Yuto NAGATOMO has been selected from Tokyo to join the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan national team) for international friendly matches against Mexico and the United States in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America. He traveled to the U.S. on Monday, September 1st, and is diligently training on-site in the host country for the upcoming matches. Wearing the blue and red number 5 jersey, who earned his first Japan national team cap in about two and a half seasons at the East Asian E-1 Football Championship in July, what is he thinking on American soil? Tomoo Aoyama, who continues to cover Moriyasu Japan, reports on his expressions and thoughts.
Yuto NAGATOMO has finally set foot in the United States, the host country of the tournament. Imagining the opening in June next year, he must be really excited──. On the first day of practice there, I went to the interview area thinking so and asked him some questions. However, his answers went far beyond what I had expected.
"First of all, the climate is absolutely perfect. Since I was just experiencing the intense heat of Japan, I thought this is the best climate for playing soccer. I already have a clear image of the tournament opening and even the experience of being there, so when I arrived here, I just thought, 'The climate is nice.' Now, all that's left is to fully demonstrate my own abilities."
He speaks calmly and matter-of-factly, without raising his tone. In previous Japan national team coverage, scenes where he passionately expressed his feelings for the team were impressive, but from the very first word, I sensed a different atmosphere than usual. The reason for this becomes clear from here.
There was one more thing I absolutely wanted to ask. I wondered if he wanted to try the outstanding performance he shows in blue and red on the stage of the Japan national team. I continued to ask Nagatomo the question.
"In my current condition, I can play properly for the national team. I believe I have regained the condition to say that with confidence. I am working on returning to the peak form I had during my time at Inter Milan, and I am gradually getting there. If I can raise it one or two more levels, I can show my best self. In my feeling, I think I can reach that state within about three months."
He had long said in Tokyo that "he is returning to the Nagatomo of the Inter era," but this was not a vague impression; it was confidence built on actual training including numerical data. A special team was formed to improve conditioning and performance with the aim of becoming the first Asian to participate in five consecutive World Cups. He will turn 39 on the 12th of this month, but he says with a fulfilled expression, "The load has been significantly increased. People might say it's not the load level for a 39-year-old, but my cells are quite lively and energetic, so I think I have been able to bring myself to a very good condition."
Those who have been continuously watching Tokyo will understand how well-conditioned he currently is and how aggressively he plays both offensively and defensively. Until the early part of this season, his defensive contributions stood out, but entering summer, his physical attributes such as speed and power, along with his offensive assertiveness, have shone through. The week before going to the US, he played full matches with only two days' rest between the 2025 Meiji Yasuda J1 League Sec. 28 Kyoto SANGA F.C. match and the Emperor's Cup quarterfinal against Urawa Reds. After the Urawa match, when asked about his age and accumulated fatigue, he replied, "There is no tightness in my legs at all. No problem."
Looking back, since his return to the Japan national team in March 2024, he had not been able to get playing time for about 1 year and 3 months under Moriyasu Japan. There was also an aspect of his return to the national team being expected to lift the team, which was down after the Asian Cup elimination, but in reality, there were many matches where he was left off the bench, and there was noise questioning whether he should be called up. However, he looked to the future, defied his age, improved his condition with overwhelming mental strength as his weapon, and has come back this far. That is why he can say this: from here on is the real deal.
The Japan national team has concluded its Asian battles, which continued from the final qualifiers to the E-1 Championship, and is now moving into a phase of testing its skills against the world in the main tournament. At the same time, Nagatomo's journey will also transition to a new stage.
"The stronger the opponent, the more I can demonstrate my abilities. The time has finally come for me to show my true strength. From here on, it's the phase to seize a regular spot. The phase of just boosting morale behind the scenes is over for me. Now I've entered the phase of taking a regular position, so I'm working on increasing the load and properly returning to the form I had during my time at Inter."
While calmly analyzing himself, an uncontrollable passion comes through in his words. Looking back, on the first day of practice in March 2023 when he made his return to the national team, he revealed an episode where he woke up at 5:00 AM because his "cells started to tingle" from being too excited. The word "cells," which appeared again after a long time, brought back memories of that time, so I asked him about the current state of those cells compared to back then.
"Just look at the way they appear on the pitch. The time has come to prove it. It's not for me to say, but I hope you can see the level of excitement."
Calmness born from confidence. The time has come to unleash the uncontrollable passion on the pitch. The sense of discomfort felt at the beginning of the interview was probably because the phase he must challenge has changed. From here on, the battle and the confidence he feels are solid and certain.
The first Asian to participate in five consecutive World Cups, securing a regular spot in Moriyasu Japan, and aiming for the top of the world, Yuto NAGATOMO's new battle once again begins on American soil.
(Honorifics omitted in the text)
Text and Photos by Tomoo Aoyama
