Japan Football Association President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto has set his sights on placing more Japanese players in the English Premier League.
Speaking to Asian Football Confederation delegates in Tokyo on Wednesday, Miyamoto framed England's top division as the ideal stage for developing elite talent.
He noted that nine Japanese players currently feature for Premier League clubs, with another eight competing in England's second division.
Despite that presence, the association wants to push those numbers higher by encouraging more players to pursue opportunities in England, according to remarks reported by The Associated Press.
Miyamoto: England Offers the Best Environment
Miyamoto explained the reasoning behind the strategy during the AFC seminar and regional meeting.
"We have nine players who are playing for Premier League clubs and also eight players are playing for second division clubs," he said.
"But still, we would like to send more players to the English Premier League because the league offers the players the best environment to become top-class players.
That's our aim."
A former defender who captained Japan at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, Miyamoto has placed overseas player development, particularly in England, among the association's stated priorities.
The Tokyo gathering also coincides with FIFA President Gianni Infantino's travels across Asia as he seeks support for a fourth term.
The election is scheduled for March, with prospective opposition candidates given until November 18 to declare their candidacies.
No challengers had filed by the time of the report.
The AFC has 47 member associations, giving the region a potentially important role in the vote involving FIFA's 211 member federations.
Support across Asia appears divided, according to an Associated Press tally, while Europe has largely opposed Infantino and Africa has offered broad support.
Qatar, which hosted the 2022 World Cup, has publicly backed Infantino, while Jordan has declared its opposition.
The AP tally found that 87 FIFA member federations had indicated support for him through individual comments or endorsements issued by their regional confederations.
Infantino's campaign has faced opposition following controversy over a proposed $4.2 billion World Cup sell-off plan that was subsequently scrapped.
Last week, he apologized to FIFA's 37-member ruling council in Zurich, Switzerland, for "mistakes" made in assembling the proposal.
Infantino was expected to attend the AFC's two-day meeting in Tokyo, although he was not listed among the summit's official speakers.
The closing address on Thursday was scheduled to be delivered by AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa.
The meetings were largely closed to media, with the conference streamed on the AFC's YouTube channel.
