Nakata: How Hidetoshi Nakata Put Japan on Football’s Map | OneFootball

Hidetoshi Nakata was a Japanese maestro who connected Asian and European football with elegance and flair. More than a footballer, he was a cultural pioneer, carrying the weight of a nation on his shoulders. He became the driving force behind Japan’s first World Cup appearance at France ’98. Nakata played 182 Serie A games for five clubs before retiring at 29 after a loan to Bolton Wanderers.

The Young Samurai of Kofu.

Born on 22 January 1977 in the quiet but mountainous city of Kofu, a 90-minute drive outside of Tokyo, Hidetoshi Nakata was raised by parents who lived a modest lifestyle; his mother was a homemaker and his father, a civil servant.

Hidetoshi, however, didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps. He joined his local youth football team at age 15 in 1992 and began making a name for himself. His intelligence on the ball and ability to make things happen on the pitch made him stand out from his teammates.

As the J-League had only just been founded in 1992, other players alongside Nakata were already imitating their favourite players from the division. But, for him, this was not the case, as he studied foreign leagues and players, visualising and manifesting that one day he would play in European stadiums.

In 1995, at the age of 18, he was offered the chance to play in the J-League as Bellmare Hiratsuka came calling for his services. He quickly established himself as a first-team regular, a creative midfielder that was known for his vision, passing range, and maturity beyond his age.

Just months after he arrived at Bellmare Hiratsuka, Nakata was part of the team that won the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup in 1995 as they beat Al Talaba of Iraq 2-1 in the final, and this still stands as one of Bellmare’s biggest achievements in the club’s history. This showed that even as a teenager, he was instantly trusted in continental competition.

Across three years with Bellmare Hiratsuka, from 1995 to midway through the 1998 season, Hidetoshi Nakata played 121 times for the club across all competitions and scored 21 goals, 16 of them coming in the J-League. His most prolific season was his debut campaign, where he scored 10 goals and helped the club win a continental trophy.

Leading Japan’s Rise.

In 1996, as a Bellmare player, Nakata first represented Japan at the Atlanta Olympics. He most notably was part of the Japan team that played in the “miracle of Miami” as they beat Brazil 1-0, who had a team containing the likes of Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, and Bebeto. Alongside this, Nakata provided an assist in a win over Hungary and scored a goal in a 3-2 loss to Nigeria, which meant they were eliminated despite the win over Brazil.

A year later, in 1997, aged just 20 years old, Nakata was called up by the Japanese national team for the first time for a final round World Cup Qualifier against Asia’s then dominant force, South Korea. The Samurai Blue lost the game 2-1, but Nakata’s performance proved to be a silver lining, as many observers recall his maturity and technical class.

Despite the loss, and still playing in the J-League, Nakata became a core figure in Japan’s midfield, and within months, he was the team’s primary playmaker. He showed consistency with exquisite passing ability and amazing composure. All his technical ability and prowess would come into play in Japan’s biggest ever match on November 16, 1997.

In Johor Bahru, Malaysia, Japan faced Iran as both teams finished on the same points in the qualifying group stage, meaning this game would decide one of Asia’s spots at the 1998 World Cup in France. Iran led 2-1 going into the final minute of normal time before Nakata hit an inch-perfect cross into the box for Shoji Jo to equalise in the 90th minute.

This took the game to extra time, in which Nakata grabbed the game by its horns and in the 7th minute of added time, he took a long-range effort that was parried by the Iranian goalkeeper. However, the ball fell kindly to Masayuki Okano, who slotted home, and his goal turned out to be the winner and sent Japan to their first ever FIFA World Cup.

A game now known throughout Japan as the “joy of Johor Bahru”, it sparked nationwide celebration. Nakata was hailed as the hero, as these two assists made him directly responsible for Japan’s qualification for their first-ever World Cup tournament.

This led to Hidetoshi being the creative heartbeat of Japan’s campaign at France 98. Drawn in a tough group featuring Jamaica, Croatia, and Argentina, they lost all 3 games and scored only one goal; however, their first-ever goal scored at a World Cup was, of course, assisted by Hidetoshi Nakata in a 2-1 loss to Jamaica.

His technical finesse under pressure, along with his purposely dyed blonde hair to attract European scouts, stood out in a team that was naïve and had very little belief. Japan had a global footballing star on its hands.

European Dreams Do Come True.

France 98’ allowed Nakata to introduce himself to a global stage of football supporters, as prior to the World Cup, teams and players in Japan were completely unheard of by Western football culture.

His performances during the tournament earned him a move away from the J-League. Italian Serie A club Perugia signed him from Bellmare Hiratsuka for $4 million—a major sum for a Japanese player at the time. Nakata was only the second Japanese player to sign for a Serie A club after Kazu Miura, valued as both a footballing talent and a commercial asset.

Nakata’s debut came against defending champions Juventus. He took the game in his stride and looked a natural as he scored twice in a statement win, putting in a classy individual performance as he revealed himself to Italy and to the world.

His performances across the season for Perugia didn’t go unnoticed, as he scored 10 goals in 33 matches in the league. Media from around the world were talking about this Japanese prodigy who’d taken Europe by storm and demonstrated that talent from Asia could thrive in elite footballing competitions.

In two seasons, he had made himself one of Serie A’s most entertaining and exciting midfielders. This led to January 2000, when AS Roma, one of Italy’s biggest clubs, came calling and secured the signature of Hidetoshi Nakata.

18 months later, in May of the 2000-2001 season, he and AS Roma lifted the Scudetto for the first time in almost 20 years as the team won the league title at the expense of the ever-present Juventus. Across the title-winning season, Nakata contributed three goals and nine assists, including a 30-yard bullet against Juventus. As well as assisting the equaliser in a thrilling comeback against The Old Lady, playing a crucial role in the team.

In July 2001, fresh after a title win with Roma, Nakata joined Parma for £19 million, making him the most expensive Asian footballer ever at the time. Nakata earned his second piece of Italian silverware in his first season with the club as they won the Coppa Italia. Nakata, once again, a thorn in Juventus’ side, scored an away goal in a 2-2 draw, as they beat them on away goals in the final, drawing 3-3 over two legs.

2002 Homecoming.

The final came just 21 days before the upcoming 2002 FIFA World Cup, which was being held in South Korea and Nakata’s home nation of Japan. He was 28 years old and at the peak of his powers, playing for a top European club, and was by far Japan’s most prominent footballer.

So, national team coach Phillipe Troussier, of course, made the decision to call up Hidetoshi Nakata to the squad for the upcoming World Cup. Japan was drawn in a group alongside Belgium, Tunisia, and Russia. Sporting the number 7 shirt and in front of Japanese nationals eager to see their European star man play, he appeared in all four of Japan’s games in the tournament.

He assisted the winning goal in the second group game in a 1-0 win against Russia, as well as scoring Japan’s second goal in a 2-0 win over Tunisia, sending them through to the round of 16 for the first time ever. Japan cruised through unbeaten, as they won their group with seven points.

In the round of 16, they were pitted up against European heavyweights Turkey, the Blue Samurai lost the game 1-0, but the national team’s efforts and Nakata showcasing that a Japanese player could play at the highest level raised his profile even further in Europe, cementing himself as one of Japan’s greatest ever footballers.

The Show Goes On, but Not for Long

After the tournament, Nakata continued life at Parma, hoping to continue establishing himself as one of the top Asian players in Europe. But, in early 2004, Nakata was struggling for playing time at the club and to get more minutes, he was sent on loan to fellow Serie A side Bologna, where he finished off the 2003-2004 season playing 17 games and scoring 2 goals.

He departed Parma at the end of the season in May 2004 after returning from Bologna. He made 68 appearances across three seasons for the club, scoring seven goals and gaining nine assists during a spell that was hindered by injuries.

In July 2004, he joined another Italian club, this time in Florence with Fiorentina. He spent a season with the club, helping them stabilise in Italy’s top division after their recent promotion. In one campaign with the club, he scored four goals and assisted six goals before being loaned out to England, where he would play for Bolton Wanderers.

The loan move to Bolton in the 2005-2006 season was the Japanese international’s first and only stint outside of Italy and Japan.

Bolton, managed by Sam Allardyce at the time, aimed to strengthen their midfield as they hoped to qualify for European competition. Across the season, playing alongside Jay-Jay Okocha, he scored one goal for the Trotters and got three assists in the Premier League, which was a lot more physically demanding than the Serie A.

Redefining Retirement.

This loan spell marked the final chapter of Hidetoshi Nakata’s career, as he shocked the world and retired in July 2006 at the age of 29. He retired early due to the fact that he didn’t feel motivated to compete at the top level anymore, and he said he achieved everything he wanted to from football.

After retirement, he embarked on a journey across all 47 prefectures of Japan, and he did this as a student, not an ex-professional footballer. He met with local artists and learnt traditional crafts, immersing himself in his homeland. He also launched his own sake label and collaborated with UNESCO on preservation initiatives.

The Legacy of a Legend.

As a footballer in numbers, he made 77 appearances for Japan, scoring 11 goals along the way, played in three World Cups, and lifted a Serie A title and Coppa Italia title.

But his real impact is what he did for Japanese football; he inspired a generation of footballers to come to Europe and thrive, such as Shinji Kagawa and, even more recently, players such as Takefusa Kubo.

He made it acceptable for a footballer to be elaborate and have personality; he cared about his style and did what he wanted to when he wanted to. He exited the game on his own terms.

Hidetoshi Nakata didn’t just play football; he bridged cultures and carried Japan onto a stage it had never been on before.