For the 29-year-old Socceroo, a routine medical at a hospital in the heart of Tokyo was abruptly disrupted by March’s devastating earthquake.

In the ensuing mayhem that engulfed the country, took thousands of lives and shook the on-looking world, football was subsequently suspended for around six weeks.

North had only just arrived in the country and Japan was in disarray.

“It was pretty crazy,” he told au.fourfourtwo.com. “I’d never been in an earthquake and that one was the third biggest on record. It was pretty frightening.

“But it’s no problem now...I can sit through them - I used to shit myself but now it’s absolutely nothing. It’s fine now.”

It meant that when football did finally return and life slowly returned to normal, there was a backlog of catch-up games.

But FC Tokyo didn’t miss a beat. They secured promotion back to the J.League first division after one season in J2 following a 5-1 win away to Gainare Tottori.

Goals to Masato Morishige, Lucas, Tatsuya Yazawa, Tatsuya Suzuki and Kazumasa Uesato secured the win for the blue and red last month.

North, who joined the club just before the start of the J2 season from Wellington Phoenix, arrived as a back-up central defender.

Yet with Tokyo’s awesome central defensive unit of Yasuyuki Konno and Masato Morishige in regal form, it’s restricted North to just a handful of appearances for the “Gas Men”.

But that hasn’t taken away from the joy North has had in the highly professional Japanese football system under FC coach Kiyoshi Okuma.

“It’s been an enjoyable season. I didn’t play that much but being FC Tokyo, the team that we are, we absolutely dominated the league,” said the former Newcastle Jets, Incheon United and Perth Glory player.

“Two of the boys in my position, one’s in the Japanese national team and the other boy, he is just as good as him and he’s younger.

“These are two boys that’d start in any J1 side. Usually you get a chance with suspension or injuries but in this case the boys they’ve not been injured at all!”

Those in the know will tell you just how important this pairing has been, and FC Tokyo in particular have made an impression on North, despite being on the outer of the starting XI.

“I knew from day one it was always going to be tough to play," he said. “But this is a club where even if you’re not playing you just enjoy going to training because of the set up and the facilities.

“And I’m very well respected at the club as well from the coaching staff and players. Now that I’ve seen how professional things are here in Japan, it’s unbelievable.

“I’d love to stay in Japan.”

For which club remains unclear with North’s one-year contract up. Clearly though he’s formed a bond with Japanese football.

North, who was born in Taree, also proudly flies the flag for Australia’s Indigenous footballers in Japan. His tribe’s tattoos on his arm are a talking point with fans, he said.

He added: “Many people come to training and they are always asking when you’re signing autographs what it is.

“And because in Japan not many people have tattoos it is not there trend there they are very curious about them.

“It is just a little bit weird you come from a small country town like Taree and you end up in Tokyo.”

Check out the full interview with Jade North in the current issue of FourFourTwo Australia magazine where he talks about why more Indigenous players are starting to come through the ranks in Australia.

Follow me on Twitter @Aidothejourno