ˈæftɚ hɪz deɪbjˈuː, hiː bɪkˌeɪm ɐ ɹˈɛɡjʊlɚ plˈeɪɚ ænd hiː plˈeɪd mˈoʊst mˈætʃᵻz fɔːɹ dʒəpˈæn ʌntˈɪl ðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti ˈeɪt fˈiːfə wˈɜːld kˈʌp.
After his debut, he became a regular player and he played most matches for Japan until the 1998 FIFA World Cup.