Former Japan, Celtic star Nakamura to retire at 44

Oct 19, 2022 | News On Japan

Oct 19, 2022 (AFP) - Former Japan international and Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura will retire from football at the end of the season, his club said yesterday, bringing the curtain down on his 26-year career.

The 44-year-old midfielder was a Scottish champion three times and played at two World Cups.

“In my long football career I have had many struggles and setbacks, but there was always someone who supported me and pushed me forward,” Nakamura said in a statement.

“I was able to fight as a football player because I had so much support,” he said.

Nakamura did not give any details on the decision to retire, but local sports papers cited injuries to his right ankle. Famed for his lethal set-piece deliveries with his left foot, he is still fondly remembered in Glasgow for a stunning free-kick that helped Celtic beat Manchester United in the Champions League in 2006.

Japan Introduces Stricter Penalties for Drunk Driving

Japan began applying a new numerical alcohol threshold for dangerous driving offenses on July 21, introducing a clearer standard for cases involving impaired driving that could lead to fatal accidents.

Japan Sets Investment Strategy

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government approved its first annual basic economic and fiscal policy on Tuesday, pledging "responsible and proactive fiscal policy" and envisioning about 370 trillion yen in public- and private-sector investment in strategic industries through fiscal 2040.

Japan Scrambles for Oil

A covert network of shuttle tankers is carrying crude through the increasingly dangerous Strait of Hormuz as renewed fighting between the United States and Iran disrupts shipping and raises concerns over how Japan will secure the oil it needs.

Russia Calls Japan-Ukraine Drone Cooperation a Clear Hostile Act

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has criticized moves by Japanese and Ukrainian companies to cooperate on drone technology, warning that such ties would be regarded by Moscow as a "clear hostile act."

Rainy Season Ends in Kanto-Koshin

The rainy season ended in the Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions on July 20 as strengthening high pressure brought intense heat across Japan, with temperatures forecast to reach 38 C in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, and Kofu.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sports NEWS

Giant Pickleball Center Opens in Japan

Japan's largest pickleball facility has opened in Higashiizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, with 20 courts available by reservation as the town seeks to establish itself as a leading destination for the fast-growing sport.

Tourists Pack Asakusa Sumo Stable

Foreign tourists are filling an interactive sumo show venue in Tokyo’s Asakusa district, where former wrestlers introduce the basics, rules and history of the sport in English as Japan’s traditional pastime enjoys growing popularity at home and abroad.

Koshien Rivals Rally in High School Baseball Thriller

Waseda Jitsugyo held off a ninth-inning rally by Hachioji to win a first-round showdown between two schools with Koshien experience in the West Tokyo high school baseball tournament on July 10.

Japan Coach Says Day Will Come When National Team Wins World Cup

Japan national soccer team coach Hajime Moriyasu, captain Ko Itakura of Ajax, Daizen Maeda of Celtic, Yukinari Sugawara of Bremen and Japan Football Association President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto visited Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Yohei Matsumoto on July 8 following Japan's campaign at the FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.