'Otaku': Comic-loving German finds peace, and himself, in Japan

Svend Brodersen was fascinated with Japan as a child -- now the German goalkeeper plays in the country and is fondly known as an "otaku", someone obsessed with Japanese pop culture.

The Hamburg-born 27-year-old also has a Japanese wife, speaks the language and is thinking of studying at a Japanese university when he retires.

"I think everybody has an otaku inside," Brodersen told AFP, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the title of his favourite Japanese comic, "One Punch Man".

"Mine is not so big, but it's there. It's definitely there."

Brodersen moved to Japan in 2021 and now plays for top-tier J. League side Fagiano Okayama, but he admits that initially he felt like he was "on another planet".

"I could not understand anything and it was kind of intimidating," Brodersen said.

"But I also thought this will be a huge chance to see who you really are and what kind of football player you want to be."

Brodersen, whose Japan obsession started with Pokemon and Godzilla movies, began his career with his hometown club St. Pauli, then in the German second division.

The goalkeeper was involved with Germany's under-20 team and, as luck would have it, was part of Germany's squad for the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

But he struggled to break through at club level so decided to prioritise life experience.

He sought the help of Japan international Ryo Miyaichi, then a team-mate at St. Pauli, and engineered a transfer to J. League club Yokohama FC near Tokyo.

At first he used Japanese cartoons and comics to learn the language, but despite his long love of the country, it was a culture shock.

"The first night I went out for a walk and I saw all those lights and signs, I felt like I'm on another planet," he said.

Brodersen's fondness for Japanese culture helped him adapt and he spent hours reading comics like "Slam Dunk" and "One Piece" to learn the language.

He met his wife Kanae and got married in 2023, and the couple's first daughter was born 18 months ago.

They speak a mixture of languages at home and Brodersen says his Japanese is now good enough to do interviews with local media.

Better 'keeper, better person

Brodersen spent two seasons with Yokohama before joining Fagiano Okayama last year and helping them reach the J. League first division for the first time.

His team have made a good start and are in the top half of the table after six games of the season.

Brodersen credits Japan with making him a better player and bringing him a sense of calm.

"When I was young my goalkeeping style was very aggressive and shouting a lot," he said. 

"But after I came to Japan I realised that if I do this, it will definitely not work.

"You have to ask, is this really a good way to play? That's maybe the reason why I didn't get to the level I wanted."

Brodersen says he does not know where the future will take him but he would like to study Japanese at university.

For the time being, he is happy to spend his spare time strolling around Japanese gardens and enjoying his life far from Hamburg.

Okayama is a city of about 700,000 people in the west of Japan famous for its 16th-century castle.

"Due to this experience in Japan I improved a lot as a person, to not be focused only on myself," said Brodersen.

"I'm more busy with things around me and with other people that are attached to my life."