Prior to 1992, Japanese football registered on few radars. Glory in the Asian Cup would change all that, preceding the start of the J League a year later
Tag: japan
How the world of Shimizu S-Pulse in the J League converted me to Japanese football
Japan is an intoxicating blend of the traditional and the futuristic. It is a unique culture, with a prevailing attitude of respect and deference that underpins its society and shapes its values,…
Was Hidetoshi Nakata, talent, trailblazer and icon, overrated?
In the summer of 2002, Asian football was thrust into the global spotlight thanks to a highly successful World Cup in Japan and South Korea. The entire planet sat back and revelled in…
How the devilishly talented Shunsuke Nakamura became a Celtic legend
Despite its relative success, it’s fair to say that Celtic fans don’t look back as fondly on Gordon Strachan’s stint as manager as they do on Martin O’Neill’s five-year tenure. O’Neill put Celtic…
The day a high-school team in Japan almost beat the J League champions in an official cup game
In owing to their more transient nature – and the irreplicable do-or-die spirit that permeates throughout a team of underdogs, helping to make any one-off opponent appear infinitely more conquerable – cup…
Japan and the 100-year vision
In 1991, Japanese football was at its lowest point. Their top flight was played by amateurs and the football association knew something needed to be done. The birth of the J League soon…
Captain Tsubasa: the anime star who changed the face of Japanese football and inspired Messi, Iniesta and Nakata
Having endured almost 70 years of anonymity at the World Cup, the 2018 edition in Russia will represent Japan’s sixth consecutive appearance at the tournament since 1998. The Samurai Blue have come…
How 18 months in Japan set Arsène Wenger up for glory at the top
Few of football’s best and brightest managers would ever chance an exotic venture in a far-off country, especially while their reputation was growing. When one such opportunity came Arsène Wenger’s way in…
Watch: Paddy’s New Korea? Episode 2 of the CONIFA documentary
If you didn’t already know, Paddy Power are sponsoring the 2018 CONIFA World Football Cup in London this summer, so they went to get a first-hand perspective on what CONIFA means to…
How Japan is stuck between national team peaks and domestic troughs, with World Cup winner Megumi Takase
KOBE IS A BUSY CITY. Of course, most cities are busy, but Kobe is busy in a way that seems to morph effortlessly from one version of itself to another, almost in…
Shinji Okazaki: the modest one
THE SUCCESS OF any organisation is rarely down to just a few contributors, much like how a jigsaw is deemed incomplete even if a single piece is lost. As a result of that,…
Kazuyoshi Miura: the Japan legend still going strong at 50
JAPANESE STRIKER Kazuyoshi Miura recently signed a new one-year deal for J2 League club Yokohama FC. After signing the deal Miura told the club’s official website: “I could safely renew my contract…
How amputee football in Japan is slowly changing societal attitudes
IT SITS THERE, almost like an unexpected guest. Mount Fuji impressively intrudes on a Sunday morning flight between Nagasaki and Tokyo. The peak of the iconic mountain is so high that it…
Football in Japan’s incredible city of Nagasaki
THERE IS AN EERIE CALM TO THE CITY OF NAGASAKI, which is difficult to gauge. It is a spellbindingly friendly city, one which is rightly proud of a heritage which stretches back…
Hidetoshi Nakata: the trailblazer who changed the future of Asian football
Illustration by Federico Manasse Before the summer of 2002, Asia was largely forgotten by the footballing world. A general awareness existed among top-level clubs that the continent offered large swathes of untapped…
Yasuhiko Okudera: Japanese football’s first overseas pioneer
THERE IS A JAPANESE PHRASE which translates roughly to “the frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean”. A general interpretation is that those who do not experience the world…
The muddled history of Japanese footballers in the Premier League
EACH PREMIER LEAGUE season provides a stark reminder of the global reach of the English game and its continual ability to extend into previously untapped areas of the plane, in search of…
Gary Lineker in the Land of the Rising Sun
On 14 May 1992, Gary Lineker scored his final goal in English football as Tottenham Hotspur lost 3-1 to Manchester United. Following the game, players, managers and fans across the UK began to…