Kazuyoshi Miura, set to turn 59 next month and is recognized globally as football's most senior pro, has finalized a loan deal until June with J3 League club Fukushima United.
This move means Miura could play in the J.League - the top three divisions of Japanese football - for the first time in five years.
The former Japan striker, who started his career with the Brazilian club Santos in 1986, failed to score in 69 minutes across seven outings last season while on loan at JFL side Atletico Suzuka.
"My passion for football remains undimmed, regardless of my age," he said as he gears up for a forty-first campaign as a pro footballer.
"I'm very grateful to be presented with this chance. I promise I will play with all my heart to help the team. Together, we can create a legacy!"
Referred to as 'King Kazu' in Japan, this will be Miura's fourth temporary move since 2022 from J2 League side Yokohama FC.
Miura, who has also featured in Italy, Croatia and Australia, joined the club in 2005 but has remained absent from the pitch for them since 2020.
He scored 55 goals in 89 games in an international career that ended in 2000, two years after his notable omission from the squad for Japan's maiden FIFA World Cup campaign.
Miura, who has talked of continuing his career into his seventh decade, said he was ready to "take on a new challenge" after being demoted last season to the country's lower regional divisions.
Fukushima finished 10th in the twenty-club third division last season.
