In Pictures

For Japan’s ageing football players, 80 is the new 50

In Japan’s ageing society, senior footballers can now show off their skills in a new over-80s division in Tokyo.

White Bear’s goalkeeper Shingo Shiozawa (centre), 93, talks with his teammates Akimichi Nakamachi (left), 82, and Kozo Ishida, 82, — White Bear’s goalkeeper Shingo Shiozawa, centre, 93, talks with his teammates Akimichi Nakamachi, left, 82, and Kozo Ishida, 82, ahead of their opening match in the Soccer For Life's over-80s division in Tokyo, Japan. [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]

By Reuters

Mutsuhiko Nomura’s football career has spanned 18 World Cups, or 70 years, to be exact.

Now the silver-maned former Japanese national team player is a member of the brand new over-80s division of Tokyo’s “Soccer For Life” (SFL) league, which played its first match this month.

The sprightly 83-year-old and his teammates are among a growing number of seniors pushing the boundaries of active living in Japan, one of the world’s fastest ageing societies.

“When I was a kid, men in their 50s and 60s were considered “grandpas”,” Nomura, already a member of several amateur teams, said after a pre-season practice match in February.

“And now, we’re all still at it in our 80s. It’s shocking.”

As Japan’s average lifespan inches up, people aged 65 and more form nearly a third of its population of 126 million, with life expectancy, now at 85, ranking among the world’s highest.

That has brought societal changes, too: about a fifth of those older than 70 are employed, and the government encourages pensioners to start collecting later, by holding out the promise of larger deferred payments. Elderly security guards and shopkeepers have become a common sight.

“I think the formation of the 0-80 division is a reflection of what we’re seeing in Japanese society, where the elderly demographic can be active like this,” said Yutaka Ito, the secretary general of the SFL league.

It was only 20 years ago that Tokyo created a division for the 0-60 age group. In 2012, the 0-70 division followed, and five years later, the 0-75 category. At that rate, 0-80 was simply a matter of time.

With an average age of 83.5, however, stiff backs, creaky knees and laboured breathing were often on display as the players of the three SFL teams slogged through inaugural matches under a blazing sun last Wednesday.

But far from slowing down, Nomura has also taken to kicking the ball around with his daughter and granddaughter on weekends, teaching them tricks and building their love of the game.

“I sometimes go to watch the seniors play, and it makes me feel I should work hard,” said his 48-year-old daughter, Yuriko.

“I really admire him. I hope to be like him, and continue playing when I’m older.”

Kozo Ishida, 82, stretches before a pre-season practice match — Kozo Ishida, 82, stretches before a practice match. 'I think the formation of the O-80 division is a reflection of what we're seeing in Japanese society, where the elderly demographic can be active like this,' said Yutaka Ito, the SFL league's secretary general. [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]

Red Star’s midfielder Mutsuhiko Nomura, 83, and White Bear’s goalkeeper Shingo Shiozawa, 93, greet their opponents at the SFL (Soccer For Life) 80 League opening match — Red Star and White Bear players shake hands before their opening match of the SFL over-80s season in Tokyo. [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]

Red Star’s Takao Yokoyama (2nd to the left), 86, chases a ball against White Bear’s Kozo Ishida, 82, at the SFL (Soccer For Life) 80 League opening match — Red Star’s Takao Yokoyama (second from the left), 86, chases a ball against Ishida during the match. [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]

Red Star’s midfielder Mutsuhiko Nomura (left), 83, shoots to score a goal against Blue Hawai’s goalkeeper Hiroshi Nishino, 87, at the SFL (Soccer For Life) 80 League opening match — Nomura, left, shoots against Blue Hawai’s goalkeeper Hiroshi Nishino, 87. Nomura played for the Japanese national team in his youth. [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]

White Bear’s goalkeeper Shingo Shiozawa (center), 93, claps with his teammates following the Japanese custom 'temije' (a ceremonial rhythmic hand clapping), after the SFL (Soccer For Life) 80 League opening match — Shiozawa, the oldest player on the pitch, claps with his teammates following the Japanese custom 'tejime' (a ceremonial rhythmic hand clapping), after the opening match. He trains several times a month and the sport has motivated him to quit smoking and helped him recover swiftly after being treated for spinal stenosis. [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]

Mutsuhiko Nomura (left), 83, checks his blood pressure while his wife Junko Nomura, 80, writes down the reading on a notebook to keep record, at their home in Tokyo — Nomura, left, checks his blood pressure while his wife Junko Nomura, 80, writes down the reading on a notebook, at their home in Tokyo. 'If possible, of course I want to keep playing until I'm 100,' he said. [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]

Mutsuhiko Nomura, 83, explains photos taken when he and his wife Junko Nomura, 80, traveled to France to watch the 1998 France World Cup Games — Nomura points towards photos taken when he and his wife travelled to France to watch the 1998 World Cup. [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]

A newspaper article from 1966 is seen in a scrap book Junko Nomura, 80, made featuring her husband Mutsuhiko Nomura, 83, at their home in Tokyo — A newspaper article from 1966 is seen in a scrap book Junko Nomura made featuring her husband. [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]

Shingo Shiozawa, 93, solves ancient math problems in Egyptian numbers to keep his mind sharp at his office in Tokyo — Shiozawa solves ancient maths problems in Egyptian numbers to keep his mind sharp at his office in Tokyo. 'If I hadn't played football, I'd have been dead already,' he said. [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]