Japan's biggest European success stories

Sunday 11 February 2018

With Japan celebrating its national day, UEFA.com pays tribute to the Japanese players who have shaken up Europe, with Shinji Kagawa leading the way.

Shinji Kagawa tops the Japanese rankings in all four categories ©AFP/Getty Images

Most appearances by a Japanese player in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)
32: Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund, Manchester United)
31: Atsuto Uchida (Schalke)
19: Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic)
11: Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moskva)
11: Shinji Ono (Feyenoord)
10: Yuto Nagatomo (Internazionale)
7: Junichi Inamoto (Arsenal, Galatasaray)
6: Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg)
6: Yuya Kubo (Young Boys)
6: Shinji Okazaki (Leicester)
6: Takayuki Suzuki (Genk)

Top-scoring Japanese players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)
4: Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund, Manchester United)
3: Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moskva)
2: Yuya Kubo (Young Boys)
2: Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic)
2: Shinji Ono (Feyenoord)
1: Mike Havenaar (Den Haag)
1: Junichi Inamoto (Arsenal, Galatasaray)
1: Daigo Kobayashi (Stabæk)
1: Takumi Minamino (Salzburg)
1: Shinji Okazaki (Leicester)
1: Atomu Tanaka (HJK Helsinki)
1: Atsuto Uchida (Schalke)

Atsuto Uchida playing for Schalke©Getty Images

Most appearances by Japanese players in UEFA club competition*
52: Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund, Manchester United)
40: Atsuto Uchida (Schalke)
33: Hidetoshi Nakata (Perugia, Roma, Parma, Bolton)
32: Shinji Ono (Feyenoord)
31: Takayuki Seto (Astra Giurgiu)
25: Yuto Nagatomo (Internazionale)
24: Yuya Kubo (Young Boys, Gent)
22: Hidetoshi Wakui (Nõmme Kalju)
22: Shinji Okazaki (Stuttgart, Mainz, Leicester)
21: Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moskva)

Keisuke Honda in action for CSKA©Getty Images

Top-scoring Japanese players in UEFA club competition*
11: Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund, Manchester United)
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: Yuya Kubo (Young Boys)
4: Shinji Okazaki (Stuttgart, Mainz, Leicester)
3: Atomu Tanaka (HJK Helsinki)
2: Takumi Minamino (Salzburg)
2: Yuto Nagatomo (Internazionale)
2: Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic)
2: Yuya Osako (Köln)
2: Takayuki Seto (Astra Giurgiu)
2: Naohiro Takahara (Hamburg, Eintracht)

©UEFA.com

First Japanese player to win a UEFA trophy
Shinji Ono (Feyenoord 3-2 Borussia Dortmund, 2002 UEFA Cup)

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