DBasia.news – Japanese football player, Kazuyoshi Miura, is considered to have a life similar to one of the folklore in his home country.
It was only when he turned 32 that Sentaro began to think about his life. If previously he was just having fun, now Sentaro has began to fear death.
“I must continue to live, at least until I am 500 or 600 years old. There is a legend about Princess Yamato who lived for 5000 years, there must be a way to prolong life,” said Sentaro.
Sentaro also remembered the story he often heard in his childhood, about a mistress of a king from China who came to Japan named Jofuku. It was said that Jofuku lived with ascetics on Mount Fuji.
According to legend, Jofuku had the “Potion of Life” with his hermit followers. Sentaro also began to search for eternity. For days he searched for Jofuku, visiting various places and mountains.
Until finally, Sentaro found a temple that was built in honor of Jofuku. After praying in front of the Jofuku statue for seven days, Sentaro also met with Jofuku.
However, Jofuku refused to give Sentaro the “Potion of Life”. Instead, he offered Sentaro to go to the “Land of Eternal Life”.
There, Sentaro also received what he wanted, eternity. At least, Sentaro lived for 300 years in a place where death had never been.
The story above is a Japanese folk tale written by Yei Theodora Ozaki and published in the collection of “The Japanese Fairy Tale” (1908). The story is titled “The Man Who Did Not Wish to Die”.
Turning to modern Japan, precisely in the world of football, there is a man who is more or less similar to Sentaro. Kazuyoshi Miura who is familiarly called King Kazu.
In general, footballers’ career will stop when they reach the age of 40’s. Physical endurance factors that are no longer prime are the reason.
After retiring, usually the name of the footballer would disappear. Unless the footballer is successful as a coach or club official, his name would often be considered “dead”.
However, a different decision was taken by Kazuyoshi Miura. The man born in Shizuoka refuses to die, King Kazu doesn’t want his name to disappear.
Like Sentaro who wandered for eternity, Kazuyoshi Miura had also wandered since he was young. Kazu has gone to Brazil to study at the CA Juventus football academy.
Until returning to Japan in 1990, Kazuyoshi Miura has defended a number of Brazilian clubs such as Santos, Palmeiras, and Coritiba. Kazu also became a mainstay in the Japanese national team.
Kazuyoshi Miura’s name skyrocketed after returning to Japan. The 52-year-old man has defended Verdy Kawasaki from 1990 to 1998.
In the 1994-1995 season, Kazuyoshi Miura was loaned to Genoa and became the first Japanese footballer to play in Serie A. Kazu followed in the footsteps of Yasuhiko Okudera in action in Europe.
Kazuyoshi Miura had defended Dinamo Zagreb, Kyoto Purple Sanga, Vissel Kobe, before finally anchoring at Yokohama FC since 2005. However, Kazu had also been loaned out to Sydney FC.
In 2017, two records were broken directly by Kazuyoshi Miura. First as the oldest footballer who played and at the same time scored in professional competitions, beating Stanley Matthews.
Towards his 53rd birthday on April 4, Kazuyoshi Miura made a breakthrough. King Kazu extended his contract for one season with Yokohama FC.
Now, Kazuyoshi Miura has extended his life in the world of football for four decades. Kazu has found eternity, at least his career life is much longer than most footballers.
“We do not stop playing because we are getting old. However, we are getting old because we stop playing,” – George Bernard Shaw.