There are few praises which have not already been sung for Yokohama F. Marinos defender Yuji Nakazawa and Nagoya Grampus goalkeeper Seigo Narazaki, both of whom announced their retirement on Tuesday.
They join Kashima Antlers midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara, SC Sagamihara goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, and Sanfrecce Hiroshima midfielder Kazuyuki Morisaki as players who called it a career after the 2018 season.
The five combined for a delightfully-precise 2,600 J. League first-division appearances on top of several hundred more domestic and international cup fixtures. Ogasawara led the pack with seven Best XI selections, followed by Narazaki and Nakazawa with six each (those three each have a league MVP award in their distinguished resumes) and Kawaguchi with one.