Japanese Women Footballers Playing Abroad (2026-27): Full List of WSL, NWSL and Europe Players
Japan has become one of the biggest exporters of talent in women’s football. In the WSL alone, almost every top club now has at least one Japanese player, and most of the Nadeshiko Japan squad plays its club football overseas.
This guide lists the main Japanese women footballers playing abroad in the 2026-27 season, club by club. For each player you will find her career path in Japan – the youth club, academy or university she came through – which is information that is mostly only available in Japanese.
Written by a former player who spent 15 years in Japanese women’s football. Last updated: November 2026.
Quick list: Japanese players in the WSL (2026-27)
| Club | Players |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | Yui Hasegawa, Risa Shimizu, Aoba Fujino, Ayaka Yamashita, Aemu Oyama |
| Manchester United | Hinata Miyazawa |
| Chelsea | Maika Hamano |
| Liverpool | Fuka Nagano, Mao Itamura |
| Everton | Honoka Hayashi, Rion Ishikawa, Hikaru Kitagawa, Yuka Momiki |
| West Ham United | Riko Ueki, Yu Endo, Saki Kumagai |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Kiko Seike, Moeka Minami |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Toko Koga |
| Aston Villa | Maya Hijikata |
England – Women’s Super League (WSL)
Manchester City
Yui Hasegawa (長谷川唯) – Midfielder
- Born: 29 January 1997
- Career path: Nippon TV Beleza → AC Milan → West Ham United → Manchester City
The heartbeat of City’s midfield and one of the best holding midfielders in the world. She came through Nippon TV Beleza’s youth system, the same academy that produced several of her City teammates.
Risa Shimizu (清水梨紗) – Defender
- Born: 15 June 1996
- Career path: Nippon TV Beleza → West Ham United → Manchester City → Liverpool (loan, 2025-26) → Manchester City
An energetic full-back who loves to get forward, while staying reliable in defence. She returned to City after a season on loan at Liverpool.
Aoba Fujino (藤野あおば) – Forward
- Born: 27 January 2004
- Career path: Nippon TV Beleza → Manchester City
A quick, direct forward with sharp dribbling and a good finish. One of the most exciting young attackers in the Japan squad.
Ayaka Yamashita (山下杏也加) – Goalkeeper
- Born: 29 September 1995
- Career path: Nippon TV Beleza → Manchester City
Japan’s experienced number one. Known for her reflexes and for organising the back line.
Aemu Oyama (大山愛笑) – Midfielder
- Born: 19 September 2004
- Career path: Nippon TV Menina (Beleza academy) → Nippon TV Beleza → Waseda University → Manchester City (2025, loan spell at FC Rosengård)
A technical playmaker often compared to Hasegawa. She became the youngest scorer in WE League history at 17, then went to Waseda University before signing for City in January 2025.
Manchester United
Hinata Miyazawa (宮澤ひなた) – Midfielder
- Born: 28 November 1999
- Career path: Nippon TV Beleza → Mynavi Sendai → Manchester United
Golden Boot winner at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. An attacking midfielder who is involved in goals and assists.
Chelsea
Maika Hamano (浜野まいか) – Forward
- Born: 9 May 2004
- Career path: INAC Kobe Leonessa → Hammarby (Sweden) → Chelsea → Tottenham (loan, Jan–May 2026) → Chelsea
Pace, a soft first touch and composure in front of goal. She scored the winning goal in the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup final.
Liverpool
Fuka Nagano (長野風花) – Midfielder
- Born: 9 March 1999
- Career path: Mynavi Sendai → North Carolina Courage (USA) → INAC Kobe Leonessa → Liverpool
A tidy, intelligent midfielder who started every match at the 2023 World Cup.
Mao Itamura (板村真央) – Attacking midfielder
- Born: 6 August 2006
- Career path: JFA Academy Fukushima → Feyenoord (Netherlands) → Liverpool (2026)
Named 2025-26 Women’s Eredivisie Player of the Year before joining Liverpool in the summer of 2026. Her main strength is dribbling.
Everton
Honoka Hayashi (林穂之香) – Midfielder
- Born: 19 May 1998
- Career path: Cerezo Osaka Sakai Ladies → AIK (Sweden) → West Ham United → Everton
A hard-working defensive midfielder with good passing and tactical understanding. In December 2025 she scored the winner that ended Chelsea’s record 34-match unbeaten run in the WSL.
Rion Ishikawa (石川璃音) – Defender
- Born: 4 July 2003
- Career path: Urawa Reds Ladies → Everton
A centre-back who reads the game well and is strong in one-on-one duels and in the air.
Hikaru Kitagawa (北川ひかる) – Defender / Midfielder
- Born: 10 May 1997
- Career path: Urawa Reds Ladies → Albirex Niigata Ladies → INAC Kobe Leonessa → BK Häcken (Sweden) → Everton
An attacking left-sided player known for overlapping runs and accurate crosses.
Yuka Momiki (籾木結花) – Midfielder
- Born: 9 April 1996
- Career path: Nippon TV Beleza → OL Reign (USA) → Linköping (Sweden) → Leicester City → Everton (2025)
A creative player with an eye for goal, now often used deeper in midfield.
West Ham United
Riko Ueki (植木理子) – Forward
- Born: 30 July 1999
- Career path: Nippon TV Beleza → West Ham United
A striker with clever movement in the box and a powerful shot.
Yu Endo (遠藤優) – Defender
- Born: 29 October 1997
- Career path: Urawa Reds (youth to senior) → West Ham United
An attacking right-back who was named in the WE League Best XI before moving to England.
Saki Kumagai (熊谷紗希) – Defender
- Born: 17 October 1990
- Career path: Urawa Reds Ladies → Eintracht Frankfurt → Lyon → Bayern Munich → Roma → London City Lionesses → West Ham United (Sept 2026)
Japan’s long-time captain and a 2011 World Cup winner. She won five consecutive Champions League titles with Lyon and helped London City Lionesses win promotion before joining West Ham.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Kiko Seike (清家貴子) – Defender / Forward
- Born: 8 August 1996
- Career path: Urawa Reds Ladies → Brighton (2024)
A fast, direct player who scored a hat-trick on her WSL debut and can play at full-back or further forward.
Moeka Minami (南萌華) – Defender
- Born: 7 December 1998
- Career path: Urawa Reds Ladies → Roma → Brighton (2025)
A centre-back who is strong in duels and in the air.
Tottenham Hotspur
Toko Koga (古賀塔子) – Defender
- Born: 6 January 2006
- Career path: JFA Academy Fukushima → Feyenoord (Netherlands) → Tottenham Hotspur (July 2025)
At 173 cm, a physical and versatile defender who can play centre-back, full-back or defensive midfield.
Aston Villa
Maya Hijikata (土方麻椰) – Forward. A regular for Villa who earned a place in Japan’s 2026 Asian Cup squad.
Italy and Germany
Remina Chiba (千葉玲海菜) – Forward – Juventus
- Born: 17 April 1999
- Career path: University of Tsukuba → JEF United Chiba Ladies → Eintracht Frankfurt → Juventus (July 2026)
A sharp, clinical striker who scored regularly in Germany before joining Juventus on a contract until June 2028.
Momoko Tanikawa (谷川萌々子) – Midfielder – Bayern Munich
- Born: 7 May 2005
- Career path: JFA Academy Fukushima → FC Rosengård (Sweden) → Bayern Munich
A midfielder with range of passing and goals in her game. She was the top scorer in Sweden before moving to Bayern.
USA – NWSL
Mina Tanaka (田中美南) – Forward – Utah Royals
- Born: 28 April 1994
- Career path: Nippon TV Beleza (youth and senior) → INAC Kobe Leonessa (incl. loan to Bayer Leverkusen, Germany) → Utah Royals
A natural goalscorer and a key Japan forward for many years.
Narumi Miura (三浦成美) – Midfielder – Utah Royals
- Born: 3 July 1997
- Career path: Nippon TV Beleza → North Carolina Courage → Washington Spirit → Utah Royals (2026)
Wears the number 10 at Utah. A tenacious, neat passer who keeps the midfield ticking.
Jun Endo (遠藤純) – Forward / Midfielder – Angel City FC
- Born: 24 May 2000
- Career path: JFA Academy Fukushima → Nippon TV Beleza → Angel City FC (2022)
A quick, skilful attacker who contributes both goals and assists.
Hina Sugita (杉田妃和) – Midfielder – Angel City FC
- Born: 31 January 1997
- Career path: INAC Kobe Leonessa → Portland Thorns → Angel City FC (Sept 2025)
A central midfielder who combines defensive work with good distribution.
Other Japanese players abroad (November 2026)
- Miyabi Moriya (守屋都弥) – Defender, Utah Royals (USA)
- Shinomi Koyama (小山史乃観) – Midfielder, North Carolina Courage (USA)
- Uno Shiragaki (白垣うの) – Defender, North Carolina Courage (USA), joined from Cerezo Osaka in March 2026
- Chika Hirao (平尾知佳) – Goalkeeper, Granada (Spain)
- Shu Ohba (大場朱羽) – Goalkeeper, Rangers (Scotland), joined from Nippon TV Beleza in summer 2026
Where do Japan’s overseas stars come from?
Looking at the career paths above, three pipelines stand out:
- Nippon TV Beleza (Tokyo) – Hasegawa, Shimizu, Fujino, Yamashita, Oyama, Miyazawa, Ueki, Momiki, Miura and Mina Tanaka all came through Beleza or its academy, Menina, and Jun Endo moved there from the JFA Academy. Beleza is the closest thing Japan has to a “La Masia” for women’s football.
- Urawa Reds Ladies (Saitama) – Kumagai, Seike, Minami, Ishikawa, Kitagawa and Yu Endo. Urawa has become a major exporter to England in the last few seasons.
- JFA Academy Fukushima – the Japan FA’s own boarding academy, where players live and study together from junior high school age. Tanikawa, Koga and Itamura all went straight from the academy to Europe, and Jun Endo and goalkeeper Shu Ohba are also academy graduates.
Another recent trend is players moving abroad straight after university or even high school, instead of first establishing themselves in Japan’s WE League. Oyama (Waseda University) is a good example.
Want to know more about how these players are developed? Read our guide: How Japan Develops Women Footballers: The Pathway from Primary School to the WSL.
Summary
With around 20 Japanese players in the WSL and many more across Europe and the USA, there has never been an easier time to watch Nadeshiko Japan stars every week. Ahead of the 2027 Women’s World Cup, these are the players to follow.
This list is updated whenever there is a major transfer.
