Reason why Moroccan-born FW TARIK, who played for shonan bellmare until last year, "definitely wanted to live in hiratsuka" (2ページ目)

"At that time, I was a free agent after my contract with my former club had expired. I had been approached by a few European clubs, but when I got the offer from Shonan I thought it was a special opportunity. I told my wife that this might be my last club so she could choose, and she immediately said: 'Shonan!' I had no objections at all. Because we were both very interested in the unknown world, especially Japan."

Tarik had never visited Japan before. However, he says he had been captivated at an early age by the world-class entertainment that our country has to offer.

"I was born in Morocco and spent my childhood and youth there. There was Japanese anime and I was a big fan of Doraemon, Tiger Mask, Captain Tsubasa etc.Incidentally, Captain Tsubasa was called Captain Majid there. It seems that anime aired in Arab countries is first collected in Syria and distributed from there, and that's probably where the titles are decided."

Other than that he only knew typical things about Japan, such as the nation's high-performance electrical appliances, but when he actually came here he found many aspects were similar to Morocco, where he grew up.

"In Morocco, too, there is a great emphasis on respect for elders, respect for nature and keeping things clean," Tarik said. "Also, as in the world of Captain Tsubasa, each team-mate supports each other. The Japanese culture of respecting everyone, no matter who they are, suits me well, so I adapted smoothly without any problems at all."

In Tarik's case, adapting to a new environment means immersing himself in his hometown. He has settled in Hiratsuka City, where Bellmare are based, and seems to have grown accustomed to the local community with his family.

"I wanted to live in Hiratsuka. Because I wanted to get to know the local people and society, who support and love this small club so closely. Like when you travel, the best way to get to know the local culture and environment is to live like the locals. So I started living in a flat near here with my family of four and quickly became acquainted with the neighbours, such as the bakery owner and the grocery store lady. My Japanese is poor, so recently some people have even made an effort to learn English and to try to communicate with me. I'm really happy."