Ultra Nippon: How Japan Reinvented Football

(, New edition)

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Description

As co-hosts of the 2002 World Cup, fooball in Japan has never been so much under scrutiny. In ULTRA NIPPON Jonathan Birchall examines the world of Japanese 'socca' which has attracted some of the biggest stars in the wolrd. Focusing on Shimizu S-Pulse, coached by Tottenham legend Steve Perryman, he looks how Japanese football is different from that of other countries (where else would the bins be divided between burnable and non-burnable rubbish) and how it is different from other sports in Japan. He has written a revealing and hugely entertaining portrait not just of a sport in new surroundings, but of an old country coming to terms with change.

Reviews

A highly readable account of the beautiful game [in Japan] - FHM

Wider in scope than a mere football odyssey ... An excellent read - Total Football

Once in a while a football book comes along that captures the imagination... This year looks likely to belong to ... ULTRA NIPPON ... A charming tale - FourFourTwo

A delightfully funny introduction to Japan - Time Asia

Buy only Jonathan Birchall's ULTRA NIPPON to understand how football works in Japan ... It is nicely paced, researched and well written - Sunday Times

A wry examination of the J-League ... Spot-on - Andrew Shields, Time Out

You don't need the slightest interest in football to enjoy this entertaining tale of how the professional game was established in Japan - Mail on Sunday

A surreal, enthralling journey through football [in Japan] - Scotland on Sunday

Author Bio

Jonathan Birchall has been BBC correspondent in the Far East for more than a decade and has written on sport and politics for the Financial Times, Guardian and many other publications.