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Former Koln winger Kazuki Nagasawa is looking forward to the new experience of returning to Japan with Urawa Reds, after the latter announced his signing on Thursday. The 24-year-old has made 11 top flight appearances with the Bundesliga outfit over two years and will be loaned to JEF United Chiba for the 2016 season. “I realised that I needed t…

Defender Makoto Kakuda set himself the target of helping relegated Shimizu S-Pulse back to the first division in one year, after joining the club permanently on Friday. The 32-year-old began the 2015 MEIJI YASUDA J1 League season at Kawasaki Frontale but arrived at S-Pulse on a half-season loan in August. The outfit - who were subsequently relegated -…

The Japan Football Association on Friday confirmed Wataru Endo and Takuma Asano will be included in Japan’s squad for the upcoming AFC Under-23 Championship in Qatar. Japan have been drawn with North Korea, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia in the group stage of the tournament, which will serve as Asian qualifiers for the 2016 Rio Olympics. The announc…

Yohei Nishibe put his return to Shimizu S-Pulse on Wednesday down to fate. The former Kawasaki Frontale goalkeeper rejoined the side he left in 2010, after a separate spell at Shonan Bellmare. “I think that coming back to the club at this point in time is fate,” Nishibe commented. The 35-year-old will team up with his old side as they a…

Nagoya Grampus Under-18 striker Seiya Kitano has thanked the club after signing with Polish club Pogon Szczecin. The 18-year-old will join fellow countrymen Takuya Murayama and Takafumi Akahoshi - the latter a former J.League player - at the first-division side. “I want to thank my staff, coaches, teammates, and supporters at the academy for the…

Ventforet Kofu on Tuesday announced the full transfer of defender Shohei Abe to JEF United Chiba. The 32-year-old, who began his career at Nagoya Grampus for eight seasons, finished his second campaign at the Yamanashi outfit with one goal in 33 appearances. “Thank you for these two years,” Abe commented. “I’ve experienced many…

Ryuji Bando intends to help turn Omiya Ardija into worthy MEIJI YASUDA J1 League title contenders, declaring his ambitions after the club renewed his contract. The 36-year-old scored five goals in 22 appearances for the NACK5 Stadium residents, contributing to their MEIJI YASUDA J2 League win and subsequent promotion to the top flight. But the veteran…

The J.League on Tuesday agreed to revive the J.Satellite League following a meeting of the league’s board of directors. The Satellite League, which last ran in 2009, is intended to provide an opportunity for J1 clubs to develop players aged 18 to 23. Vegalta Sendai, Kashima Antlers, Kawasaki Frontale, Yokohama F. Marinos, Shonan Bellmare, Albire…

Sanfrecce Hiroshima narrowly missed out on a spot at the Club World Cup final after River Plate defeated them 1-0 in the semi-finals on Wednesday. A sole Lucas Alario strike was enough to propel the South American giants to a win over their Japanese counterparts, where a potential clash with European treble winners Barcelona awaits. Sanfrecce more tha…

The J.League on Tuesday announced format changes to its competitions for the 2016 season, including a key correction to the J1 promotion play-off final. Previously held at a neutral stadium, the match will now take place at the home stadium of the finalist with the best record in the regular MEIJI YASUDA J2 League season. In the 2015 promotion play-of…

The J.League this week announced that Gamba Osaka, FC Tokyo and Cerezo Osaka will be allowed to field their Under-23 teams in the 2016 MEIJI YASUDA J3 League. The decision by the league’s board of directors is intended to promote the development of younger players and provide them with more playing opportunities. The youth sides will not be elig…

FC Tokyo on Tuesday announced the sale of defender Kosuke Ota to Holland’s SBV Vitesse Arnhem. The 28-year-old spent four seasons at Tokyo, and was selected in the J.League Best Eleven for the 2014 season. “It was a difficult decision to leave the city I love, but at my age this may be my last chance to challenge myself overseas,” Ot…

The J.League on Tuesday announced that the schedule for the 2016 J.League as well as the 2016 Yamazaki Nabisco Cup will be released in January. The home opener schedule for J1, J2, and J3 League teams will be announced on January 13, while the full schedule for all three divisions will subsequently be released on January 28. The first stage of the 201…

The J.League on Tuesday announced details for the 2016 Fuji Xerox Super Cup, which will be contested by J.League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima and the winners of the Emperor’s Cup. The match will take place on Saturday, February 20 at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. Should Sanfrecce do a domestic double and win the Emperor’s Cup, their opponen…

Tsukasa Shiotani spoke of the renewed confidence Sanfrecce Hiroshima have in themselves, as they gear up for a Club World Cup semi-final clash with River Plate. In addition to being a pillar in defence for Hajime Moriyasu’s side who have yet to concede, Shiotani has also got up the other end to get on the scoresheet, one each against Auckland City …

After watching Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s 3-0 Club World Cup quarter-final victory over TP Mazembe, manager Hajime Moriyasu is confident his side can find a way past any opponent. The win over the African champions was preceded by a 2-0 result against New Zealand side Auckland City, with the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League winners setting up an encounter with Ri…

Toshihiro Aoyama says Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s Club World Cup fate is in their own hands, and does not believe there are any limits to their potential. The captain has freshly come from winning the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League to guiding his side to a semi-final appearance against River Plate. And after watching the way Sanfrecce have overcome Auckland C…

Yokohama FC on Friday announced a newly-formed business partnership with Vietnamese club HAGL FC. The agreement will see the two clubs cooperate in the development of players and staff, as well as the advancement of marketing opportunities in their respective regions. As part of the agreement, midfielder Nguyen Tuan Anh will join Yokohama on a one-yea…

Thespa Kusatsu Gunma on Friday announced that former J.League legend Amaral will join the team’s coaching staff beginning in 2016. The Brazilian first came to Japan in 1992, guiding Tokyo Gas FC (now FC Tokyo) from the Japan Football League to the top flight. Amaral – aptly nicknamed the ‘King of Tokyo’ – would go on to m…

Sanfrecce Hiroshima continued their Club World Cup march with an excellent 3-0 win in the quarter-finals against TP Mazembe on Sunday. After matching the blows of the African champions in Osaka, Hajime Moriyasu’s men took the lead through Tsukasa Shiotani a minute before half time, prodding in Sho Sasaki’s flick-on. Sanfrecce kept composed…