Announcing his retirement Wednesday, former Japan forward Seiichiro Maki said he had learned "everything in life" from the sport he spent 16 years playing as a professional.

"Soccer is my whole life," the 38-year-old striker told a press conference in Kumamoto City, a day after his club, Roasso Kumamoto, announced his departure.

Maki, a Kumamoto native, began his career with J-League second-division side JEF United Chiba in 2003 before short stints in Russia and China. He returned to Japan with Tokyo Verdy in 2011 and had been playing with Roasso since 2014.

"I'm happy I could retire in Kumamoto where I was born and raised," said Maki, who thanked his hometown fans for their support.

A familiar face around Kumamoto on and off the pitch, Maki said he decided to retire after Roasso were demoted to the third tier following their second-from-bottom finish in J2 last season.

"I myself performed poorly. I couldn't contribute on the pitch or make any impact," he said.

"Honestly, there are a lot of things I'm leaving behind, but I don't think it will be enough if I stay on the pitch. I asked myself many times and finally made the decision myself. I don't feel like everything is clear yet, but I'm prepared."

As an international, Maki was then-head coach Zico's surprise pick for Japan at the 2006 World Cup in Germany and started in the Samurai Blue's match against defending champions Brazil.

"It was a wonderful experience," Maki said. "After that, I was the talk of the tournament."

"I was really fortunate to compete against top-level players. I soon learned from the older representatives (of Japan) the importance of always being ready for anything."

Maki scored eight goals in 38 senior international matches for the Samurai Blue.

Despite living in his car after a pair of powerful earthquakes struck Kumamoto in 2016, Maki was active in the reconstruction of the region and helped deliver relief supplies to evacuation centers.

"I had nothing after the earthquake, but a lot of people helped me and I could reaffirm that what I had learned from my soccer life had not been a mistake," he said.

Maki said he will continue providing aid to the reconstruction effort and aims to become a leader in his community.

"I'd like to do activities through (exchanges with) athletes that make children have dreams. I'm thinking about being a mentor, of course. I want to give back a lot of experience," he said.