Japan Football Association president Junji Ogura says Yuto Nagatomo's loan move to European champions Inter Milan is massive for football in the Asian nation.

After winning the Asian Cup in Qatar late last month, the JFA were looking to gain momentum and it has come almost immediately with the national side's star left-back clinching a short-term deal from Cesena to Serie A giants Inter.

Ogura said that both the Asian Cup victory and the move of Nagatomo to such a big club reflects beautifully on the state of the sport in Japan.

"Winning the Asian Cup we have showed our football and our qualities by achieving great success," Ogura told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Even Nagatomo's transfer to Inter represents great success to all of Japanese football."