Japanese football players work in apple orchards to broaden career options

HIROSAKI – Two football players based in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, are juggling league matches and practice with work at apple orchards.In 2026, the two joined Blancdieu Hirosaki FC, a football team that play in a fifth-tier league based in the Tohoku region. Through apple farming, they are seeking to broaden their career options after retiring from active competition. They found their jobs through connections with the team’s sponsor.The orchard operators welcome the athletes, not only because they gain more workers but also because they can showcase their apples to the team’s supporters.“It’s hard to figure out the appropriate angle for (the apples) to bask in the sun. I still feel tired (from playing football), but I do this and consider it muscle training,” said Shota Shimogami, 25.The midfielder was harvesting Toki apples at Seino Farm in late September, taking advice from other employees. He said planning his work while taking the apples’ ripening status into account has been a learning experience.“I’ve realised how much effort is needed to grow apples,” he added. “I’ve come to savour apples more than before.”Shimogami, who is from Osaka Prefecture, began working at the farm in August, as he “wanted to take part in the area’s most famous industry”. On weekdays, he works for about four hours at the farm in the afternoon after practice ends.Koji Seino, the 46-year-old president of Seino Farm, said he has high expectation due to the physical strength that athletes have, adding: “I hope he has a positive influence on other workers.”Posts featuring Shimogami on social media have drawn responses from Blancdieu supporters, and Seino feels this will help spread the charm of the apples and agriculture in general.Mamoru Kamisasanuki, a 27-year-old player from Tokyo, joined Blancdieu due to his interest in agriculture. Since May, he has been working for Red Apple, a company that produces and sells apples.“Every athlete’s career comes to an end someday. I want to show that agriculture can be a career path after retiring from active competition,” he said. “When I retire, I’d like to lead such a life as working with apples during the day and coaching kids football at night.”The agricultural industry of Hirosaki, which boasts the highest apple production in Japan, faces such challenges as a graying and shorthanded workforce. According to the Census of Agriculture and Forestry in Japan, the number of apple-related business operators in the city declined from 4,045 in 2020 to 3,464 in 2025.The average age of workers in agriculture is in their 60s, and Junichi Akaishi, the 47-year-old president of Red Apple, welcomes Kamisasanuki joining his company, saying: “I’m happy to see as many people as possible join the apple industry.”The Hirosaki city government has held seminars on people joining the agricultural sector from sports organisations and other groups since fiscal 2025.A representative of the city government’s agricultural policy division said: “We hope to see many people become interested in apple farming, by taking on board the opinions of both the organisations and the farms.” THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK