If Shunsuke Nakamura's decision to snub a return to the J. League to stay in Europe represents a triumph of ambition over comfort, it is a message sadly missed by international teammate Yoshito Okubo.
Nakamura this week rejected the chance to come back to his boyhood team, Yokohama F. Marinos, opting instead to test himself in the more demanding environment of Spain's La Liga with Espanyol.
Okubo, on the other hand, has left Bundesliga champion Wolfsburg to re-sign with Vissel Kobe, after failing to make an impact in Germany following his January move from the J. League club.