# Who is the best player in Japan national team history?

> The Samurai Blue have transformed from Asian football minnows to World Cup knockout-stage regulars in a single generation. From 1960s pioneers to modern Bundesliga stars, who is Japan's greatest?

*By YPB Team · Published May 22, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-player-in-japan-national-team-history*

---

## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Hidetoshi Nakata**
   Japan's trailblazer in European football, an elegant midfielder who earned Serie A title medals at Roma and Parma and elevated the profile of Japanese football globally.
2. **Kazuyoshi Miura**
   'King Kazu,' Japan's most iconic footballer, a charismatic striker who turned professional in Brazil and continued playing into his 50s, breaking records for longevity.
3. **Kunishige Kamamoto**
   Japan's all-time leading scorer and the team's first true star, a prolific forward who scored six goals at the 1968 Olympics and is considered the father of modern Japanese football.
4. **Shunsuke Nakamura**
   Technically gifted, elegant playmaker famous for his precise left foot and free kicks, who starred for Celtic and Reggina and delivered Japan's greatest World Cup qualifying moments.
5. **Keisuke Honda**
   Strong, technically excellent attacking midfielder who excelled at CSKA Moscow, AC Milan, and PSV Eindhoven, Japan's most assertive and successful modern-era big-club player.
6. **Shinji Kagawa**
   Intelligent, quick-thinking attacking midfielder who starred for Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United, widely regarded as Japan's greatest technical footballer of the Premier League era.
7. **Makoto Hasebe**
   Japan's most capped player and long-serving captain, a defensive midfielder of exceptional composure who enjoyed a 15-year career at the top of the Bundesliga.
8. **Yoshida Maya**
   Commanding, experienced centre-back who captained Japan for many years and competed at the top level in England, Italy, and the Netherlands.
9. **Takumi Minamino**
   Energetic, hard-working forward who played for Liverpool and Monaco, a reliable goalscorer and pressing machine who thrived at the highest level in Europe.
10. **Ritsu Doan**
   Creative, explosive winger who excelled at PSV Eindhoven and Freiburg, delivering crucial World Cup goals and establishing himself as one of Asia's best modern players.
11. **Gamba Inamoto**
   Enterprising attacking midfielder who became the first Japanese player to score a goal in the English Premier League and was a key figure for Japan around the 2002 World Cup.
12. **Naohiro Takahara**
   Powerful, clinical striker who scored 12 goals in 60 international appearances and enjoyed stints in the Bundesliga, a consistent performer at the highest level.
13. **Seigo Narazaki**
   Japan's most reliable goalkeeper for a decade, producing outstanding performances at the 2002 World Cup co-hosted on home soil and in multiple Asian Cup tournaments.
14. **Daisuke Matsui**
   Creative, technically gifted playmaker who starred in Ligue 1 for several years and was a key performer for Japan in the 2010 World Cup where they reached the round of 16.

Tags: sports, football, players, japan, legends, national teams