Return beckons for Japan stars

The Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura and Eintracht Frankfurt striker Naohiro Takahara are being hunted back home by J-League clubs, sports dailies reported Saturday.
Yokohama Marinos are looking to re-sign 29-year-old Nakamura, the Scottish Player of the Year, when his contract with the Glasgow giants expires at the end of June, the Nikkan Sports said.
Takahara, 28, is wanted by AFC champions Urawa Reds, who failed to retain the J-League and Emperor's Cup titles this season, the Sports Nippon said.
Nakamura left the Nissan-owned Marinos for Italian club Reggina in 2002. He arrived at Celtic in 2005 after being voted most valuable player in Japan's victorious 2004 Asian Cup campaign.
Katsunori Nakamura, Yokohama's director for technical development and not related to the player, plans to visit Glasgow in January to talk with Celtic and the left-footed dead ball specialist about a possible transfer, the Nikkan Sports said.
Nissan appeared ready with at least five-million euros (7.4-million dollars) needed for the transfer, the daily added.
Urawa want Takahara from the German club to fill the gap left by Brazilian marksman Washington after he moved to Brazil's Fluminense at the end of the 2007 J-League season last month.
Urawa may need to fork out 120-million yen (one-million dollars) to buy the forward, who scored a tournament-leading four goals in Japan's failed attempt to win a third straight Asian Cup last July, the Sports Nippon said.