A fascinating new seven-part City Studios series on Manchester City’s five Japanese stars will be launched in the coming weeks.
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Women's Team
The numbers behind Yui Hasegawa’s Etihad Player of the Season award](https://www.mancity.com/news/womens/yui-hasegawa-2024-25-stats-etihad-player-of-the-season-63883269)
Boasting one of the most exciting young national teams in world football and several established stars who are thriving on the world stage, Japanese football is on the rise once again.
And City are reaping the benefits of that growth, with five Japanese players currently on the books at the Joie Stadium.
Yui Hasegawa was first through the door in 2022, with Risa Shimizu, Ayaka Yamashita and Aoba Fujino following in the summer of 2024.
Aemu Oyama, a precocious young talent looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow midfielder and two-time Ballon d’Or nominated Hasegawa, then joined in January 2025 to complete our quintet.
Our Japan contingent have all experienced different highs and lows on their respective journeys to City, but all five are connected by their shared playing time back in Japan at Tokyo Verdy Beleza.
Featuring intriguing interviews with the players, their family members and former coaches alike, “Tokyo to Manchester” explores that bond and delves into the challenges that adapting to a new culture, language and lifestyle.
Find out more about the series via the video above…