STORY: A whistle, a kick-off,
And the match is under way
a soccer friendly in Japan where all the players are aged 80 and above.
High-contact sports like this were once considered off-limits for older people given a risk of injury.
However, a third of this country’s population is 65 and up
and more active, relatively healthy older people are changing perceptions of what they are capable of.
Yukata Ito is part of the group that set up Tokyo’s senior soccer league over a decade ago, starting with just four teams with players over 60.
[Yutaka Ito, General Secretary, Soccer For Life]
‘We came up with an idea to have an over 80’s league last year, so it’s been growing year-on-year. I think it’s just like the structure of Japanese society. It may be an aging society, but people can still enjoy doing this kind of thing. I think it’s a really good example of this.’
This year’s season has 18 teams and that’s expected to hit 26 by the year 2026.
The average age of players in the three over-80 teams ranges between 82 and 84 years of age.
Shingo Shiozawa is the oldest man on the pitch
a 93-year-old former race car designer now goalkeeper for the White Bear team.
[Shingo Shiozawa, 93-year-old Goalkeeper]
It must be around 30 years since I was the goalkeeper in a match. More than 30 years. I was playing in other positions. It (the other positions) was a lot more painful. It was more painful than being a goalkeeper.’
The league’s expansion over the last two decades is an encouraging sign for Japan’s aging population.
In fact, the oldest professional in this sport
is none other than 51-year-old Kazuyoshi Miura,
Playing in the 3rd tier of European football in Portugal
At home in Tokyo, ex-professional soccer player, Mutsuhiko Nomura, is monitoring his blood pressure.
The 83-year-old has been playing the sport since he was 13 years old and is still going strong
something he finds surprising.
[Mutsuhiko Nomura, 83 Year-old Soccer Player]
‘When I was a child, men in their 50s and 60s were considered grandfathers. Nowadays, all of us are doing this (soccer) in our 80’s. It’s really quite a shock.’
He began his journey in middle school, playing in Japan’s top domestic league
He was in Hitachi Soccer Club, what is now known as Kashiwa Reysol,
before being drafted for the national team.
With the support of his family, Nomura now takes part in an over-80’s soccer league to keep fit
[Junko Nomura, Mutsuhiko Nomura’s wife]
‘One time he injured himself (while playing soccer) and he had to get a big surgery. But he got better and he’s back to his energetic self, even though he’s over 80. Personally, I think soccer is the best thing for his health.’
[Yutaka Ito, General Secretary, Soccer For Life]
‘People’s spirits and their physical health are being enriched. People are trying a lot of things so that’s why even if society ages, the elderly are healthy and this is a good direction to be headed in.’