Daichi Kamada's move to Crystal Palace will take the number of Japan players who will have featured in the Premier League to 14 once he has appeared in a match. The 27-year-old midfielder, who has reunited with Oliver Glasner, his former head coach at Eintracht Frankfurt, is set to be the fourth active Japanese player on the books of 2024/25 Premier League clubs.
Here we look at players from Japan, both past and present, who have graced the Premier League:
Junichi Inamoto
Debut: 17 August 2002 v Bolton
The defensive midfielder first arrived in England as an Arsenal loanee from Gamba Osaka during the 2001/02 campaign, but made no Premier League appearances for the Gunners. The next season Inamoto did make his English top-flight debut, but on loan at Fulham, where he scored an historic winner at Old Trafford. He stayed at Craven Cottage until 2004 when he joined West Bromwich Albion on a permanent deal. He made a total of 66 Premier League appearances.
Kazuyuki Toda
Debut: 18 April 2003 v Man City
Toda's stay in the Premier League proved short. Signed on loan by Tottenham Hotspur from Shimizu S-Pulse in January 2003, the midfielder made only four appearances for Spurs, and never played a full 90 minutes.
Hidetoshi Nakata
Debut: 18 September 2005 v Man City
Nakata, the first Asian Football Confederation player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or, spent the 2005/06 campaign on loan at Bolton Wanderers from Serie A side Fiorentina. He made 21 appearances, scoring one goal and providing two assists. Nakata's season in the Premier League proved to be his last, retiring upon the conclusion of the campaign.
Ryo Miyaichi
Debut: 11 February 2012 v Wigan
Arsenal signed the winger Miyaichi after he impressed on a trial in the summer of 2010. He did not feature in the Premier League, however, until his loan to Bolton in 2011/12, during which he appeared 12 times. Miyaichi went out on loan again the next season, this time to Wigan Athletic, making four substitute appearances. Before leaving Arsenal permanently in 2015, he did manage one top-flight appearance for the Gunners, in a 3-1 win against Stoke City.
Maya Yoshida
Debut: 15 September 2011 v Arsenal
Yoshida was a centre-back who played for Southampton for eight years from 2012. He amassed 154 Premier League appearances, still the most for a Japanese player, including 37 clean sheets. He was a key figure of Ronald Koeman's 2015/16 team that finished sixth to secure European football.
Shinji Kagawa
Debut: 20 August 2012 v Everton
Attacking midfielder Kagawa was signed by Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund in 2012. He appeared 38 times over two seasons at Old Trafford, playing under Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes and Louis van Gaal before rejoining Dortmund in 2014. He became the first Japanese player to collect a Premier League winners' medal as Man Utd claimed the 2012/13 title.
Shinji Okazaki
Debut: 8 August v Sunderland
Okazaki joined Leicester City from Mainz in 2015 and stayed for four years. The forward made 114 top-flight appearances for the Foxes, missing only two matches during their historic 2015/16 title-winning campaign, in which he netted five goals, including a spectacular overhead kick against Newcastle United.
Yoshinori Muto
Debut: 11 August 2018 v Spurs
Signed by Newcastle United from Mainz in 2018, the forward appeared 25 times for the Magpies, scoring one goal, before a loan to Spanish team Eibar in 2020. Muto eventually returned to his home country in 2021, where he plays for J1 League champions, Vissel Kobe.
Takumi Minamino
Debut: 23 January 2020 v Wolves
Minamino moved from RB Salzburg to Liverpool in the January 2020 transfer window, appearing 10 times as the Reds won the Premier League title that season. But 12 months later, he was loaned out to Southampton. He remained at Anfield for a further season, before signing for Monaco in 2022. In total, Minamino made 40 Premier League appearances, registering six goals.
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Debut: 11 September 2021 v Norwich
Versatile defender Tomiyasu joined Arsenal from Bologna in 2021. The 25-year-old signed a contract extension in 2024 which will keep him at Emirates Stadium until the summer of 2026. He has so far made 64 Premier League appearances for the Gunners, the fourth-highest in the competition by a Japanese player, behind Inamoto, Yoshida and Okazaki.
Kaoru Mitoma
Debut: 13 August 2022 v Newcastle
Tricky winger Mitoma joined Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021 from Kawasaki Frontale. He was loaned out to Belgian side Union SG for the 2021/22 campaign, before returning for a breakout Premier League season the following year. Mitoma has become an integral part if Brighton's team, and has 19 goal involvements in 52 appearances for the Seagulls.
Wataru Endo
Debut: 19 August 2023 v AFC Bournemouth
Liverpool’s defensive midfielder was a 2023 summer signing from Stuttgart. Endo was a crucial part of the Reds' title challenge during Jurgen Klopp’s last season, making 29 Premier League appearances and scoring one goal.
Daiki Hashioka
Debut: 2 March 2024 v Aston Villa
Hashioka joined Luton Town in the 2024 January transfer window as Rob Edwards looked to shore up the Hatters' defence. The 25-year-old appeared 10 times for Luton prior to their relegation back to the Championship.