All eyes in a certain part of the world will be on Brighton's clash against Arsenal on Sunday as they watch a national hero at the Emirates.
Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma has played a huge role in the increasing amount of Japanese viewers watching the Premier League off the back of his stunning performances this season.
The former Kawasaki Frontale ace, who cost the Seagulls just £2.5million in 2021, has scored 10 goals and bagged seven assists in all competitions this season and on his day he is one of the most exciting players to watch in the division.
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Another player who has led to an upturn in interest in the English top-flight, from a Japanese perspective, is Mitoma's compatriot and Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu. Together, the former Union SG believes they have a responsibility to do their best for their country on this big stage.
He told My Albion TV: "There's lots of coverage of the Premier League in Japan, it's the most popular league, so there's naturally a lot of attention on Tomiyasu and myself as the only Japanese players. When I play, there are always journalists from Japan coming up to me afterwards, asking for my thoughts on the game.
"I feel I have a responsibility to the children and the people back home to show that Japanese players can play in the Premier League. I want to set an example and to be a success here."
The 25-year-old also spoke of his excitement at coming up against the 24-year-old and while that was not the case in Brighton's 3-1 win at the Emirates in the Carabao Cup in November, as Tomiyasu was injured, they had a brief duel in Arsenal's 4-2 win at the Amex in December.
However, the former Bologna man will not face off against Mitoma this weekend as he has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Despite that, he will surely relish the chance to take him on in 2023/24.
"Tomiyasu has been playing for Arsenal since last season. I've been inspired by his performances and it's always been my desire to play at this level too. So it would be great for people back home in Japan to see a potential matchup between us. So I would like that to be enjoyable, and personally, I would love to win those duels," said Mitoma.
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