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-80 division of Tokyo's "Soccer For Life" league, which played its first match this month.
The 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-graying societies. "When I was a kid, men in their 50s and 60s were considered 'grandpas,'" Nomura said. "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. "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 two decades 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.
The oldest player on the pitch, Shingo Shiozawa, is 93.
"If I hadn't played football, I'd have been dead by now," said Nomura, who plays goalkeeper.
He credits the sport with motivating him to quit smoking and helping to speed his recovery after treatment for spinal stenosis.
With an average age of 83 1/2, however, stiff backs, creaky knees and labored breathing were often on display as the players of the three SFL teams slogged through inaugural matches under a blazing sun.
A ball propelled forward by a player failed to reach his slow-moving teammate, while a few stumbled and wobbled on the pitch. An 89-year-old who ran out of breath asked to be substituted about 10 minutes into a match, unable to play the rest of the 15-minute half.
Despite decades of watching Nomura play football, his wife, Junko, says she's not concerned about injuries - only his high blood pressure and food intake. "I think football is the best thing for his health," she said of Nomura, who took up the sport in middle school and won the national tournament thrice at university level.
Far from slowing down, Nomura has also taken to kicking the ball around with his daughter and granddaughter on weekends.
Mutsuhiko Nomura, foreground, and friends compete in the over-80 division of the 'Soccer For Life' league. REUTERS
Kozo Ishida, 82, stretches before a pre-season practice match. REUTERS
