Last update 3 September, 2021 por Alberto Llopis
How many Japanese players played in Spain in professional category? Until not long ago, Japan Soccer, we did not know much else besides in the Japanese country one of the cartoon series that marked the childhood of generations created, known as Champions, Supercampeones or a street name of our times, Oliver y Benji. However, since the end of the decade of the 90 the last century, They have been a few Japanese players who have stepped on the pitch Spanish.
The Japanese players who played in Spain
Nobuyuki Zaizen
In the summer of 1996 the legendary Logroñés returned to the First Division. In full madness “Ley Bosman” La Rioja had thrown the European market to strengthen its workforce in order to maintain the category. However, He noticed this Japanese player who was in the Lazio inferiors to play in The old Gaunas. However, to occupy extra space, He never got to make debut not even be registered with the team riojano so eventually ended up leaving the club unable to play in the league.
Sotaro Yasunaga
Sotaro Yasunaga played in the Spanish second division at the end of the twentieth century after first strengthening the ranks of Lleida and then a Racing de Ferrol was characterized for a while to put together a veritable Tower of Babel of nationalities.
Shoji Jo
The twentieth century brought a new player Japanese to Spanish football but this time whether to play in First Division. El Real Valladolid, announced that it was done with the signing of Shoji Jo to play the first League of the new millennium. Jugó 15 games and scored 2 goals, both at Real Oviedo. However, serious injury slowed his way into the Spanish football.
Akinori Nishizawa
Espanyol Barcelona signed this Japanese player to make it one of their forwards. However, the Japanese will never burst through the eye then-coach parakeet, Paco Flores who even went so far as to affirm that the Japanese had no level to play in First. Four games and low at the end of that season.
Yoshito Okubo
Mallorca took the Japanese player in the transfer market this season 2004/05. He completed a second round which made the Mallorca took control services in property. He played another season where he went on to complete 25 games with a somewhat uneven performance.
Kenji Fukuda
Kenji Fukuda was a Japanese player who made much of his career in Latin countries. He played in the Mexican Pachuca and Irapuato well at the Guarani of Paraguay. In Spain did three teams from 2006, in Castellón, Numancia and Las Palmas. All an adventurer.
Shunsuke Nakamura
Espanyol were encouraged to repeat the experience of hiring a Japanese even though the other had left her frog. This time, they went straight for a more contrasted as Nakamura who already had experience in Europe. It came as reinforcing media but contributed nothing. twelve parties, zero goals and low at the end of the season 2009/10.
Akihiro Ienaga
Mallorca as Espanyol, also he encouraged to repeat with a Japanese footballer. In the winter of 2011, He decided to sign known as Akihiro Ienaga “Aki”. It was from 2011 hasta 2013 in the rows of the Balearic.
Mike Havenaar
The Japanese giant Dutch father, with almost two meters tall and slightly oriental features, He signed by the Cordoba in summer 2014 in the season it was the turn of the Andalusian team to the First Division after many decades. He started headline but I just lost the position ceding the position to Nabil Ghilas.
Ibusuki Hiroshi
Japanese striker eared 1,97 meters high played in several Spanish teams. Specifically in Girona, Zaragoza B, Sabadell, Sevilla Atletico and Valencia Mestalla. A long career in Spanish football youth ranks but not endorsed in the top flight.
Takashi Inui
Eibar hit full in the recruitment of Japanese Inui in summer 2015. The skilled and talented end of Eibar was uncovered as a quality player and materialized a good season in his debut in the Spanish football. Then he went through the Betis and Alaves in one season and return to Eibar after a year out in 2019. Today, the best of the Japanese players who played in Spain.
Hiroshi Kiyotake
In the summer of 2016 Sevilla was the one who decided to sign a Japanese player. The team decided to pay Nervion 6,5 million euros to Hannover 96 to clinch the second Japanese in its history after Hiroshi. It did not work out and left in the winter of 2017 for a few personal problems that prevented him from adapting.
Gaku Shibasaki
At the end of World Club 2016 a surprising Kashima Antlers, He had an entire Real Madrid to extra time. In the modest Japanese team he highlighted a player who a month later would land in Spanish football hand Tenerife. Gaku Shibasaki showed his talent in the league 1,2,3 in half a year to make the leap to the Spanish First Division with Getafe and later sign for Deportivo de la Coruña and Leganés.
Yosuke Ideguchi
Leeds United signed in the winter market 2018 to this promising international Japanese player and then transfer him to the second division Cultural Leonesa for half a season. It did not make much of interest.
Shinji Kagawa
Definitely a signing of these so-called 'random'. A top player with a very high salary until then, which surprisingly he signed in 2019 for Real Zaragoza who was in second with a fairly tight economic conditions. The Japanese changed a whole Borussia Dortmund play in the second category of Spanish football in the less movement, surprising considering that Manchester United had paid for the less important number one a few years earlier.
Okazaki
Another signing Kagawa style, in the same summer and in the same category but in this case by the Malaga signed a whole champion of the Premier in 2016 with that surprising Leicester who managed to surprise the entire football world. However, Okazaki was only a few months in Malaga to finish in Huesca where he played 2 seasons and then move to Cartagena. Except for a year in first class with Huesca, the others in the Spanish second division.
Daisuke Suzuki
This Japanese central was in the Nastic de Tarragona between 2015 y 2018 where he played in the second category of Spanish football with the Catalan team a total of 67 parties.
Take Kubo
The talented Japanese player of Real Madrid has already been on loan from RCD Mallorca (in 2 stages), Villarreal and Getafe and it is expected that it ends up exploding in the elite of Spanish football. Talent is not lacking.