All the Japanese players to feature in the Premier League

Following the arrival of defender Kota Takai at Tottenham Hotspur, and midfielder Ao Tanaka signing for newly-promoted Leeds United, the number of players from Japan to appear in the Premier League is set to rise to 17. 

Here we look at the previous 15 Japanese players who have appeared in the Premier League, including five who featured in the 2024/25 season.

Junichi Inamoto

Debut: 17 August 2002 v Bolton Wanderers

The first Japanese player to appear in a Premier League match initially arrived in England on loan to Arsenal from Gamba Osaka for the 2001/02 season, but he did not make any league appearances for the Gunners. When Inamoto did make his English top-flight debut, early in 2002/03, it was for another loan club, Fulham. A highlight of his two seasons with them was the victory-sealing goal he scored against Manchester United at Old Trafford in October 2003. He joined West Bromwich Albion on a permanent deal in the summer of 2004 and eventually made a total of 66 Premier League appearances, netting four goals.

Kazuyuki Toda

Debut: 18 April 2003 v Manchester City

Toda's stay in the Premier League proved short. Signed on loan by Tottenham Hotspur from Shimizu S-Pulse in January 2003, the midfielder made only four appearances for Spurs, and never played a full 90 minutes.

Hidetoshi Nakata

Debut: 18 September 2005 v Man City

Nakata, the first Asian Football Confederation player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or, spent the 2005/06 campaign on loan at Bolton from Serie A side Fiorentina. He made 21 Premier League appearances, scoring one goal and providing two assists, in what proved to be the final season of his playing career as he retired upon its conclusion in the summer of 2006.

Ryo Miyaichi

Debut: 11 February 2012 v Wigan Athletic

Arsenal signed the winger Miyaichi after he impressed on a trial in the summer of 2010. He did not feature in the Premier League, however, until his loan spell with Bolton in 2011/12, during which he appeared 12 times. Miyaichi went out on loan again the next season, this time to Wigan, making four substitute appearances. Before leaving Arsenal permanently in 2015, he did manage one top-flight appearance for the Gunners, in a 3-1 win against Stoke City.

Shinji Kagawa

Debut: 20 August 2012 v Everton 

Attacking midfielder Kagawa was signed by Man Utd from Borussia Dortmund in 2012. He appeared 38 times over two seasons at Old Trafford, playing under Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes and Louis van Gaal before rejoining Dortmund in 2014. He became the first Japanese player to collect a Premier League winners' medal as Man Utd claimed the 2012/13 title. 

Maya Yoshida

Debut: 15 September 2012 v Arsenal

Yoshida was a centre-back who played for Southampton for eight years from 2012. He amassed 154 Premier League appearances, still the most for a Japanese player and helped Saints to keep 37 clean sheets. He was a key figure of Ronald Koeman's 2015/16 team that finished sixth to secure European football.

Shinji Okazaki

Debut: 8 August 2015 v Sunderland

Okazaki joined Leicester City from Mainz in 2015 and stayed for four years. The forward made 114 top-flight appearances for the Foxes, missing only two matches during their historic 2015/16 title-winning campaign, in which he netted five goals, including a spectacular overhead kick against Newcastle United.

Yoshinori Muto

Debut: 11 August 2018 v Spurs

Signed by Newcastle from Mainz in 2018, the forward appeared 25 times for the Magpies, scoring one goal, before moving on loan to Spanish team Eibar in 2020. Muto eventually returned to Japan in 2021, when he joined his current club, Vissel Kobe. He helped them to win the J1 League title in 2023 and 2024.

Takumi Minamino

Debut: 23 January 2020 v Wolves

Minamino moved from RB Salzburg to Liverpool in the January 2020 transfer window and appeared 10 times as the Reds won the Premier League title that season. Twelve months later, he was loaned out to Southampton for six months. In total, Minamino made 40 Premier League appearances, registering six goals, before leaving Liverpool in a permanent move to AS Monaco in the summer of 2022.

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Debut: 11 September 2021 v Norwich City

Versatile defender Tomiyasu joined Arsenal from Bologna in 2021. The 25-year-old signed a contract extension in 2024, but left Emirates Stadium by mutual consent following the end of the 2024/25 season. He made 65 Premier League appearances, the fifth-highest total in the competition by a Japanese player, behind Inamoto, Yoshida, Kaoru Mitoma and Okazaki. 

Kaoru Mitoma

Debut: 13 August 2022 v Newcastle

Tricky winger Mitoma joined Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021 from Kawasaki Frontale. He was loaned out to Belgian side Union SG for the 2021/22 campaign, before returning for a breakout Premier League season the following year. Mitoma has become an integral part of Brighton's team, with a total of 33 goal involvements in 88 appearances by the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Wataru Endo

Debut: 19 August 2023 v AFC Bournemouth 

Liverpool’s defensive midfielder was a 2023 summer signing from Stuttgart. Endo made 49 Premier League appearances across his first two seasons, and was a valuable member of the Reds' title-winning squad in 2024/25. 

Daiki Hashioka

Debut: 2 March 2024 v Aston Villa

Hashioka joined Luton Town in the 2024 January transfer window as Rob Edwards looked to shore up the Hatters' defence. The 25-year-old appeared 10 times for Luton prior to their relegation back to the Championship.

Yukinari Sugawara

Debut: 17 August 2024 v Newcastle 

Sugawara became the fourth Japanese player to sign for Southampton when the right-back arrived from Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2024. He played in 30 of their 38 Premier League matches, and scored in a defeat at Brentford, in a 2024/25 campaign that would result in Saints being relegated.

Daichi Kamada

Debut: 18 August 2024 v Brighton

The 28-year-old midfielder was reunited with Oliver Glasner, his former head coach at Eintracht Frankfurt, when he joined Crystal Palace in the summer of 2024. Kamada was a mainstay in the Eagles' midfield, making 34 Premier League appearances in his debut campaign.