Feature

All the Japanese players to feature in the Premier League

1 Jul 2024
Kagawa, Yoshida and Mitoma

After Crystal Palace sign Daichi Kamada, we look at all the Japan players that have graced the competition

Related Articles
Kamada signs for Crystal Palace to reunite with Glasner
Kamada's rollercoaster journey to link up with Glasner again
‘Incredible intelligence & work rate’: Daichi Kamada analysed External Link

Daichi Kamada's move to Crystal Palace will take the number of Japan players who will have featured in the Premier League to 14 once he has appeared in a match.

The 27-year-old midfielder, who has reunited with Oliver Glasner, his former head coach at Eintracht Frankfurt, is set to be the fourth active Japanese player on the books of 2024/25 Premier League clubs.

Here we look at players from Japan, both past and present, who have graced the Premier League:

Junichi Inamoto

Debut: 17 August 2002 v Bolton 

Junichi Inamoto

The defensive midfielder first arrived in England as an Arsenal loanee from Gamba Osaka during the 2001/02 campaign, but made no Premier League appearances for the Gunners. The next season Inamoto did make his English top-flight debut, but on loan at Fulham, where he scored an historic winner at Old Trafford. He stayed at Craven Cottage until 2004 when he joined West Bromwich Albion on a permanent deal. He made a total of 66 Premier League appearances.

Club Joined Apps Gls Ass.
Arsenal 2001 0 0 0
Fulham (loan) 2002 41 4 2
West Brom 2004 25 0 0
Kazuyuki Toda

Debut: 18 April 2003 v Man City

Kazuyuki Toda

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.

Club Joined Apps Gls Ass.
Spurs (loan) 2003 4 0 0
Hidetoshi Nakata

Debut: 18 September 2005 v Man City

Hidetoshi Nakata

Nakata, the first Asian Football Confederation player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or, spent the 2005/06 campaign on loan at Bolton Wanderers from Serie A side Fiorentina. He made 21 appearances, scoring one goal and providing two assists. Nakata's season in the Premier League proved to be his last, retiring upon the conclusion of the campaign.

Club Joined Apps Gls Ass.
Bolton 2005 21 1 2
Ryo Miyaichi

Debut: 11 February 2012 v Wigan

Ryo Miyaichi

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 to Bolton in 2011/12, during which he appeared 12 times. Miyaichi went out on loan again the next season, this time to Wigan Athletic, 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.

Club Joined Apps Gls Ass.
Arsenal 2011 1 0 0
Bolton (loan) 2012 12 0 2
Wigan (loan) 2012 4 0 0
Maya Yoshida

Debut: 15 September 2011 v Arsenal 

Maya Yoshida

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, including 37 clean sheets. He was a key figure of Ronald Koeman's 2015/16 team that finished sixth to secure European football.

Club Joined Apps Gls Ass.
Southampton 2012 154 6 2
Shinji Kagawa

Debut: 20 August 2012 v Everton 

Shinji Kagawa

Attacking midfielder Kagawa was signed by Manchester United 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. 

Club Joined Apps Gls Ass.
Man Utd 2012 38 6 6
Shinji Okazaki

Debut: 8 August v Sunderland

Shinji Okazaki

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.

Club Joined Apps Gls Ass.
Leicester 2015 114 14 4
Yoshinori Muto

Debut: 11 August 2018 v Spurs

Yoshinori Muto

Signed by Newcastle United from Mainz in 2018, the forward appeared 25 times for the Magpies, scoring one goal, before a loan to Spanish team Eibar in 2020. Muto eventually returned to his home country in 2021, where he plays for J1 League champions, Vissel Kobe.

Club Joined Apps Gls Ass.
Newcastle 2018 25 1 0
Takumi Minamino

Debut: 23 January 2020 v Wolves 

Takumi Minamino

Minamino moved from RB Salzburg to Liverpool in the January 2020 transfer window, appearing 10 times as the Reds won the Premier League title that season. But 12 months later, he was loaned out to Southampton. He remained at Anfield for a further season, before signing for Monaco in 2022. In total, Minamino made 40 Premier League appearances, registering six goals.

Club Joined Apps Gls Ass.
Liverpool 2020 30 4 0
Southampton (loan) 2021 10 2 0
Takehiro Tomiyasu

Debut: 11 September 2021 v Norwich

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Versatile defender Tomiyasu joined Arsenal from Bologna in 2021. The 25-year-old signed a contract extension in 2024 which will keep him at Emirates Stadium until the summer of 2026. He has so far made 64 Premier League appearances for the Gunners, the fourth-highest in the competition by a Japanese player, behind Inamoto, Yoshida and Okazaki.

Club Joined Apps Gls Ass.
Arsenal 2021 64 2 3
Kaoru Mitoma

Debut: 13 August 2022 v Newcastle 

Kaoru Mitoma

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 if Brighton's team, and has 19 goal involvements in 52 appearances for the Seagulls.

Club Joined Apps Gls Ass.
Brighton 2018 52 10 9
Wataru Endo

Debut: 19 August 2023 v AFC Bournemouth 

Wataru Endo

Liverpool’s defensive midfielder was a 2023 summer signing from Stuttgart. Endo was a crucial part of the Reds' title challenge during Jurgen Klopp’s last season, making 29 Premier League appearances and scoring one goal.

Club Joined Apps Gls Ass.
Liverpool 2023 29 1 0
Daiki Hashioka

Debut: 2 March 2024 v Aston Villa

Daiki Hashioka, Luton

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.

Club Joined Apps Gls Ass.
Luton 2024 10 0 0

 

Latest Videos

More Videos

Video is currently not available.

05 Dec 2024

Pundits: Corners almost as valuable as penalties for Arsenal

Tony Adams and Michael Owen on Arsenal's threat from set-pieces, after both goals in the 2-0 win over Man Utd came from corners

Your details have been submitted successfully.

You have already entered this competition. Please check your email for further information.

Your details have been submitted successfully.

Create a Premier League account

Continue

You are logged in as

Enter your details