Welcome to the J.League Hall of Fame, a resource that provides historical information on some of the top J.League players of years past. This section of the Rising Sun News is still incomplete. We are trying to expand the information gradually, in the hope that eventually it will provide a fairly thorough archive of all the players who have made a significant contribution to the J.League over the years.

In 2003, as the J.League celebrated its tenth anniversary, several players who had made important contributions to the league over its first decade finally decided to hang up their boots. In tribute to these players and the joy that they brought to millions of football fans in Japan, over the years, The Rising Sun News decided to set aside a special place where their memory could be preserved. This was the first incarnaton of our Hall of Fame, and it was a fairly small section with a very limited scope. However, while we did not take a particularly ambitious stance when we first created the section, and limited inclusions to a few dozen of the most well-known infividuals of their era, as time passed we began receiving a large volume of feedback from people who were looking for data on players who spent time in the J.League during the early years.

For that reason, in 2008 we decided to change the focus and scope of our Hall of Fame section, and we have begun adding to the archive on an ongoing basis. Initially, the selection of players to be commemorated here was restricted to individuals who had either played for their national team, or compiled a very extensive record of contributions for his club team. In response to requests, however, we are making an effort to expand the Hall of fame to include all players who played in the J.League for at least five years, or who made at least 100 match appearances.

To browse information on past players, scroll down past the introduction, to the links dividing the Hall of Fame entries by year. On each page within the Hall of Fame, you can find links that allow you to browse through the Hall of Fame entries according to year (the year that the player announced his retirement), and by team. At the moment, the links to each team are not operating. Once we finish compiling this information (probably a few weeks from now), we will put the team pages up.

Historical data takes a lot of time and effort to compile, and therefore we would greatly appreciate your help. Anyone who wishes to help add to this database can make a big contribution by compiling old data on past players, or writing breif historical summaries of their career. If you are interested, contact us at the e-mail address below. The current Hall of Fame contains data on all players who conclded their careers, or who moved to a non-professional club in 2005-08. There are also some pages on the more famous players who ended their careers prior to 2005. We hope to eventually expand the database to include ALL players who played for five years or made 100 appearances in the J.League.

One problem which arises in compiling this data is the fact that, recently, small amateur clubs have begun trying to build a professional team, and they have often managed to convince retired players with J.League experience to come out of retirement and play for their team. Some players even end up returning to the J.League two or even three years after they supposedly "retired". Perhaps the best example is Yasuyuki Moriyama, who left Nagoya Grampus and "retired" from football in 1994, but who then was instrumental in building FC Gifu into a J.League applicant. This year, Moriyama will return to professional football after an absence of 3 1/2 years, as FC Gifu joins the J2.

Because of this recent trend, it would be nearly impossible to maintain the database and keep information up-to-date, as players suddenly show up on a new team years after they "retired". For that reason, we will add players to the Hall of Fame as soon as they formally announce their retirement from the J.League, and leave them there even if they "un-retire" and rejoin the J.League. We will, of course, update their career statistics with information from the new team, and continue to do so until they stop playing professional football once and for all.

If you are interested in helping out with this ambitious effort, by providing data and historical information or by updating and revising the existing entries, please contact the Rising Sun News at the e-mail address below. Your contributions to our J.League Hall of Fame will help make this a truly valuable resource for everyone who is interested in Japanese football.

Send all questions, comments and queries to: