Joel Chima Fujita: Who is the St. Pauli and Japan international midfielder?
Joel Chima Fujita has joined St. Pauli from Belgium's Sint-Truiden ahead of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season. Read on for more on what Der Kiezkicker are getting with the Japan international midfielder...
Stats correct as of 2 July 2025
Joel Chima Fujita
Age: 23 (born 16 February 2002)
Club: St. Pauli
Position: Defensive midfielder
Country: Japan (three caps)
Key stats
Fujita first moved to Europe in 2023 after winning J1 League and Supercup titles with Yokohama F. Marinos in his native Japan. The right-footer with Nigerian roots went on to make 63 competitive appearances for Belgian outfit Sint-Truiden, adding to his 139 outings at senior level with Yokohama, Tokyo Verdy and Tokushima.
Fujita also won AFC Asian and East Asian titles with the Japan U23s, paving the way for three senior international caps - his most recent coming in FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying in March 2025.
The 5'8" midfielder, who can operate as a No.6 and No.8, ranked in the 88th percentile for interceptions and 75th for clearances in the 2024/25 Jupiler League.
Plays a bit like: Wataru Endō
An energetic, industrious and tenacious shield in front of the defence, Fujita is a similar type of midfielder to Japan teammate and former VfB Stuttgart man Wataru Endo (now of Liverpool).
Did you know?
Fujita joins a long list of Japanese players past and present in the Bundesliga, but is set to become only the second to pull on the famous brown shirt of Pauli.
Kazuo Ozaki made six German top-flight apperances for the Hamburg-based club in 1998/89, having previously turned out in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 for Arminia Bielefeld.
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What they're saying
"Joel offers an exciting mix of footballing intelligence, dynamism and defensive presence. He’s technically gifted, extremely well coached and despite his young age has international experience. - Pauli sporting director Andreas Bornemann
"What I love about Joel is his courage and the clarity in his play. He’s a very lively player and has a good feel for the space. He intercepts balls and is neat and tidy in his passing." - Pauli head coach Alexander Blessin
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