J.League first-division side FC Tokyo announced Thursday they had acquired Japan forward Tadanari Lee from English Premier League club Southampton on loan through the end of June.
"I had a lot of concerns, but I've made a firm decision to do this," Lee said in a statement released by FC Tokyo, where he began his pro career.
The 27-year-old Lee, a fourth-generation resident of Korean descent who took Japanese citizenship in 2007, played for Kashiwa Reysol and Sanfrecce Hiroshima before joining Southampton in January 2012.
He scored his first goal for Southampton in a 4-0 win over Derby County last February, but he has been out of action since March 2012 after damaging ligaments in his right foot.
Lee's first international goal was a dramatic one, coming in the 109th minute of the final to secure a 1-0 win over Australia in Japan's fourth Asian Cup success in 2011.