Best players from Japan

The highest-potential players from Japan, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

T. Kubo of Real Sociedad is the standout for raw talent across players from Japan, with a Field Insider Rating of 80.6, and A. Ueda has been the form player this season, grading 80.9.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: R. Kojima has improved his Season rating most, up +58 on last season, while Y. Suzuki's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +28 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, T. Kubo of Real Sociedad is the most valuable name in this group at 148.3.

SC Freiburg · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

R. Kojima+58SsN

Kashiwa Reysol · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

#	Player	Team	Age	Season	Rating
1	T. Kubo Central midfielder	Real Sociedad	25	4066.7%	813.5%
2	K. Sano Defensive midfielder	NEC Nijmegen	22	5755.2%	809.9%
3	Z. Suzuki Goalkeeper	Parma	23	36172.9%	796.7%
4	Y. Suzuki Attacking midfielder	SC Freiburg	24	2646.8%	7954.6%
5	K. Sano Central midfielder	FSV Mainz 05	25	4629.5%	797.1%
6	J. Fujita Defensive midfielder	FC St. Pauli	24	474.9%	7521.8%
7	S. Mito Attacking midfielder	Sparta Rotterdam	23	44104.2%	7410.1%
8	Y. Sugawara Full-back	Werder Bremen	26	22112.9%	710.6%
9	A. Seko Centre-back	Le Havre	26	3731.3%	7133.3%
10	T. Fukui Defensive midfielder	Arouca	22	4651.1%	687.4%
11	A. Ueda Centre-forward	Feyenoord	27	81198.5%	660.8%
12	Keito Nakamura Centre-forward	Reims	25	526.4%	6516.6%
13	K. Kita Centre-back	Real Sociedad II	20	29	65
14	K. Saito Centre-forward	QPR	24	2022%	652%
15	T. Miyashiro Central midfielder	Las Palmas	26	4324.4%	6416.5%
16	R. Dōan Attacking midfielder	Eintracht Frankfurt	28	4029.2%	6420.2%
17	K. Matsuki Attacking midfielder	Southampton	23	1412.9%	6432.3%
18	R. Yamamoto Defensive midfielder	St. Truiden	24	54299.3%	6425.5%
19	I. Sakamoto Attacking midfielder	KVC Westerlo	22	318.8%	636.7%
20	K. Goto Centre-forward	St. Truiden	21	4686.3%	6339.2%
21	H. Matsuda Defensive midfielder	Hannover 96	22	22160.7%	6353.3%
22	H. Akiyama Central midfielder	SV Darmstadt 98	25	3710.2%	6217.1%
23	S. Machino Centre-forward	Borussia Mönchengladbach	26	1763.1%	6218.1%
24	A. Tanaka Central midfielder	Leeds	27	2254.8%	6215.7%
25	H. Ito Centre-back	Bayern München	27	25427.7%	617.4%
26	T. Ando Centre-back	FC St. Pauli	27	28	59
27	T. Nozawa Goalkeeper	Antwerp	23	164.1%	596.2%
28	L. Kokubo Goalkeeper	St. Truiden	25	22307.5%	580.9%
29	H. Sekine Full-back	Reims	23	3372.8%	589.8%
30	S. Fukuda Centre-forward	Karlsruher SC	22	19571.4%	5819.3%
31	D. Yokota Winger	Hannover 96	26	3032.9%	585.2%
32	Y. Hirakawa Attacking midfielder	Bristol City	25	124.2%	578.3%
33	S. Nakamura Attacking midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	23	32	57
34	T. Hata Central midfielder	St. Truiden	24	2798.5%	575.4%
35	R. Handa Full-back	Gamba Osaka	24	4666.1%	577%
36	K. Tani Goalkeeper	Machida Zelvia	25	4231.6%	565.4%
37	A. Suzuki Centre-forward	Shonan Bellmare	22	3919.4%	563.3%
38	Y. Tsunashima Centre-back	Antwerp	25	3522.4%	557.7%
39	N. Nakagawa Defensive midfielder	Kashiwa Reysol	24	28	55
40	K. Mitoma Attacking midfielder	Brighton	29	2057.3%	5528.6%
41	K. Hayashi Defensive midfielder	Machida Zelvia	25	3438.8%	544.6%
42	Y. Funabashi Central midfielder	Kashima	24	245875%	5425.1%
43	M. Hosoya Centre-forward	Kashiwa Reysol	24	3213.3%	540.7%
44	A. Uenaka Attacking midfielder	Yokohama F. Marinos	24	3294%	545.7%
45	D. Kamada Defensive midfielder	Crystal Palace	29	2744.3%	5413%
46	S. Tanaka Defensive midfielder	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	23	3238.9%	544.9%
47	K. Osako Goalkeeper	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	26	4652.8%	547%
48	H. Mochizuki Full-back	Machida Zelvia	24	3611.9%	532.6%
49	T. Yamaguchi Central midfielder	Kagoshima United	25	31	53
50	D. Matsuoka Central midfielder	Avispa Fukuoka	25	304.7%	531.3%