Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta led the tributes to incoming Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi in an emotional farewell ceremony organised by his club before he heads to Scotland.
Vissel Kobe paraded their talisman in a specially-arranged farewell send-off to their fans and a crowd of 2,757 turned up to hear Furuhashi give a speech and get their pictures taken with the tearful striker.
The rest of the squad were there too including Barcelona icon Iniesta, who took to the microphone and addressed the fans.
Iniesta said: "Today is a sad day because we are saying farewell to Kyogo, but he is going to Europe to make his dreams come true.
"I came here to show him my respect. He's a professional who has realised his goal.
"It's going to be tough in Kobe without him, but I'll do my best to get some positive results."
And Furuhashi admitted he was saddened to have to leave his adoring fans in his homeland, but was determined to make a go of it in the Scottish Premiership.
He said: "I'm just grateful to everyone here and I can't stop crying.
"I will do my best when I go to Celtic. I will continue to do all I can to give you dreams and courage and to be respected as a person.
"Everyone seems to love me here. I am not really saying goodbye totally because we will meet again.
"To my teammates and managers - from the time I came to the club to today, I respected everyone and learned a lot. Thanks to everyone, I was able to ignite my passion for football and do my best every game. I will continue to support everyone.
"And dear fans, I have received a lot of support since I came to the club, and I have only words of gratitude. Thank you very much. The passion and unwavering support of the supporters have always been a great help."
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