Former Celtic winger Koki Mizuno still keeps a close eye on the Hoops, especially with four Japanese talents having joined the club over 21-22.
Mizuno, who was signed by Gordon Strachan in 2008, had a difficult spell in Glasgow. Often blighted by injury, the winger – who’s still playing – didn’t get too many opportunities in Strachan’s team.
However, he did add to what was then a flourishing Celtic supporting scene in Japan. With Shunsuke Nakamura having left a significant imprint on that Hoops side, adding Mizuno to the mix directly from the J League was a smart move.
And Mizuno, who was interviewed in the Celtic View‘s most recent issue, identified a point in time where Japanese interest in Celtic really blossomed. Not only that, he’s said the Japanese players at Celtic now can set an even more impressive precedent for the future.
Mizuno said [Celtic View, Volume 57, Issue 3, page 67]: “Celtic were on TV every week because Nakamura was always of interest.
“After I joined the club, Celtic got even more attention because there were two Japanese players together. Then, when I scored against Falkirk with Nakamura assisting me, it was huge.
“Now, there are four Japanese players at the club and the attention on Celtic here is more than in my day. Nakamura was big for me as I wanted to follow his steps. I hope Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi will be creating good steps for the next Japanese players who want to play for Celtic.”
Japanese interest in Celtic is surely at an all-time high
Although Shunsuke Nakamura is an absolute one-off, social media engagement alone shows how impactful Celtic are in Japanese sporting culture just now.
Since starting a Twitter account specifically targeting Japanese Celtic fans was a good idea. The account Celtic FC JPN has nearly 50k followers at the time of writing. The interest is huge.
But let’s reflect on what Koki Mizuno said there; a goal against Falkirk really raised the profile of Celtic in Japan? Perhaps the Japanese footballing public aren’t aware of the stature of the Bairns. But seeing Nakamura set up Mizuno against anyone was clearly a significant moment.
As for Mizuno himself? What a shame it didn’t work out better for him at Celtic.
On the ball, he looked like the typical exciting winger that Bhoys fans love. Never shy taking on players, skilful and courageous, he should really have made more of a dent in Glasgow.
Still, at least he has cult hero status. The streets won’t forget, as they say.
Mizuno is now at Hayabusa Eleven, still just 36. He and Nakamura blazed a trail at Celtic, and it’s one that supporters are absolutely delighted with today.
Read more: Why summer’s transfer window could be most exciting yet for Celtic supporters
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