Japan has long been a happy landing place for Australian footballers.
A plethora of Socceroos have either spent their playing days there, or moved into coaching in the J.League after hanging up the boots.
Ange Postecoglou and Kevin Muscat both coached there with great success at Yokohama F. Marinos.
But a plethora of Australians: including Graham Arnold, Steve Corica, Aurelio Vidmar, and current Socceroos coach Tony Popovic and assistant Hayden Foxe, plied their trade as players at Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
Funnily enough, current Japan boss Hajime Moriyasu was their captain.
“I couldn’t tell you exactly what was in the water there,” Foxe said ahead of Tuesday night’s World Cup qualifier against Japan at Saitama Stadium.
“But I look, I think we all had the same mentality, and we wanted to try and keep improving and keep developing every day as players.
“I really enjoyed the professionalism and the values that Japanese live and work by. We can learn a lot from their standards.
“When you join a club or a place like that environment, it’s very difficult to leave.
“I really enjoyed my time here.”
Australia have two players who currently play in the J1 League: striker Mitch Duke (FC Machida Zelvia) and Albiirex Niigata and former Urawa Reds defender Thomas Deng.
Defender Jason Geria spent three years at J2 League club JEF United Chiba.
“I actually drove past where I used to live, so it’s good to be back in the area,” Geria said.
“I really enjoyed my time here, and it’s a lot of good memories.
“Japanese people are really hospitable, really really accommodating, took really good care of me, and the football was really, really good for me.
“In my development, I learned a lot. I was challenged a lot, especially in the in the beginning. But I grew to adapt, and I really enjoyed it.
“If you work hard and you show that you’re willing to work for them, I think they’re gonna do the same for you.
“If you treat them with respect, they’ll accommodate you, as long as you you show that you’re willing to do whatever you can for them.”
Deng has also thrived in Japan’s meticulous footballing system.
“It’s the detail in everything that they do, every aspect, every one per cent, they’ll look for,” he told AAP.
“They’re very professional. They like everything to be in a particular way, and very disciplined as well.
“So that’s a big thing for them, and you can see that with the way they play.
“Everyone works hard, everyone expresses themselves, and overall they work for the team.”
Australia have never beaten the Samurai Blue in Japan and have won just seven of their 27 games (nine draws, 11 losses).
Technically brilliant Japan are a far-more well-credentialed side than the Socceroos on the world stage.
Geria points to Japan’s three-tier league and tremendous development system – he remembers Chiba having youth teams from the U9s upwards that trained four times a week.
“That development gap, I think, is going to grow if in Australia we’re only playing for six months and training maybe three times a week,” he said.
“The system they have is really good to produce really good players.”
Foxe, who points to Hiroshima as where he learned to be meticulously organised, also hailed Japan’s combination of development a strong league and a top national team.
“We can continue to learn from the Japanese, for sure. And I’m sure, in return, they can learn and develop from us as well,” he said.
“So you can see there’s already that interaction.
“The blend of being in Asia and being quite close, I suppose, compared to Europe, you know that we can keep developing together more not only as players, but also as coaches.”
But as of Tuesday night, Japan are the enemy.
Japan has been home for Deng since 2020, making Tuesday night’s World Cup qualifier a momentous occasion for him.
“It’s a really special game,” he told AAP.
“Actually. I think the last time we played against Japan, I was watching, I was in the stands.
“So this time to be on the pitch and being a player here for the last five years, there’s no better feeling.
“I’ve got so many friends, family that will be tuning in, and also teammates here from former clubs that are here that are really looking forward to it.”
He played with Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki at Urawa and has also played against Kaoru Mitoma and Daizen Maeda as well.
“I’m very familiar with some of them, and the way that they play the game as well,” he said.
“So I don’t think it’ll be anything surprising for me.”
Deng has played at Saitama Stadium at club level and knows the ground well.
But nothing can prepare you for a packed-out Saitama Stadium, full of Japanese fans chanting ‘Vamos Nippon’ over and over.
“It would definitely be hostile,” Deng said.
“The last time we played here was during COVID.
“So it’s gonna be a lot different atmosphere. so we’ve got to be expecting that.
“But it’s a beautiful stadium, the pitch is unbelievable and we’ve got every opportunity to get the three points.”
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