It was eight years ago when Gen Shoji -- then one of Japanese football's rising stars -- first tasted continental glory with Kashima Antlers in the AFC Champions League Elite.
Shoji, who was one of just eight domestic-based players to represent Japan at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, would go on to try his luck in Europe - where he spent a year in Ligue 1 with Toulouse before heading back to the J1 League.
After a stint with Gamba Osaka was followed by a brief return to Kashima, Shoji found himself joining newly-promoted Machida Zelvia for their top-flight debut at the start of 2024.
It may have been a move that raised eyebrows back then, considering Machida's humble stature compared to some of the J1 League's more-illustrious clubs that would all likely have been happy to add someone of Shoji's quality to their ranks.
But the club's meteoric rise has validated Shoji's decision.
In their first season in the J1 League, Machida came close to winning it all before ultimately having to settle for a third-place finish. Last season, they won their first major silverware -- with that Emperor's Cup triumph securing a debut on the Asian stage.
Despite it being their first taste of continental football, Machida hardly looked out of place as they finished the league stage top of the East region ahead of compatriots Vissel Kobe and Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
A hard-fought 1-0 win over Gangwon FC across two legs in the round of 16 then booked their spot in the ACL Elite finals, where they are next in action on Friday evening in a quarterfinal against Saudi Pro League giants Al Ittihad.
Anyone in Asian football knows it would be foolish to underestimate any team from Japan, inexperienced or not -- even if Al Ittihad will enter the tie as favourites boasting stellar names such as Fabinho, Moussa Diaby and Houssem Aouar.
And Shoji has moved quickly to dispel any notion that Machida are just happy to have gotten this far for their first taste of the ACL Elite.
"We are not just here to take part in this competition," said the 33-year-old in the pre-match news conference. "We are here to win this tournament.
"We are going to gain momentum by winning tomorrow's [Friday's] match."
Shoji's previous experience in Asia is slightly different from what it is now, back before the Elite era when teams from the East and West regions only met in the final.
Still, his ability to convey what to expect to his team-mates should stand in good stead, even if he is far from the only one in this Machida outfit with the experience.
The likes of Takuma Nishimura and Yuki Soma have tasted knockout football in the tournament before, while one of Shoji's vice-captains Yuta Nakayama has considerable European experience from the Eredivisie and English Championship.
"I experienced winning the AFC Champions League with Kashima Antlers in 2018," Shoji added. "But, of course, the regulations were different from this time so we can't compare everything like-for-like.
"Last time I played against Persepolis from Iran [in the 2018 final] and I have talked about that experience to my team-mates, but there are things you can't tell in words, you have to experience them yourself, standing on the pitch.
"They have to understand how to adapt to the opponents. It's my first time in this new format and I'm looking forward to it as well."
The sweltering heat in Jeddah -- where the centralised finals are being held until the decider on April 25 -- could also be a factor, while Machida will certainly be feeling the effects of a 16-hour flight from Tokyo.
Nonetheless, Al Ittihad will also have to deal with having just two days of rest since their round of 16 triumph over Al Wahda.
"It's [been] nine years since I last played in Jeddah but it was the kind of heat I hadn't experienced in Japan," explained Shoji.
"We have to adapt to this environment. It's not going to be an excuse.
"We can't have that as an excuse because we knew this would happen. We've had three days to adapt to this so it's not something we're too worried about."