Taipei: Minori Wakabayashi, a Japanese-born soccer player who currently competes in Taiwan’s top-level women’s league, has become a Republic of China (Taiwan) citizen, making her eligible to play for Taiwan’s national soccer team.

According to Focus Taiwan, Wakabayashi announced in a Facebook post that her application for Republic of China (ROC) citizenship had finally been approved by Taiwan’s government after seven years of playing in the country. Speaking in Mandarin, Wakabayashi expressed her hope to join Taiwan’s women’s national soccer team and represent the country in international competitions in the future.

Born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, in 1993, Wakabayashi is known for her defensive skills on the field. She previously competed in the Japan Women’s Football League for both Albirex Niigata Ladies and JEF United Chiba Ladies, making more than 150 appearances. Wakabayashi took her talents to Taiwan in 2020, joining Kaohsiung Attackers FC Women to continue her soccer career overseas in the Taiwan
Mulan Football League. Her exceptional performance earned her the league MVP award in 2021 and 2024.

The naturalization of Japanese-born athletes into Taiwanese citizenship is not unprecedented. In January 2025, Saki Matsunaga, a Japanese-Taiwanese midfielder, was also naturalized as an ROC citizen and subsequently joined Taiwan’s Chinese Taipei women’s national soccer team the same year.