidetoshi Nakata (28.4 million euros - 2001)
In 2001, Hidetoshi Nakata transferred from AS Roma to Parma for 28.4 million euros. This transfer marked its era: it gave Japanese football another level of visibility in Europe and long served as an absolute benchmark for measuring the market value of a Japanese player.
1) Shoya Nakajima (35 million euros - 2019)
In 2019, Shoya Nakajima transferred from Portimonense to Al-Duhail for 35 million euros. It remains to this day the largest transfer fee ever paid for a Japanese player, an amount that surprised by its scale and remains a unique benchmark in the history of the Japanese market.