Ritsu Dōan and the Japan internationals to play for Eintracht Frankfurt
Following his switch to Eintracht Frankfurt, Ritsu Dōan will become the sixth Japan international to represent the Eagles. bundesliga.com runs you through the Samarai Blue alumni who have previously made their mark at Deutsche Bank Park.
Ritsu Dōan
Position: Winger
Bochum and Freiburg have alread enjoyed Dōan's talents in the Bundesliga, with his tricky feet and ball-striking causing all sorts of problems for opposition defences.
He has 27 goals in total, with 10 - a career high - coming last season, alongside seven assists, as Freiburg narrowly missed out on qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
Frankfurt qualified at their expense and Dōan now has the platform to display his ability against the best Europe has to offer.
Watch: All of Ritsu Dōan's Bundesliga goals
Daichi Kamada
Position: Attacking midfield
Frankfurt Bundesliga appearances: 127 (20 goals)
After impressing for Sagan Tosu, Kamada joined Frankfurt in 2017. He required a season-long loan with Belgium's Sint-Truiden in 2018/19 to prove he was ready for European football, and returned to Eintracht to not only become a key player, but a fan favourite.
Many of Kamada's best performances came in the UEFA Europa League - he managed 11 goals in 23 games in the competition - and he forever made his mark on the club by helping Frankfurt win the competition in 2021/22.
He left for Lazio in 2023 before being taken to English Premier League by Oliver Glasner - the coach who led the Eagles to that Europa League win.
Watch: All Daichi Kamada's Bundesliga goals and assists
Makoto Hasebe
Position: Centre-back/defensive midfielder
Frankfurt Bundesliga appearances: 235 (two goals)
Hasebe had already won the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg when he joined Frankfurt, from Nuremberg, in 2014. Little did anyone at the time know that the combative - and then 31-year-old - would go on to become a club legend.
Over the next decade, Hasebe won the DFB Cup and the Europa League, the latter of which came under his leadership as captain. He played his last Frankfurt match against RB Leipzig at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, becoming the oldest outfield player in German top-flight history aged 40 years and 121 days.
Only Robert Lewandowski and Claudio Pizarro have made more appearances in the Bundesliga amongst non-Germans.
Takashi Inui
Position: Winger
Frankfurt Bundesliga appearances: 75 (seven goals)
Inui spent 2011/12 with Bochum before moving to Hessen. The left-winger enjoyed a solid 2012/13 term, Frankfurt's first back in the Bundesliga, scoring six goals in 30 Bundesliga outings.
Chances were harder to come by the following term, but the 36-time Japan international featured on 27 occasions in the league in 2014/15 before making the move to LaLiga's Eibar.
After several years in Spain and a return to the Japanese J-League, Inui retired earlier this year.
Junichi Inamoto
Position: Defensive midfielder
Frankfurt Bundesliga appearances: 43
Frankfurt acquired Inamoto's services from Galatasaray in 2007, and he featured regularly for the club over the next two years. He made his debut in a 1-0 victory over Hertha Berlin, with his final game being a 2-0 defeat to VfL Bochum.
In 2009, Inamoto moved on to French side Rennes and only ended his career in 2024 at the grand old age of 44.
Naohiro Takahara
Position: Striker
Frankfurt Bundesliga appearances: 38 (12 goals)
Japanese involvement at Frankfurt started with Takahara, who arrived in 2006 having spent several years with Hamburg. There, he had struggled for consistency, but proved to be a shrewd signing for Eintracht.
In 30 2006/07 appearances, Takahara scored 11 goals, including a hat-trick against Alemannia Aachen. His exploits in front of goal helped keep Frankfurt in the Bundesliga as they finished six points above the bottom three.
After eight league outings the following year, the forward returned to Japan and continued playing until 2023.
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