Sayonara, 2023

2023 was the year of celebrations. 30 years for the J.League, born officially in 1993, and who filled so many moments with stories, joys, and plots to tell. And we needed protagonists and characters for those – and many of those say goodbye to the sport this Winter, including historical figures. 

Legends hung up their boots this season – from national team members to heroes from the lower leagues. We said goodbye to many legends – after already saluting many heroes in 2022, including our top pick, Tomoaki Makino and his unique profile, capable of having a blast of a career – between Hiroshima, Saitama, Kobe and even a European stint in Germany.

To select eleven figures – with the usual “10+1 format” we chose back in 2020 –, we looked through the retirements from this year and pitched this list. No time for honourable mentions, but so many players came close to being featured.

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• Kwoun Sun-tae (권순태)

11/09/1984, 2006-2023 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR), Sangju Sangmu (KOR), Kashima Antlers

It’s incredible how relevant he’s been for Kashima Antlers despite joining at 32 years old. He was the starting keeper of the first ACL won by the club, dethroned Hitoshi Sogahata (an absolute legend in Ibaraki), and then benched again Yuya Oki after his first development. Only this year, the South Korean goalkeeper hasn’t played. He’s one of the few to have won three AFC Champions League titles, and despite staying only seven years in Japan, he’ll stay with Kashima Antlers as a goalkeeping coach.

• Yuki Otsu (大津祐樹)

24/03/1990, 2008-2023 | Kashiwa Reysol (x2), Borussia Mönchengladach (GER), VVV-Venlo (NED), Yokohama F. Marinos, Júbilo Iwata

Between the 2011 J1 title run with Kashiwa Reysol and the Olympic Games in London, we saw some flashes of greatness. But it was clear soon that Otsu couldn’t make it in the national team – although he played twice for the national team. He’s been around in J.League, won some titles with Reysol, and ended up playing also for Marinos and Iwata – with whom he’s both won a league title. An entrepreneurial career is already waiting for him.

• Kosei Shibasaki (富田晋伍)

28/08/1984, 2007-2023 | Tokyo Verdy, Kawasaki Frontale, Tokushima Vortis, Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Honestly, I didn’t think of having him around, but his career has been nothing less than impressive for a guy who’s never played for the national team (although Zaccheroni called him up once in 2011). And until 2013, his profile wasn’t exactly on the rise – 4.5 years with Tokyo Verdy and 18 months at Kawasaki Frontale when they weren’t so good to watch. But then Shibasaki shone in the maiden J1 season by Tokushima Vortis.

Then he moved to Sanfrecce Hiroshima, where he stayed for a full decade. And with a declining Yojiro Takahagi, he’s been precious to be used as a no. 10 or no. 8. He maintained a wonderful shape – at 38 years old, he played 43 games in all competitions in 2022. He just retired, but he’ll remain as a training coach with Sanfrecce.

• Yuta Minami (南雄太)

30/09/1979, 1998-2023 | Kashiwa Reysol, Roasso Kumamoto, Yokohama FC, Omiya Ardija

One of the few guys who were still active who both played in the ’90s and who were born in the ’70s. You have to give it to Yuta Minami – he never went down to J3, playing mostly in J2 and having some seasons in the top flight with Kashiwa Reysol. Even now, in his 40s, he had his chances with Omiya Ardija to feature every Sunday, until opting to retire last October.

He’ll remain in history for many reasons. He’s one of the players with the most games in J2; he was the starter in the 1999 U-20 squad that almost won the World Cup; he’s one of the few keepers to have scored an own goal by throwing the ball after catching it. But it’d be unfair to remember him for that – he’s been through four decades of Japanese football (he won his only trophy with Kashiwa Reysol in 1999, the J.League Cup, won with Takahiro Shimotaira, the same coach who will manage him in Yokohama in 2019-2021).

• Shinji Ono (小野伸二)

27/09/1979, 1998-2023 | Urawa Red Diamonds (x2), Feyenoord (NED), VfL Bochum (GER), Shimizu S-Pulse, Western Sydney Wanderers (AUS), Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo (x2), FC Ryukyu

Surely he’ll be remembered as one of the best Japanese players ever – it’s not an accident if they called him “Tensai”, “genius”. No doubt about that – but he’s made a name for himself mostly out of Japan. A UEFA Cup with Feyenoord, an honourable stint in Germany, and the AFC Champions League won in Australia (probably the biggest feat of all). Throw in there as well the 2007 AFC Champions League with Urawa Red Diamonds… and it’s a lot.

Probably though his career lasted too long. Like Minami, Ono started in the ‘90s and he was born in the ‘70s, but his relevancy mostly ended in 2017. He had another season with at least 10+ games in 2020, but in J2 and with FC Ryukyu. After announcing his retirement, his final game – for Consadole against Urawa – was the best ending he could have asked for. Now he’s become the ambassador for his association, O.N.O (One Hokkaido Nexus Organizer).

• Junya Tanaka (田中順也)

15/07/1987, 2009-2023 | Kashiwa Reysol (x2), Sporting CP (POR), Vissel Kobe, FC Gifu

The best flashes of his career came early – in fact, Junya Tanaka was fundamental to bringing the first J1 title to Kashiwa Reysol. He was one of the pillars of their lone J1 title, before signing off towards Portugal, where he could have more luck, but he didn’t leave that much in 18 months.

He returned briefly to Kashiwa, before signing for Vissel Kobe, where he stayed for five years. And even there you could already see the best was already behind him – and besides Nelsinho, the “Galacticos” policy of Vissel didn’t help him find pitch time. So he moved to FC Gifu for a couple of years, and now he’ll stay at the club to become an ambassador.

• Shuto Yamamoto (山本脩斗)

01/06/1985, 2008-2023 | Júbilo Iwata, Kashima Antlers, Shonan Bellmare

It’s incredible how the guy who came from Morioka – from Iwate Prefecture, where football wasn’t still pro at the time – was able to play every single minute of his career in J1, and with two institutions of the game like Iwata and Antlers. To think that the Paget-Schrötter disease almost blocked his career before starting. And he was supposed to become an attacker, but then Yamamoto was converted to side-back with Iwata.

After 277 J1 games, one cap with Japan (in 2017, for the EAFF E-1 Championship), and having won all the Japanese club trophies, Yamamoto retired. The next step is easy: he’ll be back at Kashima Antlers, helping with scouting.

• Ryang Yong-gi (梁勇基)

07/01/1982, 2004-2023 | Vegalta Sendai (x2), Sagan Tosu

Here a small tear will rig our face, pardon us. Not only Ryang Yong-gi has been one of the best Zainichi football players in J.League history, but he turned into a landmark for Vegalta Sendai (becoming the captain of the team), and a constant presence in Japanese football. He also represented North Korea at the top level, playing two AFC Asian Cup editions and even scoring for the national team at the 2015 tournament.

Ryang Yong-gi played at Hannan University and, in 2004, he hoped to join a J.League club. JEF United Chiba were close to signing him, but everything fell through. Same happened with Kawasaki Frontale. Ryang was close to leaving Japan and trying his luck with the K-League, when Vegalta Sendai opted to sign him. Best decision ever from both sides, we have to admit.

A creative midfielder and a machine made of steel (he played 213 consecutive matches between 2008 and 2012), Ryang always hoped for a united Korea and was instrumental in supporting the zone hit by the tsunami in 2011, being also part of the famous game played between the Japan national team and the J.League All-Stars representative. His future? All is still up for grabs.

• Takuto Hayashi (林卓人)

09/08/1982, 2001-2023 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima (x2), Consadole Sapporo, Vegalta Sendai

Speaking of Vegalta Sendai and the mystical 2012 title run, you know who else hang his boots? Takuto Hayashi, who lost his starting spot at Sanfrecce Hiroshima for a while – with Keisuke Osako becoming the no. 1 there. Nevertheless, Hayashi remains a legend in the J.League, since he played more than 400 games in Japanese football. Hiroshima was a circle of life for him.

Hayashi started there, but in the first four years of his career, he hadn’t found too much space with the club. So he moved up North, joining Consadole Sapporo first and then Vegalta Sendai, with whom he became a Japan national team member. Then Sanfrecce welcomed him back in 2014 to win a J1 title and become one of the senators in Hiroshima. What comes next? Probably a role in the coaching staff for preparing the keepers.

• Yosuke Kashiwagi (柏木陽介)

15/12/1987, 2006-2023 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Urawa Red Diamonds, FC Gifu

And speaking of Sanfrecce, guess who comes next on our list? One player that could have been so much more, and yet he’s been a lot to witness. One of the most gifted Japanese midfielders ever, who could have made it in Europe with a different mindset. And who will bring with him the regret of not having taken his chance with the national team before other talents came forward.

Yosuke Kashiwagi was brilliant with Sanfrecce Hiroshima, and he’s been good with Urawa Red Diamonds, contributing to the rebirth of the team after some difficult years. He was on the rise with the national team, having played the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup and having collected as well 11 caps for Japan – including taking part into the winning expedition of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.

He’s won an AFC Champions League (of which he’s been nominated MVP in 2017), the two national cups, and he’s been into the J.League Best XI in 2016. Nevertheless, it feels like Kashiwagi’s career was already over 2-3 years ago. When Ricardo Rodriguez took over at Urawa Red Diamonds, Kashiwagi was let go to FC Gifu without looking back (and the Spanish manager probably did the right move).

But Kashiwagi lacked the discipline to succeed at a higher level – it’s not an accident if Urawa decided to let him go after two episodes, both throughout COVID, where the played didn’t respect rules around contacts in pre-season camps. His three years at FC Gifu honestly ran by without significant flashes, although Kashiwagi will remain at the club as an ambassador. He could have been so much more, and yet he’s been an important piece of the league for 15 years.

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If you want to see the lists of retirements from past years, please go here. To discover the number one, though, you must wait a little bit for a new article. Stay tuned.