Europe's cut-price raid on J.League talent exposes monetization gap
Spurs' 5m-pound deal for Kota Takai shows how Japan undervalues rising stars
Kawasaki Frontale's Kota Takai takes on Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo in the semifinal of the Asian Champions League in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on April 30. Takai's 5 million-pound transfer to Tottenham is the highest for a J. League player moving abroad. © Reuters
DAN ORLOWITZ
TOKYO -- Newly signed Tottenham center back Kota Takai isn't merely carrying high expectations as the Premier League's latest Japanese import: The 20-year-old's transfer fee of 5 million pounds ($6.7 million) is a record for a Japanese player moving abroad, breaking the 4.5 million pounds set by Kyogo Furuhashi when he moved from Vissel Kobe to Celtic in the summer of 2021.
The Yokohama native's transfer is being hailed as a watershed moment for the J.League (Japan Professional Football League) -- and in particular for Kawasaki Frontale, where Takai spent about a decade.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
2 hours ago
A Love of Ramen Unites Japanese of All Generations
A survey conducted by the restaurant information website Gurunavi of its users found that 85.1% of the respondents either 'like' or 'somewhat like' ramen, reflecting the widespread popularity of the dish in Japan. Women in their thirties and men in their fifties expressed the strongest support for ramen, at the level of 96%. The survey was carried out in mid-June, with responses from 1,300 individuals, aged 20 to 69. The survey also revealed that ramen is a regular treat for many, with 49.6% of the respondents saying that they have it at least once a month. Men in their fifties are particularly fond of treating themselves to ramen, with more than 60% enjoying at least one bowl a month. When asked about the appropriate price for an ordinary bowl of ramen, the two most common responses were '¥800-¥899' and '¥700-¥799,' cited by 31.5% and 24.8% of the respondents, respectively. Overall, 90% of all survey participants believed that a bowl of ramen should cost less than ¥1,000. However, respondents in their twenties showed a greater willingness to pay higher prices, with 19.7% willing to spend over ¥1,000 for a bowl. When asked about the maximum they would spend on a bowl of ramen, 57.7% of all respondents said '¥1,000.' However, the trend among those in their twenties was quite different, with 58.4% saying they were willing to pay more than ¥1,000. The results show that for the younger generation ramen is viewed as a dish worth spending money on, rather than just a cheap and convenient meal. (Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)
Nikkei Asia
3 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Isuzu to build test course for self-driving trucks in Japan's Hokkaido
An Isuzu Giga self-driving truck. (Photo by Nikkei) SOTA TANAKA TOKYO -- Isuzu Motors will spend roughly 7 billion yen ($47.1 million) to construct a test course for autonomous driving in fiscal 2027, President Shinsuke Minami said in an interview with Nikkei. The facility, to be built at the Japanese truck maker's Hokkaido testing grounds, will simulate urban driving to improve the precision of Isuzu's self-driving technology. The course is slated to begin use in fiscal 2027.
Nikkei Asia
5 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Japan's ispace envisions profitable lunar missions despite setbacks: CEO
Takeshi Hakamada, CEO of ispace, says the startup will become profitable by increasing lunar landers' payloads. (Photo by Katsuya Miyao) KATSUYA MIYAO TOKYO -- Despite two successive failures to land a lunar probe on the moon, Japanese startup ispace has not deviated from its plans to commercialize lunar transportation. Founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada explained to Nikkei its roadmap for the future and spoke on the challenges facing his company in developing and attaining its goals.
