Eiji Kawashima Interview Former Japan National Team Player Talks About Working with Younger Teammates

Interview with Adversity
Four consecutive World Cups and 13 years in Europe
Legend is struggling in J2

“I always want to play in every match, whether it’s a league game or a cup game. This has never changed for me.”

Eiji Kawashima (42), the goal who was selected for the national team in four consecutive World Cups until 2022, is now facing a challenging season in J2.

After returning to Japan for the first time in 14 years last season, he played 32 matches for J1’s Jubilo Iwata. He was the starting goalkeeper, but the team was relegated to J2 after just one season. This season, as captain, he is determined to win the J2 title and return to J1 in just one year.

However, after back-to-back losses to V-Varen Nagasaki and Kataller Toyama in March, he was called by the new Australian coach, John Hutchinson (45), and informed that he would not be starting. Kawashima, fluent in English, reportedly communicated directly with the coach without an interpreter.

“I can’t say I agree with it, but the decision is up to the coach. All I can do is continue to work hard to be the kind of player the coach wants to start. If I’m in good condition, I believe the opportunity will come.”

Adversity is an opportunity for growth

Throughout his 24-year professional career, which began in 2001, there have been numerous challenges. During his time playing in Europe, there were many periods when he couldn’t get into the lineup, and in 2015 and 2023, he even experienced blank periods where he couldn’t stay with a team for a long time. Nevertheless, Kawashima has never wavered and has continued to move forward. He is truly a man worthy of being called a mental monster.

“Every time adversity strikes, I think of it as an opportunity for my own growth. At the moment, you may not understand the meaning of an event, but after two or three years, you’ll realize, ‘Ah, this is where it comes into play.’ If you sincerely face each moment, you’ll definitely grow both as a player and as a person.”

Kawashima realized this during his time at French Ligue 1 team Metz from 2016 to 2018. Despite reaching his long-term goal of playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues, he struggled to get playing time and endured the humiliation of playing in the reserve league.

“Most of the players there were young teens. I was 33, and I thought, ‘Why do I have to play with these younger guys?’ But facing players much younger than me helped me in the 2019 Copa América (South American Championship).”

At that time, the senior players in the Japanese national team were Okazaki (Shinji Okazaki, 38) and Gaku (Gaku Shibasaki, 32), with the rest being younger players like Take (Takefusa Kubo, 23), Kō (Kō Itakura, 28), and Tomi (Takehiro Tomiyasu, 26). Thanks to his experience with younger players in the reserve league, he was able to help create a good team. “I never felt like it was hard to work with them.”

Perhaps a lack of sensitivity is a necessary trait for top athletes.

“As for being insensitive, I can’t beat Yuto (Yuto Nagatomo, 38) (laughs). During the final qualifiers for the Qatar World Cup, Yuto was the only one on the national team who was not affiliated with any club. He raised his condition on his own and played in the match. It’s something that no one else could do. He still says he’s going to the next World Cup, and it’s truly amazing. The last ‘Bravo!’ after the Bahrain match, I didn’t really understand it though (laughs).”

What he left for the Japan national team

On March 20, the Japan national team secured their qualification for the 2026 North America World Cup with a win over Bahrain. Daichi Kamada (28), who scored the opening goal, and Takefusa Kubo, who netted the decisive goal, both expressed their gratitude towards Eiji Kawashima during the March international break.

Kubo said, “When I was struggling with my condition due to health issues during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, he stayed by my side, understood my feelings, and helped me in many ways,” speaking with a serious expression.

Kawashima laughed jokingly, saying, “Is that so? Daichi only complained about the Italian food and service we had in London”

Even though it’s been over two years since Kawashima left the national team, his presence remains immense.

Especially unforgettable is the meeting before the Spain match at the Qatar World Cup, where Kawashima poured out his passionate feelings about the team. The current members of the team still vividly remember it.

“I remember saying something like this isn’t the team that will end here, but I don’t recall the details. I’m the type of person who speaks based on my emotions at the moment.”

On the pitch, he remains calm and composed in guarding the goal, while also carrying intense passion for the game. This unwavering passion for soccer continues to drive Kawashima.

“I can’t retire in a perfect way.”

“I turned 42, but I no longer think about how long I want to play. At Jubilo, we have a goalkeeper coach, Yoshikatsu (Kawaguchi, 49), and training together has given me a lot of new insights. When we played together on the national team, we never really talked about techniques, so every day of training is stimulating.

As for retirement, there are people like Ken-chan (Kengo Nakamura, 44) who ended their careers perfectly, but I can’t do that. I don’t think too far ahead, I just want to work hard so I can keep growing.”

Having fulfilled the responsibility of being captain and regained the starting goalkeeper position, Kawashima, who is still highly trusted by the Japan national team, will likely see relegation to J2 as another opportunity for growth.

From the April 25 and May 2, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”