Born in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1977. Nakata played professional football for 8 years in Italy and England. He represented Japan in three consecutive World Cups and two Olympic Games as a member of the national football team.
After retiring in 2006 and traveling around the world, he became aware of the many social and environmental problems facing local communities and the planet. To address these issues, he founded TAKE ACTION FOUNDATION in 2009.
During the past 15 years, Nakata has traveled throughout Japan and become deeply familiar with Japanese culture and customs.
He launched the "NIHONMONO" project (a platform to discover Japan through authentic craftsmanship) with the aim of supporting all areas of Japanese traditional culture, crafts, agriculture, and sake making. In 2015, he established JAPAN CRAFT SAKE COMPANY Co., Ltd. In 2020, he was appointed Honorary Director of the National Craft Museum, the only national craft museum in Japan.
In 2017, he launched the "HEROs Project" with the Nippon Foundation to connect influential people such as athletes and singers, and work together to encourage and spread social contribution. Nakata was appointed as a HERO’s Project ambassador.
Global Ambassadors
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Alia Atkinson
Olympic Swimmer, Commander of the Order of Distinction -
Andre Drummond
NBA All-Star & Rebound Champion, Philadelphia 76ers -
Avril Lavigne
Musician & Philanthropist -
Robert "Bob" Beamon
Olympic Champion, Long Jump -
Charles Melton
Actor -
Chris Nikic
Special Olympics Triathlete/Motivational Speaker -
Dale Moss
Former National Football League Player -
Dalton Risner
NFL Player, Minnesota Vikings, Offensive Guard -
Damian Lillard
NBA All Star, Portland Trailblazers -
Devin Booker
NBA All-Star, Phoenix Suns -
Didier Drogba
Legendary Professional Football (Soccer) Player -
Drew McIntyre
WWE Superstar, (World Wrestling Entertainment) WWE -
Eddie Barbanell
Actor & Comedian -
Elena Delle Donne
Olympic Champion, Basketball, WNBA Legend -
Erika Ender
Singer/Songwriter, TV Celebrity, Producer and Actress -
Gabriela (Gaby) Dabrowski
Professional Tennis Player, Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) -
Hannah Teter
Olympic Champion, Snowboarder -
Hidetoshi Nakata
Former Professional Footballer, ACCA Inc -
Hussein Fahmy
Egyptian Actor -
Ibtihaj Muhammad
Olympic Champion, Fencing -
In-Kyung Kim
Professional Golfer -
Jamaal Charles
Former Football Player at National Football League (NFL) & All Pro Runningback -
Joe Haden
Former NFL Player & All Pro Defensive Back -
John C. McGinley
Actor & Advocate -
Julen Lopetegui
Legendary Soccer Goaltender & current Manager of FC Sevilla -
Katherine Schwarzenegger and Chris Pratt
New York Times Bestselling Author | Actor, Producer -
Lauren Potter
Actor & Advocate -
Li Na
Former Professional Tennis Player, two time grand slam champion, The first Chinese member of the ITHF -
Lily D Moore
Actress and Model -
Mack Hollins
NFL Player, New England Patriots Wide Receiver -
Maureen McCormick
Actress, Designer, Singer, NY Times Bestselling Author -
Michael Phelps
Olympic Champion, Swimming -
Nadia Comaneci
Olympic Champion, Gymnastics, Perfect 10 Production, Inc., Special Olympics Global Ambassador -
Nicole Scherzinger
International Recording Artist & Television Personality -
Nigel Barker
Fashion Photographer, TV Personality, Producer/Filmmaker -
Padraig Harrington
Professional Golfer -
Sam Perkins
Olympic Champion, Basketball & NBA Legend -
Dr. Seun Adigun
Summer & Winter Olympian Hurdles and Bobsledding -
Tristan Thompson
NBA Champion, Cleveland Cavaliers -
Victoria Arlen
ESPN SportsCenter Host -
Vladimir 'Vanja' Grbic
Olympic Medalist, Volleyball -
Yang Yang
Olympic Champion, Speed Skating -
Yao Ming
NBA All Star & FIBA Hall of Famer and Central Board Member -
Zhou Xun
Actress, Singer & Philanthropic Environmentalist -
Zou Shiming
Olympic Champion, Boxing -
View All
As icons of success from diverse industries such as sports, music, entertainment, media, and beyond, Special Olympics Global Ambassadors generously lend their time, talent, and resources to support the Special Olympics mission. They are inspirational role models who share a belief in the power to come together, break down barriers, and foster a world of inclusion while supporting Special Olympics’ expansion of sports, health, youth, and education programs.
