Who are Japan's most successful players in Europe?

Most appearances by a Japanese player in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)
33: Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund, Manchester United)
31: Atsuto Uchida (Schalke)
24: Takumi Minamino (Salzburg, Liverpool, Monaco)
23: Yuto Nagatomo (Inter, Galatasaray, Marseille)
19: Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic)
12: Atomu Tanaka (HJK Helsinki)
11: Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moskva)
11: Shinji Ono (Feyenoord)
10: Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg, Frankfurt)
10: Daichi Kamada (Frankfurt, Lazio)

Top-scoring Japanese players in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)
4: Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund, Manchester United)
4: Takumi Minamino (Salzburg, Liverpool, Monaco)
3: Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moskva)
3: Daichi Kamada (Frankfurt, Lazio)
2: Yuya Kubo (Young Boys)
2: Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic)
2: Takumi Minamino (Salzburg)
2: Masaya Okugawa (Salzburg)
2: Shinji Ono (Feyenoord)

Yukinari Sugawara has made 46 UEFA club competition appearances for AZ AlkmaarGetty Images

Most appearances by Japanese players in UEFA club competition*
56: Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund, Manchester United, PAOK)
54: Takumi Minamino (Salzburg, Liverpool, Marseille)
53: Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg, Frankfurt)
46: Yukinari Sugawara (AZ Alkmaar)
40: Daichi Kamada (Frankfurt, Lazio)
40: Yuto Nagatomo (Intern, Galatasaray, Marseille)
40: Atsuto Uchida (Schalke)
33: Hidetoshi Nakata (Perugia, Roma, Parma, Bolton)
33: Takayuki Seto (Astra Giurgiu, RFS)
32: Shinji Ono (Feyenoord)

Daichi Kamada in Champions League action for LazioGetty Images

Top-scoring Japanese players in UEFA men's club competition*
14: Daichi Kamada (Frankfurt, Lazio)
11: Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund, Manchester United)
11: Takumi Minamino (Salzburg, Liverpool)
6: Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic)
6: Yuya Kubo (Young Boys)
5: Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moskva)
5: Junichi Inamoto (Arsenal, Fulham, Galatasaray)
5: Shinji Ono (Feyenoord)
5: Hidetoshi Wakui (Nõmme Kalju)
4: Hidetoshi Nakata (Perugia, Roma, Parma, Bolton)
4: Shinji Okazaki (Stuttgart, Mainz, Leicester)
4: Atomu Tanaka (HJK Helsinki)

Shinji Ono celebrates Feyenoord's 2003 UEFA Cup final winGetty Images

Which Japanese players have won a major UEFA trophy?
Shinji Ono (Feyenoord 3-2 Borussia Dortmund, 2002 UEFA Cup)

Daichi Kamada and Makoto Hasebe (Frankfurt 1-1 Rangers, aet, Frankfurt with 5-4 on pens, 2022 UEFA Europa League final)

As yet, no Japanese players have featured in the European Cup/Champions League final, though Takumi Minamino was an unused substitute as Liverpool lost 1-0 to Real Madrid in the 2022 decider.

Frankfurt's Daichi Kamada (L) and Makoto Hasebe with the UEFA Europa League trophy in 2022AFP via Getty Images

*UEFA men's club competitions means European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, European/South American Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup

Last updated: 11/10/2023