The life of a pro athlete can be grueling, but 37-year-old soccer player Dan Ito has a perverse determination to make his even more so. The Sapporo native set himself a challenge 15 years ago: He would play for a different professional soccer team in a different Asian country every year, and so far he has been successful in this aim: 14 teams in 14 countries.
Ito spent two years as a J-Leaguer and ever since he's been a "migratory bird," as he calls it. Making matters even more difficult, he doesn't have a manager or an agent. He just shows up at team tryouts and hopes for the best.
In the documentary "Ball hitosu de Doko e Demo" ("Anywhere With One Ball"; NHK BS1, Mon., 4:30 p.m.), Ito tries out for his 15th team in the Philippines.