On the back of a World Cup campaign where they impressed on the pitch but fell short of their goal, several Nadeshiko Japan stars gained valuable experience in an English Women's Super League season leading into the Paris Olympics.
Deep-lying playmaker Yui Hasegawa was the standout among the nine Japanese, including five newcomers, in one of the world's leading competitions this past season.
The diminutive yet technically gifted 27-year-old started in all 22 league games in her second season with Manchester City, who were unable to stop Chelsea snatching their fifth straight title on goal difference.
A vital lynchpin in her side, Hasegawa was voted fourth by the Football Writers' Association for the Footballer of the Year award, behind her teammates Khadija Shaw and Alex Greenwood, as well as Chelsea's second-placed Lauren James.
"It's pleasing that there are people who are aware of my contribution," Hasegawa said following the final game of the season on May 18, while admitting she was not satisfied to end the league campaign without scoring.
"My role is not getting high up the pitch like Rodri does in the men's team, rather really staying back. I wanted to get a bit more in terms of numbers and it's been something to work on throughout the season," she said.
Across the city, World Cup Golden Boot winner Hinata Miyazawa's first season with Manchester United was hampered by a fractured ankle suffered in December that ruled her out for nearly four months.
But the 24-year-old was back in time to be part of her team's FA Cup triumph at the end of the season on May 13, coming off the bench with 12 minutes to go during a 4-0 final win over Tottenham Hotspur that secured United's first silverware since the founding of the women's side in 2018.
"I was on this pitch thanks to all my teammates," Miyazawa said at Wembley Stadium, where some 76,000 watched the final. "Frankly it felt similar to the World Cup. The crowd number is unimaginable in Japan."
"It took a while to acclimatize at the start. I got hurt when I finally began to get playing time and I honestly wonder how things would have been now if I hadn't got the injury. But it was really huge getting to play on this big stage in the end, even just for several minutes."
Chelsea attacker Maika Hamano and West Ham forward Riko Ueki were among the players to start a new career phase in England, and Hasegawa believes they are part of a trend that will enhance the quality of the national team.
"While only Buchi (now-retired Mana Iwabuchi) was here when I first arrived (to join West Ham in 2021), it's been really visible that the English league as a whole rates Japanese players with the way they've been buying them," Hasegawa said.
"I believe there'll be even more such moves, and in terms of winning their trust in Japanese players, I think I've managed to help raise our value while being watched by many people.
"I basically think Japan can go further by improving physically. It doesn't mean everyone should opt to play overseas but it's still a very good trend," she said.
