Between the Lines

In the past 30 years football in Japan has evolved at an unprecedented rate.

From having no professional league and never appearing at a World Cup, the J.League is now one of the most keenly followed, best run, and eagerly scouted divisions in the world, the men’s national team is established as a regular challenger at international tournaments, and the nation’s women have enjoyed even greater success on the global stage.

The positives are plentiful, but not everything is perfect with the beautiful game in the land of the rising sun.

In Between The Lines, Sean Carroll takes you behind the scenes of the Japanese game, speaking to top players, coaches, and other insiders – including three former Samurai Blue managers – about their experiences of football in the country.

These conversations form a multi-layered appraisal – and occasional critique – of the sport and nation at large, with Carroll’s in-depth study asking where Japanese football finds itself, how it got there, and where a nation of such vast potential can go next.