The Most Famous

SOCCER PLAYERS from Japan

This page contains a list of the greatest Japanese Soccer Players. The pantheon dataset contains 21,273 Soccer Players, 4,192 of which were born in Japan. This makes Japan the birth place of the most number of Soccer Players.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Japanese Soccer Players of all time. This list of famous Japanese Soccer Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Japanese Soccer Players.

1. Takashi Kasahara (b. 1918)

With an HPI of 72.94, Takashi Kasahara is the most famous Japanese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 49 different languages on wikipedia.

Takashi Kasahara (笠原隆, Kasahara Takashi; born 26 March 1918) was a Japanese football player. He played for the Japan national team.

2. Tameo Ide (1908 - 1998)

With an HPI of 70.30, Tameo Ide is the 2nd most famous Japanese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 50 different languages.

Tameo Ide (井出多米夫, Ide Tameo; November 27, 1908 – August 17, 1998) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.

3. Kakuichi Mimura (1931 - 2022)

With an HPI of 70.08, Kakuichi Mimura is the 3rd most famous Japanese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 52 different languages.

Kakuichi Mimura (三村恪一, Mimura Kakuichi; 16 August 1931 – 19 February 2022) was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for the Japan national team.

4. Ko Arima (b. 1917)

With an HPI of 69.77, Ko Arima is the 4th most famous Japanese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 49 different languages.

Ko Arima (有馬洪, Arima Kō; born August 22, 1917) is a Japanese former football player. He played for Japan national team.

5. Yukio Tsuda (1917 - 1979)

With an HPI of 69.56, Yukio Tsuda is the 5th most famous Japanese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 50 different languages.

Yukio Tsuda (津田幸男, Tsuda Yukio; August 15, 1917 – April 17, 1979) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.

6. Masao Ono (1923 - 2001)

With an HPI of 69.55, Masao Ono is the 6th most famous Japanese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 50 different languages.

Masao Ono (大埜正雄, Ono Masao; March 2, 1923 – February 11, 2001) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.

7. Jiro Miyake (1900 - 1984)

With an HPI of 69.43, Jiro Miyake is the 7th most famous Japanese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 50 different languages.

Jiro Miyake (三宅二郎, Miyake Jirō; ? – November 30, 1984) was a Japanese football player. He played for the Japan national team.

8. Usaburo Hidaka (b. 0)

With an HPI of 69.43, Usaburo Hidaka is the 8th most famous Japanese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 51 different languages.

Usaburo Hidaka (日高卯三郎, Hidaka Usaburō) was a Japanese football player. He played for the Japan national team.

9. Hiroaki Sato (1932 - 1988)

With an HPI of 69.31, Hiroaki Sato is the 9th most famous Japanese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 51 different languages.

Hiroaki Sato (佐藤弘明, Satō Hiroaki; February 5, 1932 – January 1, 1988) was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team.

10. Kunishige Kamamoto (1944 - 2025)

With an HPI of 69.20, Kunishige Kamamoto is the 10th most famous Japanese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 60 different languages.

Kunishige Kamamoto (釜本邦茂, Kamamoto Kunishige; 15 April 1944 – 10 August 2025) was a Japanese football player, manager, and politician. He won the bronze medal with the Japan national team at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals, and is the all-time leading goalscorer for Japan. Kamamoto served as the Vice-President of the Japan Football Association from July 1998 to July 2008. In 2005, he was inducted in the Japan Football Hall of Fame. He also served as a member of the House of Councillors between 1995 and 2001.

People

Pantheon has 4,238 people classified as Japanese soccer players born between 1891 and 2004. Of these 4,238, 4,090 (96.51%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Japanese soccer players include Ko Arima, Takashi Furukawa, and Akira Kitaguchi. The most famous deceased Japanese soccer players include Takashi Kasahara, Tameo Ide, and Kakuichi Mimura. As of April 2024, 111 new Japanese soccer players have been added to Pantheon including Ryōya Morishita, Kōta Takai, and Leo Kokubo.