Japanese midfielder who became one of the brightest stars in Japanese soccer, being named the 2002 Asian Footballer of the Year and representing his home country at the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. He has won league titles with clubs like Feyenoord, the Urawa Red Diamonds and the Western Sydney Wanderers. He was raised in the Shizuoka Prefecture. At age 18, he was the youngest Japanese player at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
