Ranking the Top 10 Best Japanese Footballers

The quality of Japanese footballers has seen an incredible rise in the past few years. For the first time in their history, they made it to the knockout round of the FIFA World Cup twice in a row in 2018 and 2022. However, it took some legendary Japanese footballers to put the East Asian country on the football map. For the first time, in 1998, Japanese football players represented their country in the World Cup.

They lost all of their games and were eliminated in the group stage. However, it marked the start of something significant for Japanese football. In the subsequent World Cups, the squad made alternate appearances and advanced to the Pre-quarterfinals. They finished first in Group E in 2022 after defeating the 2010 world champions, Spain and the 2014 World Cup winners, Germany.

They were eliminated in the penalty shootout against the runners-up Croatia in 2018 during the RO16. From the Premier League to the UEFA Cup, Japanese footballers have won it all. Some of them were also nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or Award. With many youngsters showing their worth in top leagues around the world, Japanese football seems to have only one direction: upward.

In the last few decades, the globe has seen some of the greatest Japanese football players, from heroes like Maya Yoshida and Hidetoshi Nakata to upstarts like Takefusa Kubo and Kaoru Mitoma. Based on their accomplishments, contributions, legacy, and influence on the largest stage, we have compiled a list of the top 10 Japanese football players.

Ranking Factors

Club and International Achievements – Titles won such as league, European trophies, AFC Asian Cups, World Cup performances, and individual accolades like Ballon d’Or nominations, top scorer awards.

Impact and Legacy – Any player’s Influence on Japanese football, their contributions to the national team, and role in popularizing Japanese players in top European leagues.

Individual Performance and Consistency – Overall skill level, longevity at the top level, and ability to perform in high-pressure situations. Their overall, individual performances for both club and country.

List of Top 10 Best Japanese Football Players

10. Kazuyoshi Miura

Kazuyoshi Miura, nicknamed King Kazu, is a 57-year-old Japanese footballer. He is the first player to win the IFFHS Asia’s Footballer of the Year. Miura played 89 games for Japan from 1990 to 2010 and found the net 55 times. He currently plays for Atletico Suzuka in the Japan Football League. 

Miura has made 794 appearances at club level and scored 218 goals. He holds the record for the oldest player to score in a professional football league and is also the oldest professional and Japanese footballer in the world at 57. Considered one of the best Japanese football players in history.

Notable Clubs	Titles
Verdy Kawasaki, Yokohama FC, Atletico Suzuka	1× AFC Asian Cup, 2× Japan Soccer League, 3× J.League Cup, 1× Emperor’s Cup

9. Shunsuke Nakamura

Shunsuke Nakamura played for the Japanese team from 2000 to 2010. He scored 24 goals in 98 appearances for his nation. He was linked with Spanish league giants Atletico Madrid and Bundesliga’s Borussia Dortmund. However, the attacking midfielder joined the Celtic. Nakamura helped the Celtic defeat Manchester United in the 2006-07 Champions League. 

The ex-Yokohama midfielder had 795 games at club level and scored 136 goals. Nakamura also represented his nation at the FIFA World Cup in 2006 and 2010. He played a crucial role in Japan’s AFC Asian Cup championship runs in 2000 and 2004. He won multiple domestic and league titles with the Celtics. Nakamura was also nominated for the Ballon d’Or in 2007, which earned him a spot in the list of best Japanese football players.

Notable Clubs	Titles
Celtic, Espanyol, Yokohama F. Marinos	2× AFC Asian Cup, 3× Scottish Premier League

8. Yuto Nagatomo

The 38-year-old Yuto Nagatomo is a full-back for J1 League Side FC Tokyo. His 142 caps are the second most for a Japanese footballer, only behind Yashuhito Endo. Nagatomo scored only four times for Japan but was a force to reckon with on the defensive line. He donned the Japanese colors at the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups. 

Nagatomo began his club career with FC Tokyo in 2007. He went on to join Serie A club Inter Milan. He started 170 games for the Italian side and scored 9 goals. Yuto also played for Galatasaray and Marseille. He returned to FC Tokyo in 2021. 

Notable Clubs	Titles
Inter Milan, FC Tokyo, Galatasaray	2× Turkish Süper Lig, 1× Turkish Cup, 1× Turkish Super Cup

7. Keisuke Honda

Keisuke Honda holds the record of being the only sixth player to have scored and assisted in three different World Cup editions. His goal earned Japan their first World Cup win away from home. Honda played 98 games in his international career from 2008 to 2018 and scored 37 goals. 

The Japanese footballer has played for multiple clubs in various countries throughout his career. Some of the top clubs he played for include CSKA Moscow and AC Milan. He played a total of 502 games and found the net 102 times. Not just one of the most popular but also one of the best Japanese football players of all time.

Notable Clubs	Titles
CSKA Moscow, AC Milan, VVV-Venlo	1× Russian Premier League, 1× Supercoppa Italiana, 1× Eerste Divisie, 1× AFC Asian Cup

6. ​​Makoto Hasebe

Makoto Hasebe is a Japanese footballer who is the current assistant coach of Japan’s football team. The centre-back earned 114 international caps and scored 2 goals. He led his country to the 2011 Asian Cup title. 

Hasebe stepped into European football in 2008 and played for Wolfsburg. Then, he played 14 games for Nuremberg before moving to Frankfurt. Makoto played 533 games at club level and beat the goalkeeper 19 times. He has clinched a UEFA Europa League, Bundesliga, and DFB Pokal in his career. 

Notable Clubs	Titles
Eintracht Frankfurt, Wolfsburg, Nürnberg, Urawa Red Diamonds	1× UEFA Europa League, 1× Bundesliga, 1× DFB-Pokal, 1× AFC Champions League, 1× J1 League, 1× AFC Asian Cup, 3× Kirin Cup

5. Yasuhito Endo

Endo is the most-capped Japanese footballer in history. He earned 152 caps from 2002 to 2015 and scored 15 goals for his country. He wore Japanese colors at three World Cups and three Confederations Cups. The 44-year-old won the Asian Cup in 2004 and 2007.

Yasuhito Endo spent most of his club career at Gamba Osaka. He made 605 out of his 775 club appearances for Osaka. The midfielder scored 113 goals at the club level, 98 of which came for Gamba Osaka from 2001 to 2021.

Notable Clubs	Titles
Gamba Osaka, Júbilo Iwata	2× J1 League, 1× J2 League, 4× Emperor’s Cup, 2× AFC Asian Cup, 4× Kirin Cup, 1× Afro-Asian Cup

4. Shinji Okazaki

Okazaki is an active Japanese footballer who has played 119 games for the country. The 38-year-old has found the net 50 times in 11 years. He won the IFFHS World’s Top Goal Scorer award in 2009 courtesy of his 15 goals that year. It was his goal that earned Japan their first victory against Argentina in 2010. Okazaki is the third-leading Japanese goalscorer. 

Shinji played in the Bundesliga for VfB Stuttgart and started 63 games. He was a part of the Leicester City squad that stunned the world by winning the Premier League in 2016. Okazaki played 494 club games and scored 109 goals. 

Notable Clubs	Titles
Leicester City, VfB Stuttgart	1× Premier League, 1× Segunda Division, 1× AFC Asian Cup, 1× Kirin Cup

3. Kunishige Kamamoto

Kunishige Kamamoto is undoubtedly the best Japanese goalscorer in history. He debuted in 1964 and scored a goal in his first game against Singapore. Kamamoto helped Japan win the Bronze Medal at the 1968 Mexico Summer Olympics. He scored 80 goals in 84 appearances for Japan.

Kamamoto was a one-club man and played for Yanmar Diesel throughout his career. In 252 games, he scored 202 games for the Japanese club. Kunishige made it to the Japan Football Hall of Fame in 2005. 

Notable Clubs	Titles
Yanmar Diesel	7× Japanese Footballer of the Year

2. Shinji Kagawa

Shinji Kagawa is a 35-year-old Japanese midfielder. He made 97 appearances for his country and scored 31 goals between 2008 and 2019. He was the 2012 AFC International Player of the Year. Many experts and fans have put Kagawa among the top Japanese footballers of all time. 

Kagawa also made an impact in Europe. Borussia Dortmund was his first European club from 2010 to 2012. After playing 49 games for the German club, Kagawa joined the Premier League club Manchester United in 2012. He returned to Dortmund in 2014 and played till 2019. Shinji has made 520 club appearances and scored 135 goals to date. He won two Bundesliga and 2 DFB Pokal with Dortmund. Kagawa also got his hands on a Premier League title and FA Cup with the Red Devils.

Notable Clubs	Titles
Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United	2× Bundesliga, 1× Premier League, 2× DFB-Pokal, 1× FA Community Shield, 1× AFC Asian Cup

1. Hidetoshi Nakata

Hidetoshi Nakata is arguably the greatest Japanese and Asian footballer ever. He played 75 games for his nation and netted 11 goals. The midfielder had a long career ahead of him but hung his boots in 2006 at the age of 29. He represented Japan in the 1998, 2002, and 2006 World Cups and the 1996 and 2006 Olympics before retiring. 

Nakata spent eight of his ten seasons in the top flight. He played for Serie A side Perugia, Roma, Parma, and Fiorentina. Hidetoshi made a total of 288 appearances and scored 41 goals at the club level. He was the first AFC footballer to earn a nomination for the Ballon d’Or. Nakata won the Seria A with Roma and Coppa Italia with Parma. 

Notable Clubs	Titles
Roma, Parma, Fiorentina, Perugia	1× Serie A, 1× Coppa Italia, 1× Kirin Cup, 1× Dynasty Cup

Here’s the updated table in a single format with Notable Clubs and Position, removing the titles:

Rank	Player Name	Notable Clubs	Position
1	Hidetoshi Nakata	Roma, Parma, Fiorentina, Perugia	Midfielder
2	Shinji Kagawa	Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United	Attacking Midfielder
3	Kunishige Kamamoto	Yanmar Diesel	Forward
4	Shinji Okazaki	Leicester City, VfB Stuttgart	Forward
5	Yasuhito Endo	Gamba Osaka	Midfielder
6	Makoto Hasebe	Eintracht Frankfurt, Wolfsburg, Nürnberg	Defensive Midfielder
7	Keisuke Honda	CSKA Moscow, AC Milan	Attacking Midfielder
8	Yuto Nagatomo	Inter Milan, FC Tokyo, Galatasaray	Left Back
9	Shunsuke Nakamura	Celtic, Espanyol, Yokohama F. Marinos	Attacking Midfielder
10	Kazuyoshi Miura	Verdy Kawasaki, Yokohama FC, Atletico Suzuka	Forward

Also Read: Top 10 Best Japanese Players In Premier League History

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