When the J. League allowed clubs to add an extra Asian player to their foreigner quotas at the end of last season, fans were probably hoping for a little more diversity than the influx of Koreans that materialized.
As a first step in a changing regional soccer landscape, however, it could prove to be a shrewd move.
Following the Asian Football Confederation's lead, the J. League adopted the "3+1" policy permitting clubs to sign one player from another AFC country on top of their allotted limit of three non-Japanese squad members.