Kurashiki and Africa. Despite being regions with vastly different languages, cultures, and lifestyles, there is a professional soccer player who was born and raised in Kurashiki and continues to challenge himself in Africa.
Morishita Jindo is a soccer player who was born and raised in Kurashiki City and has signed professional contracts in African leagues such as Zambia and Ghana.
He is active as the first Japanese soccer player in Ghana and has gained popularity among the local people.
We will introduce the activities of Mr. Morishita, who says, "I want to become a person that Kurashiki can be proud of."
The information provided is based on the article published in May 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About Morishita Jindo
Morishita Jindo is a player active in the professional soccer leagues in Africa. (As of April 2024, he is 28 years old)
Born in Kurashiki City in 1995, he encountered soccer during his childhood in the Netherlands, and after returning to Japan, he joined JFE Kurashiki FC (now Pinnacle Kurashiki FC), Hajasu Football Academy, and the soccer club of Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Seiryo High School.
His passion for soccer has been strong since childhood, and during high school, he even took a year off to study soccer in Indonesia.
After graduating from high school, he entered the prestigious Tsukuba University for soccer and made his professional debut in Zambia while still a student. He later transferred to Ghana, where he has contributed to the league as the first Japanese player in Ghana for two years. His activities have been covered by many media outlets both in Japan and abroad.
Mr. Morishita is not only active as a soccer player but also engages in numerous activities that lead to international support.
- Ghana's "Tuk Tuk Business," which created employment for local supporters
- At a soccer academy (NGO) in Ghana, he provides "soccer coaching and life skills training, gender issues, and career development guidance"
- Attracting sponsorship from Japanese companies to save the club from financial difficulties
- Providing internships that connect Japanese companies with outstanding African students
- Operating the online English conversation service "EvolvEng"
He has also worked to attract local Kurashiki companies as sponsors in Ghana and guided students from his alma mater, Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Seiryo High School, to Ghana, engaging in activities that connect Japan and Africa, as well as Kurashiki and Africa.
As of April 2024, he has temporarily returned to Japan for rehabilitation due to an injury, but he plans to continue challenging himself in soccer in Africa.
Let’s look back at the story of Mr. Morishita, who has been running through a life dedicated to soccer, up to the present.
Encounter with Soccer
Let’s reflect on the first encounter with soccer.
Childhood in the Netherlands
The trigger for Mr. Morishita to start playing soccer was his childhood spent in the Netherlands.
At the age of 5, he moved to the Netherlands due to his father's job transfer and began attending an international school.
At that time, Shinji Ono was active as a professional soccer player in the Netherlands.
Surrounded by physically strong Dutch players, Mr. Morishita admired Ono's ability to captivate supporters with his technique. Ono's success became the reason Mr. Morishita started playing soccer.
Initially, he struggled with communication in English, but through soccer, he found opportunities to connect with friends without using words. He improved in soccer more than in English and became a respected figure among upperclassmen.
His opportunities to touch the ball were not limited to school; he also belonged to a club team. In the Netherlands, he spent his days immersed in soccer.
Overcoming Bullying After Returning Home with the Support of a Club Team
At the age of 11, Mr. Morishita returned to Kurashiki from the Netherlands and transferred to a local elementary school.
What awaited him there was bullying. The English he had spoken for years was not accepted by his classmates, and he experienced severe bullying.
In this difficult environment, the existence of the club team became a source of support for him.
Mr. Morishita belonged to JFE Kurashiki FC (now Pinnacle Kurashiki FC), which was one of the top clubs in Okayama Prefecture at that time. Despite feeling the harshness of the rigorous training, playing soccer with his teammates became a place where he belonged.
While at JFE Kurashiki FC, Mr. Morishita experienced winning the prefectural tournament, and the vague dream of wanting to become a professional soccer player began to turn into a realistic goal.
Achievements in High School in Indonesia
With a clear goal of becoming a professional soccer player, Mr. Morishita joined a strong club team, Hajasu, during middle school and was selected for the prefectural representative team.
At the age of 14, after receiving advice from his mother, he learned about Tsukuba University, which has produced many professional soccer players.
He enrolled in Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Seiryo High School to prepare for entering Tsukuba University.
Struggles with Dilemmas in the Soccer Club
Mr. Morishita entered Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Seiryo High School and joined the soccer club.
The soccer club at Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Seiryo High School had a record of being ranked in the top 4 in Okayama Prefecture at that time, and Mr. Morishita participated in club practices even before enrolling.
However, at the time Mr. Morishita joined, the advisor and club members who had led the team to the top 4 were no longer there, and he could not practice as he wished. His former club teammates were thriving in other teams, and Mr. Morishita felt a sense of urgency.
Feeling unsatisfied in an environment where he could not play to his full potential, he asked his father, who was stationed in Indonesia at the time, about the soccer situation there. He learned that soccer is very popular in Indonesia and is cherished as a national sport, which sparked a desire in Mr. Morishita to challenge himself in a new environment.
However, it was a difficult choice to leave Japan, considering the studies for university entrance exams and the possibility of missing the final tournament.
Ultimately, he was encouraged by his mentor, who said, "If you're hesitating, you should definitely go," and decided to take on the challenge in Indonesia.
New Challenges in Indonesia
In Indonesia, he started by joining local expatriates' casual soccer games.
After participating for a while, he met a professional player active in Indonesia during a practice match. Upon learning that Mr. Morishita was not affiliated with any team, that player introduced him to the coach of his professional team, allowing Mr. Morishita to practice with a local academy youth team.
Later, he was scouted by the coach of a strong soccer team at Jakarta International School, and he spent his days studying during the day and practicing with the select team after school.
During his stay, he participated in the last Southeast Asian soccer tournament, where Mr. Morishita's team finished as runners-up. Furthermore, he ranked in the top 3 in the scoring rankings and was selected as the tournament's outstanding player. His performance was so impressive that he was even mentioned for the Indonesian national team.
"By working hard at soccer and achieving results in the places I was given, my connections and opportunities kept expanding. I believe that the experience of exploring unknown places through soccer at that time has contributed to my later success in Africa," he reflects.
Balancing Studies and Soccer During Entrance Exam Period
Upon returning to Japan, he quickly became an entrance exam student, but he conveyed to his homeroom teacher his strong will that "I will never quit soccer" and continued practicing without retiring from the soccer club until graduation.
However, with advice from his advisor, he focused on studying for two months during the summer without playing soccer. Those two months were the most intensive study period of his life, and as a result, his academic score improved by about 20 points, and he began to receive A grades in mock exams.
He was focusing on studying for the physical education entrance exam, but his homeroom teacher suggested he apply for the recommendation entrance exam for the International Comprehensive Studies. He successfully passed the recommendation exam and advanced to Tsukuba University.
He chose the International Comprehensive Studies for the recommendation exam, but later mentioned that this choice led him to the path of challenging himself in Africa.
University Life
After entering Tsukuba University, Mr. Morishita joined the soccer club and made his professional debut in Zambia while still a student.
Starting from the 6th Team
The Tsukuba University soccer club, established in 1896, is one of the oldest clubs in Japan. It has produced numerous soccer players, and players from all over the country gather here.
As a result, the number of club members is large, and the teams are divided into levels from the 1st to the 7th team, with only the top 1st team receiving direct coaching from the coaches.
Prospective members must first overcome a two-month trial period called the "Freshman Course." The Freshman Course involves rigorous physical training and instilling the organizational culture of the soccer club, serving as a foundation for physical and mental strength.
New students who pass the Freshman Course are assigned to teams from the 1st to the 7th based on their level. Mr. Morishita was assigned to the 6th team. He witnessed the skill gap with the higher teams, but he used that frustration as motivation to practice hard, ultimately rising to the 2nd team.
However, he felt that if he remained in the current situation, he would not be able to achieve his dream of becoming a professional. Therefore, he began to strategize for turning professional.
To become a professional outside of offers, one method is to participate in tryouts, where players showcase their abilities in practice and matches to attract offers from professional teams.
However, tryouts attract players of similar skill levels, so it was necessary to stand out even more.
Mr. Morishita began planning to train in regions with high soccer levels and aimed to become a professional soccer player in Japan after returning home.
Decision to Challenge Africa in the 4th Year of University
Shortly after entering Tsukuba University, Mr. Morishita faced a dilemma about whether to transfer from the International Comprehensive Studies to the Physical Education department.
When he consulted with Coach Masaki Koido about transferring, he was persuaded, "A person who can speak English in the Physical Education department will have fewer future options than someone in the International department who covers sports as well, so you should stay in your current department."
At that time, he felt dissatisfied, but later, the conversations with friends he met in the International Comprehensive Studies led to the idea of challenging himself in soccer in Africa.
While enrolled in the International Comprehensive Studies, Mr. Morishita was also part of the International Development laboratory in the Physical Education department. He was introduced by a professor from that laboratory to an opportunity to accompany a sports international conference held in Zambia.
Wanting to build connections for playing soccer in Africa, Mr. Morishita begged the professor to let him accompany the trip to Zambia for a week. At the venue, he printed a QR code linking to videos of his soccer play on the back of his business cards and distributed hundreds of them.
As a result, he established connections with representatives of the Zambian national team and was invited to try out for a professional team in Zambia.
The idea of printing business cards with QR codes came from casual conversations with friends in the International Comprehensive Studies.
Activities Beyond Soccer in Africa
After making his professional debut in Zambia, Mr. Morishita later excelled as a professional soccer player in Ghana. His activities expanded beyond soccer to include international support. Here are his activities from his professional debut in Africa to the present.
Zambian Soccer Cultivated in a Different Culture
Mr. Morishita took a leave of absence just before graduation and went to Zambia as the 9th cohort of the "Tobitate! Study Abroad JAPAN" program run by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. He experienced many culture shocks and participated in tryouts for local professional teams, finally achieving his long-awaited professional debut.
During the tryout, I also experienced racism through soccer.
At the first professional team I tried out for, I was clearly told in the final selection that "we cannot sign an Asian player."
"For them locally, not being able to become a soccer player means they can't support their families, which is a matter of life and death. Knowing the local realities made me reflect on many things. Still, since it's the professional world, I approached the next tryout with the mindset that I had no choice but to do it," he says.
At first, there were days when I felt stressed living in a foreign land.
Communication with my host family didn't go well, and I even lost 10 kg due to the unfamiliar food culture, but Morishita gradually adapted to Zambian culture.
He thought, "Africa has its own way of conditioning."
Life in Zambia was often filled with culture shock, but I also gained new values. In addition to the previous reverse calculation thinking of "setting goals and planning," I added the additive thinking of "how to accumulate this moment right now."
Currently, during the rehabilitation period, he reflects, "What can I do because I got injured?" and attributes his ability to switch his mindset well to the additive thinking he cultivated in Zambia.
Tuk-tuk business that created fans in Ghana
After returning to Japan and graduating from university, just as he was aiming for his long-awaited J-League debut, he was struck by the sudden loss of his sister. The shock of his sister's sudden death, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, led to a period when he couldn't play soccer.
However, with strong support from his family, he decided to continue playing soccer. He readily accepted an offer from a team in Ghana, and a new challenge began.
As the first Asian player in the Ghana League's history, there were high expectations locally, and he received media attention at the time.
However, he faced racism from the coach in Ghana as well, and days went by without being able to play in matches. Against a coach who wouldn't let foreign players play, Morishita thought, "Let's increase the number of fans who support me and put pressure from the outside."
What Morishita started was the tuk-tuk business. He employed local supporters and used the proceeds to hold children's soccer tournaments multiple times. As a result, supporters, drivers, children, and their families who used the tuk-tuks began to say, "Let's go support Jindo" and started attending matches.
There were supporters who got angry at the coach for not letting Morishita play.
His playing time gradually increased from 5 minutes to 10 minutes, and he finally achieved a full match appearance. He performed so well that he even received the Man of the Match award, given to the best player, and helped to energize the Ghana League.
Overcoming the biggest injury and heading to Morocco
After achieving two professional contracts in Ghana, the next stage he aimed for was Morocco. Morocco has a record of ranking 4th in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and Morishita says it is currently the strongest soccer country in Africa.
He went out to promote himself and met a team willing to sign him. With the joy of being able to play in a higher-level environment, he put even more effort into his training.
However, during training while back in Japan, he suffered a serious injury of a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
The injury, which requires 10 months of recovery, dealt a significant blow to his playing career and put his transfer to Morocco in jeopardy.
At that time, he received a call from a Japanese company with a branch in Morocco saying, "We would like to sponsor you, so could you negotiate with the team again?"
An alumnus of Tsukuba University, who knew of Morishita's presence in Africa, reached out to him. Grasping the connection that his past efforts had brought, he decided to take on the challenge in Morocco.
Connections that continue to expand in his hometown, Kurashiki
Morishita is not only active as a professional but is also involved in various businesses through soccer.
Here are some episodes related to Kurashiki from Morishita's activities in Africa and Japan.
Meeting with Ai Engineering, the first Japanese corporate sponsor in Ghana
The presence of sponsor companies is essential for athletes.
Among the sponsors supporting Morishita's activities, there was a company from Kurashiki that he met in Ghana.
Ai Engineering Co., Ltd. is a construction company based in Kanda, Kurashiki City. Its only overseas branch is in Ghana, and Morishita had a great conversation with a local employee he met by chance about their hometown, Kurashiki.
Later, he connected with the president and signed a personal sponsorship contract. When he transferred to a new team in his second year in Ghana, they became a team sponsor, saying, "We want to support a soccer player from Kurashiki even more," making headlines as the first Japanese corporate sponsor in Ghana.
It was a fateful encounter that connected Kurashiki to Ghana.
Collaboration with his alma mater. Conducting a local inspection in Ghana
In the winter of 2023, he held an inspection tour to learn about Ghana's culture and soccer situation with students from the Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Seiryo High School soccer team.
Not only did they visit Ghana, but before the tour, they also held workshops. In collaboration with the sponsor Play Sports, they collected recycled sports equipment. They provided students from Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Seiryo High School with the opportunity to think about "how to deliver this sports equipment to the local area in a way that leads to ideal international cooperation."
After attending four workshops, the students came up with a plan to "hold a soccer tournament and present sports equipment as prizes." They then actually held a soccer tournament locally.
Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Seiryo High School also donated equipment, and J-League player Nakano Seiya and comedian Chihara Seiji also cooperated as sponsors.
The result was a great success, and the exchange with local people deepened.
The local inspection provided a valuable experience for the high school students. Under the goal of "connecting schools in Africa and Kurashiki City to expand educational opportunities," they are currently working to continue these activities.
"As someone who grew up in Kurashiki, I want to perform in a way that does not disgrace the name of Kurashiki on the world stage. I hope to someday give back the experiences I gained in Africa to Kurashiki. I would be happy if people knew that a young person from Kurashiki is challenging himself in Africa," he says.
From the Writer
Interviewing Morishita left a strong impression of his continuous challenges in unknown environments.
His ability to take action to not just end with dreams and goals but to realize them is remarkable. Despite the hardships, Morishita's story of flexibly and positively carving out his soccer life carried weight in every aspect.
Morishita will continue to challenge himself in Africa, and I believe he will thrive as a bridge connecting Kurashiki and Africa.
I hope that the citizens will come to know that a young person from Kurashiki is active in the distant land of Africa, and that local fans will continue to grow.
Interview cooperation: Sankyu Co., Ltd.
