8 Young J.League Players Who Play In Europe's Top League

Reo Hatate (Instagram @reo__1121)

JAKARTA - The Japanese League Competition or J.League is one of the best producers of young players from the Asian continent and currently many are playing in Europe's top league competitions.

Based on data compiled by Antara from the J.League, Friday, there are at least eight potential young players from Japan who are playing in Europe's elite competitions, both in the English League, Spanish League and Scottish League.

Here are some rising stars who have played in the J.League and are currently working in Europe's top leagues:

1. Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal) - 23 years old

Takehiro Tomiyasu is a 23-year-old Japanese national team player born in Fukuoka who is currently defending a big Premier League club, Arsenal.

Tomiyasu can play as both right-back and centre-back, and has been a mainstay of the Japanese national team since making his debut against Panama on October 12, 2018.

Tomiyasu made his J.League debut on July 13, 2016 against FCTokyo, then became one of the irreplaceable players in Avispa Fukuoka's squad until moving to Belgian League team, Sint-Truiden, in 2018.

Half a season at Sint-Truiden, he was then bought by Serie A team, Bologna, playing two seasons in the Italian League, before being bought by Arsenal in the summer of 2021.

2. Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton and Hove Albion) - 25 years old

Kaoru Mitoma was born in Oita and grew up in Kawasaki, Japan, and joined the youth academy of Kawasaki Frontale at U-10 level and made his debut in the Meiji Yasuda J1 League 2020 opener against Sagan Tosu.

In his first season, Mitoma recorded 13 goals and 13 assists in 30 appearances, the first J.League debutant to score double-digit goals and assists since 2014, in addition to helping Frontale win the Meiji Yasuda J1 League 2020.

Mitoma only spent a season and a half with Frontale, playing 61 times in all competitions with a record of 30 goals and 20 assists, before being signed by Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 2021.

Last season, Brighton loaned Mitoma to Belgian League club Union SG and returned to Brighton this season to play in the Premier League. Mitoma has also been a mainstay of the Japanese national team since making his debut on November 16, 2021 against Oman in the 2022 World Cup Qualification match.

3. Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) - 21 years old

Takefusa Kubo has attracted attention since he was young, joining Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, when he was 10 years old in 2011.

Four years in Spain, Kubo returned to Japan in the summer of 2015, joining FCTokyo's youth academy. Kubo made his professional debut with FCTokyo U-23 on November 5, 2016 at the age of 15 years, 5 months and 1 day.

The following season, on 15 April 2017, Kubo also listed himself as the youngest goalscorer in J.League history at the age of 15 years, 10 months, 11 days, scoring against Cerezo Osaka U-23 in a J3 League match.

Kubo was brought to Real Madrid in the summer of 2019, although he went on to loan spells at Real Mallorca, Villarreal and Getafe. This summer, Kubo officially moved permanently to Real Sociedad and will compete in the Spanish La Liga.

4. Ko Itakura (Borussia Monchengladbach) - 25 years old

Born in Yokohama, Ko Itakura joined Kawasaki Frontale youth academy as a 9-year-old and then broke into the first team in 2015.

Itakura then made his debut in the top tier of the Japanese League for Kawasaki Frontale on August 6, 2016 against Ventforet Kofu. In addition to Frontale, Itakura was also loaned to Vegalta Sendai throughout the 2018 season.

In total, Itakura played 22 times for Kawasaki Frontale and 32 times for Vegalta Sendai in all competitions, before being signed by Manchester City in January 2019, although he was immediately loaned to Dutch League club FC Groningen.

Last season, Itakura was loaned to German League club, Schalke 04, and this season he was officially brought in permanently by another Bundesliga club, Borussia Monchengladbach.

5. Hiroki Ito (VfB Stuttgart) - 23 years old

Hiroki Ito studied at the youth academy of Jubilo Iwata and made his debut in the senior team in 2018 against Shimizu S-Pulse and was briefly loaned to Nagoya Grampus, before two consecutive seasons with Jubilo Iwata again.

Earlier this season, Ito was officially made permanent by VfB Stuttgart from Jubilo Iwata and will return to play in the German League. Ito has also made his debut for the Japanese national team when he played in a friendly match against Paraguay, June 2, 2022.

6. Reo Hatate (Celtic) - 24 years old

Reo Hatate studied football at Shizuoka Gakuen High School and at Juntendo University before being recruited by Kawasaki Frontale in 2018 and making his J1 League debut on 7 December 2019 against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo.

He went on to play 75 times for Frontale, scoring 12 goals and providing 9 assists, bringing Frontale two J1 League titles, one Emperor's Cup and 1 Japanese Super Cup. Reo Hatate made his Japan national team debut against Vietnam in the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers on 29 March.

Hatate brought to Celtic in early 2022, and will still play in the Scottish League this season. He is not alone at Celtic, there are several other former J.League Japanese players who are also playing there with him now, namely Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Yosuke Ideguchi.

7. Mizuki Arai (Gil Vicente) - 25 years old

Unlike most Japanese players, Mizuki Arai actually made his professional debut in Europe, at Austrian League club SV Horn, in 2016 after studying at the youth academy of Kashiwa Reysol and Urawa Red Diamonds.

Arai then returned to the Japanese League in 2017 to play for SC Sagamihara, Kataller Toyama, and then moved to Tokyo Verdy in the summer of 2019.

This summer, Arai returned to Europe after being brought in by the Portuguese League's top caste team, Gil Vicente. In Japan, Arai has played a total of 11 times for SC Sagamihara, 36 times for Kataller Toyama and 65 times for Tokyo Verdy in all competitions.

8. Yukinari Sugawara (AZ Alkmaar) - 22 years old

Yukinari Sugawara is a right-back for the Japan national team who started his career at the youth academy of Nagoya Grampus and made his first team debut on 24 February 2018 against Gamba Osaka.

At that time, he was 17 years 7 months 27 days, becoming the second youngest player in J1 League history when he made his debut. Sugawara only lost to Junichi Inamoto who made his J1 League debut in 1997.

Sugawara is also the youngest player to sign a professional contract with Nagoya Grampus, the club he played for only a season and a half before moving to Europe with Dutch League side AZ Alkmaar.