Top 10 Best Japanese Football Players of All Time (Ranked)

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, best Japanese football players represented their country in the World Cup. 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 greatest Japanese footballer.

List of Greatest Japanese Footballers of all Time

Now, we’ll take a look at some of the greatest Japanese footballers of all time who helped pave the path for the upcoming generations in Japan, as well as motivated fans all around the world.

How We Ranked the Best Japanese Football Players Of All Time?

We have followed certain ranking factors to determine the greatest Japanese footballers of all time. Based on the listed factors, such as achievements with the club and Japan, Legacy, and impact.

• 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, player of the season, and top scorer awards.
• Individual Impact & Legacy – Any player’s Influence on Japanese football, their contributions to the national team, and their role in popularising Japanese players in top European leagues.
• Individual Performance & Consistency – Overall skill level, longevity at the top level, and ability to perform in high-pressure situations. Their individual performances for both club and country.
• Trophies and Achievements – The last parameter that was considered while compiling this list was their individual accolades and trophies won with club and country is taken into consideration.

Who is the Greatest Japanese Footballer Ever?

It was a tough call to decide who would ultimately take the crown on our list, but thanks to our ranking factors, making it easier to place them according to their legacy, trophies won, impact, as well as achievement. Let’s jump into it:

10. Kazuyoshi Miura (1986-Present)

Kazuyoshi Miura, nicknamed King Kazu, is a 58-year-old Japanese footballer renowned for 4 decade 4-decade-long professional career. He is the first player to win the prestigious IFFHS Asia’s Footballer of the Year. Miura played 89 games for Japan from 1990 to 2010 and found the net 55 times at the international level. Interestingly, Miura is one of the oldest active players in the world.

He currently plays for Atletico Suzuka in the Japan Football League. Miura has nearly made 727 appearances at the club level and scored 195 goals. Miura holds the record for the oldest player to score in a professional football league and is also the oldest professional footballer in the world at 58. The Japanese icon is widely considered one of the best Japanese football players in history.

9. Shunsuke Nakamura (1997-2022)

Shunsuke Nakamura played for the Japanese national team for nearly a decade from 2000 to 2010. He scored 24 goals in 98 appearances for the Blue Samurai. He was linked with Spanish league giants Atletico Madrid and Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. However, the attacking midfielder joined Celtic. Notably, Nakamura helped the Celtic defeat Manchester United in the 2006-07 UEFA Champions League.

The ex-Yokohama midfielder had 762 games at club level and scored 131 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. Nakamura won multiple domestic and league titles with the Celtics. The attacking midfielder was also nominated for the Ballon d’Or award in 2007, which earned him a spot in the list of best Japanese football players.

8. Yuto Nagatomo (2007-Present)

Currently active, the 39-year-old Yuto Nagatomo is a full-back for J1 League Side FC Tokyo, making his professional debut in 2007. A staggering 142 caps for Japan means he is the second most for a Japanese soccer player, 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 colours at four FIFA World Cups from 2010 to 2014, 2018, to 2022.

The legendary full-back began his club career with FC Tokyo in 2007, but is remembered for his lengthy spell with Italian giants Inter Milan. The former Galatasaray man also represented Ligue 1 outfit Olympique Marseille. He started 170 games for the Italian side and scored 9 goals. Yuto returned to his homeland in 2021.

7. Keisuke Honda (2004-2024)

A name that stands out in terms of Japanese football players with worldwide fame, Keisuke Honda holds the record of being the only sixth player to have scored and assisted in three different World Cup editions. The former AC Milan midfielder's goal earned Japan its first World Cup win away from home. Keisuke has 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, from Europe, Asia, to North America, to South America. Some of the top clubs Japan icon has played for include CSKA Moscow, Pachuca, AC Milan and Botafogo. He played a total of 503 games and found the back of the net a staggering 105 times. Not just one of the most popular, but also one of the best Japanese football players of all time.

6. ​​Makoto Hasebe (2002-2024)

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. The defender led his country to the 2011 Asian Cup glory. He spent most of his club career in Germany playing for several of the well-known Bundesliga clubs, Eintracht Frankfurt, Wolfsburg and 1. FC Nuremberg has made 477 appearances altogether.

The versatile Japanese defender stepped into European football in 2008 and played for Wolfsburg. Then, he played 14 games for Nuremberg before moving to Frankfurt. Makoto played 692 games at club level and scored 32 times across multiple clubs. Throughout his career, he has clinched the UEFA Europa League, the German top division Bundesliga, and the DFB Pokal trophies, becoming amongst greatest Japanese footballer.

5. Yasuhito Endo (1998-2023)

Yasuhito Endo is the most-capped Japanese football player in history, earning 152 caps from 2002 to 2015 and scoring 15 goals for his country. He wore Japanese colours at three World Cups and three Confederations Cups. The 44-year-old won the Asian Cup twice in 2004 and 2007, playing a key role in the Blue Samurai's continental success. The dynamic midfielder spent most of his club career in his homeland, Japan, with Gamba Osaka.

Endo spent most of his club career at Gamba Osaka. He made a total of 605 out of his 969 club appearances for the Japanese giants. The midfielder scored 139 goals at the club level, 98 of which came for Gamba Osaka from 2001 to 2021. He was chosen as the 2009 Asian footballer of the year and voted as the J League's most valuable player in 30 years.

4. Shinji Okazaki (2005-2024)

In 2024, Shinji Okazaki announced his retirement Japanese football player who has played 119 games and scored 50 goals for the country in international football. The 38-year-old is widely hailed as one of the best Japanese football players. 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 its first victory against Argentina in 2010. Okazaki is the third-leading Japanese goalscorer and the greatest japanese footballer.

The former Leicester City star played in the Bundesliga for VfB Stuttgart and started 63 games in total. He was a part of the Leicester City squad that stunned the world by winning the Premier League in 2016. Okazaki played 587 club games and scored 128 goals, making him one of the best Japanese players in Premier League history. As a result, the attacking midfielder was named 2016 Asian Player of the Year ahead of Shinji Kagawa and Son Heung-min.

3. Kunishige Kamamoto (1967-1984)

Kunishige Kamamoto is undoubtedly the best Japanese goalscorer in history. He made his debut in 1964 and scored a goal in his first game against Singapore. Notably, the Kyoto-born centre forward, Kamamoto, helped Japan win the Bronze Medal at the 1968 Mexico Summer Olympics. He scored 80 goals in 84 appearances for the Japan national team and was the top scorer in the Japanese top division for a record seven seasons.

Kamamoto was a one-club man and played for Yanmar Diesel throughout his career. In 251 games, he scored 202 goals for the Japanese club. He made it to the Japan Football Hall of Fame in 2005 due to his contributions. He ranked third on our list of the best Japanese football players. However, due to the fact he played in the 60s and 80s, there arent much information about his stats.

2. Shinji Kagawa (2007-Present)

Shinji Kagawa is a 35-year-old Japanese midfielder currently playing for Cerezo Osaka. 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 best Japanese football players 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 558 club appearances and scored 139 goals to date. He won two Bundesliga titles and 2 DFB Pokal titles with Dortmund. Kagawa also got his hands on an English Premier League title and the English FA Cup with the Red Devils.

1. Hidetoshi Nakata (1995-2006)

The greatest Japanese footballer Hidetoshi Nakata, and also hailed as the best 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 up 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. He edges past Kagawa to get first place on our list of the best Japanese football players.

Nakata spent eight of his ten seasons in the top flight. He played for several top Italian clubs: Perugia, AS Roma, Parma, and Fiorentina. Hidetoshi made a total of 365 appearances and scored 52 goals at the club level. He was the first AFC footballer to earn a nomination for the Ballon d’Or. Nakata won the Serie A with Roma and the Coppa Italia with Parma during his spell in Italy. Thus, the legendary Japanese midfielder tops the list of greatest Japanese footballers of all time.