Okazaki interviews, comments and pictures from the Japanese media

[Guest ttfn]

feed the jap and he will score!

Up there with the most incredibly stupid chants I've ever heard at a football match.

[Bamba's Babes]

Always comes out on 50-50 tangles with the ball. Brilliant player.

[davieG]

His goal reminded me of Lineker.

[Jordan]

Some players are all hustle and bustle, but Okazaki's so much more than that. He always makes himself useful.

He can press. He can mark men up front. He can track runners from the back. He can defend space. He can tackle. He can run behind the back line as easily as he can drop behind Vardy and play from deep. He can make perfect runs into the box. He can set himself up to take passes to hold the ball up. He can drag CBs to the wings. He can win balls in the air. He can score.

And out of all of these things he can do, he's always doing the right thing at the right time. He doesn't waste a second; he doesn't waste an inch.

He must be a joy to play with, and he must be a dream to manage.

[HitchinFox]

His goal reminded me of Lineker.

 

That's what I thought! 

[MC Prussian]

Just another important piece to our squad puzzle. His workrates are outstanding, works his socks off both on the forefront and further back in midfield.

He's a real fighter and that's the kind of player we ought to look out for in the market.

[Guest ttfn]

I'm surprised we didn't make more of an effort to sign him in January really.

[kushiro]

I can't wait to read what the press back in Japan write about him today/tomorrow.

 

His hair however, is absolutely abysmal. Love him already.

 

I can't wait either, Ric. But we'll have to because 3 pm kick offs in England finish at 1am Japanese time - too late for the Sunday morning papers. So on Monday morning I'll do a round up of the coverage as per the Sunderland game. There are several specialist sports newspapers here, broadsheet size, and while it's usually baseball on the front page, football sometimes gets the top story. I'm hoping Shinji might grab a few front pages this season.

[MC Prussian]

I know this is off-topic, but how is Yuki Abe doing back in Japan? Is he holding up well with Urawa Red Diamonds? Does he miss his time in England or does he regard his stint at Leicester a "mistake"?

[yuta]

I know this is off-topic, but how is Yuki Abe doing back in Japan? Is he holding up well with Urawa Red Diamonds? Does he miss his time in England or does he regard his stint at Leicester a "mistake"?

No.

Abe said it was a valuable experience.

He still playing full time.

[kushiro]

On the Japanese football threads Shinji is often called 'zakioka' (ザキオカ). It's the second half of his surname placed before the first. The Japanese can be very playful with language. There's also a lot of ribbing about him showing the first signs of a receding hairline. They're very sensitive to that here. Anyway, here's a small selection of comments:

 

"if only that volley had gone straight in!"

 

"typical of him to need two chances."

 

"he's stronger mentally than other Japanes players"

 

"clearly there's no ill feeling between him and Vardy"

 

"it's not just his touch, it's his movement too that's so good"

 

"he makes me proud of my thinning hair"

 

"If he got an afro it would be perfect"

[yuta]

Call him "Zakioka"　and  "Hairless"(That's meaning by Okazaki's　play style like Suárez and his hair)

[kyleolly]

could i ask the previous posters if you were offended by vardy's behaviour?

[kushiro]

could i ask the previous posters if you were offended by vardy's behaviour?

 

I'm from Wigston originally!  I'll copy my new members' introduction below. Reading the Japanese threads there is a lot of talk about Vardy. Some people feel quite strongly about his comments, and like on any thread there's a few nobheads making over the top remarks, but that's being drowned out by general delight at Shinji's performance and the way he and Vardy linked up.

[kushiro]

So, just to clear it up for the people thinking I'm Japanese (I'm flattered), here's my post in the new members' introduction section:

 

I'm a former Main Stand Enclosure then Double Decker regular who came to Japan in 2002 to follow England in the World Cup and basically never went home - just like all those Scots who are supposedly still roaming around Argentina cursing Ally Macleod and chanting 'We want our money back'.  I now teach at a university here and also do translation work.

 

I've seen only two City games in the last 12 years (Everton and Man U home last season) but now that Shinji's on our books the Japanese version of Sky are looking like they'll show all the games live. After seeing pictures of that amazing Union FS tifo last week, and being increasingly impressed with the cosmpolitan mood of the fans and this forum, I thought it might be interesting to translate and post stuff about Okazaki from the Japanese media. (Were any of those Scottish exiles doing that with Cambiasso coverage last season?).

 

Kushiro is where I live - on the Pacific Coast in the northern island of Hokkaido. The nearest professional football team is over 200 miles away - Consadole Sapporo. It's a small world, though - a couple of years back I was soaking myself in a hot spring bath in the remotest corner of the island when a guy with a Leicester accent turns up. Turns out he used to be a regular at the same pub as me -  The Pump and Tap (which has now gone the same way as Filbert Street, hasn't it?)

 

 

Edited 16 August 2015 by kushiro

[kushiro]

There are over 1,000 posts on a Japanese chat site's thread about Shinji's goal. It's massive here. Here's the word for Leicester:

レスター. Pronounced 'restaa'. No letter 'L' equivalent in Japanese.

Edited 16 August 2015 by kushiro

[foxes_rule1978]

There are over 1,000 posts on a Japanese chat site's thread about Shinji's goal. It's massive here. Here's the word for Leicester:

レスター. Pronounced 'restaa'.

Wow, he is fantastic that is for sure...

[yuta]

Okazaki is most interested by Japanese soccer fans now.

I watched todays game by NICONICO.(that's main is Anime and HatsuneMiku)

When he scored,it rise up many fans and comments.

[yuta]

Today's Newspaper in Japan!!!!

Edited 16 August 2015 by yuta

[ScouseFox]

yeassss shinj

[Master Fox]

What a player. What a man. Global superstar.

[volpeazzurro]

I think this is absolutely fantastic this thread and find it really interesting what is being said in the Japanese media, so thank you Kushiro and Yuta for keeping us informed. As for Shinji he has had a teriffic start, full of energy, incredible touches at times, teamplayer and now a goal. And so far, the little bits we hear about him an all round genuine and honourable person. All very positive .

[ScouseFox]

what a legend man he has already paid his transfer fee back in sheer effort and happiness

[davieG]

His smile is a great replacement for Nugent's

[weller54]

There are over 1,000 posts on a Japanese chat site's thread about Shinji's goal. It's massive here. Here's the word for Leicester:

レスター. Pronounced 'restaa'. No letter 'L' equivalent in Japanese.

Very apt.. Shinzy certainly never gives defenders any restaa!! Edited 16 August 2015 by weller54