With the 2024/25 season upon us, many Japanese players are active in the Championship, the second division of England. In the summer transfer market, forward Hirakawa Yu moved from J1 Machida Zelvia to Bristol City, and forward Ohashi Yuki moved from Sanfrecce Hiroshima to Blackburn Rovers. There are also rumors that midfielder Seko Itsuki from Kawasaki Frontale will move to veteran club Stoke City. Furthermore, Japanese national team defender Hashioka Daiki, who plays for Luton Town, who were relegated from the Premier League, has been playing in the Championship since this season, and including midfielder Sakamoto Tatsuhiro, who has been with Coventry since last season, it looks like five Japanese players will be participating.
Birmingham City, which was demoted from the Championship to League One in the third division, not only has former Japan national team striker Miyoshi Koji on its roster, but striker Yokoyama Ayumu just made a surprise transfer from J1 club Sagan Tosu on the 10th of this month. Regarding the sudden increase in Japanese players transferring from the top J.League category to England’s second and even third divisions, Sakamoto, a “senior” to the Championship, takes a positive view, saying, “The level of the Championship may be lower than the big five leagues, but looking at the intensity and level, I feel it’s the league that will come next (after the big five leagues). I think it’s good that more and more young players are coming, making it easier for Japanese players to take on the challenge.”
There are many voices in the UK saying that Sakamoto and Miyoshi’s success last season has raised the reputation of Japanese players, but Sakamoto said, “It’s not just because of my and Koji’s success, but also because Japanese players are doing well in Europe, so I think that English teams are now turning their attention to the J.League and trying to find good players from Japan. I’m jealous of the environment where you can come directly to the Championship from the J.League.”
Japanese players who have played in the Championship so far include Junichi Inamoto (currently with Nankatsu SC), who was on loan at Cardiff City, Japan national team defender Yuta Nakayama (currently with Machida Zelvia), who was at Huddersfield Town, as well as Miyoshi and Sakamoto, but the three players other than Inamoto spent their time training in the Netherlands and Belgium, which are considered development leagues in Europe, before joining the Championship.
Sakamoto pointed out the unique intensity of England as a point of caution for players who have never transferred overseas and are stepping up directly from the J-League to the Championship. “The Championship doesn’t have VAR (Video Assistant Referee), so (fouls) happen out of sight, and especially for forwards, there are often fights that are so bad that you think ‘it would be terrible if there was VAR,’ so you’d better be careful not to get injured,” he said, reflecting on the physical rigors of the game based on his own experience.
“(Hitting the opponent with your hands or elbows) is something that happens very often. On the other hand, in the defensive league it’s all about tactics to irritate the opponent. You can’t win just by playing cleanly. Until last year I was always getting beaten, so I think I need to start using those kinds of tactics too,” he said with a sense of self-reflection.
However, he emphasized that it is still a good environment for growing as a soccer player, saying, “This is a tough league with a lot of games and high intensity. If I can get results here, I can show my worth to Europe.” He also said, “I think you should study English. I’ll study with you too (laughs),” expressing regret for coming to England without learning English beforehand.
