Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock will make a decision on his long-term playing future by the end of the year following a fact-finding mission to Japan.

Mortlock, off-contract with Australian rugby at the end of 2010, has confirmed he visited the country during his rehabilitation from a knee injury.

He was reportedly offered $3.75 million by a Japanese club before signing his latest deal with the ARU.

Mortlock said he had been in contact with only one Japanese club, Kyuden Vortex.

"Basically I've got to work out my long-term future," he told reporters on Monday.

"It's something I'll just have a look at down the track. At this stage, nothing's really changed. Probably after the (European) tour I'll be able to sit down and have a good long, hard look at that, where to next.

"It was a good opportunity to just go over there and have a look at it.

"Whenever I'm in a situation where you have to make a decision, I want to make a very informed decision.

"It was part of gaining an understanding of what it's like culturally, I've got a family and everything else so there's a lot of things you've got to factor in as far as making decisions about the future."

The crash-running centre returned to camp Wallaby on Monday withy his recovery from a knee injury on track to have him playing the All Blacks in Tokyo on October 31.

"I always thought by the end of this year it will be quite natural to have a clear understanding as to the decision of where the long-term future lies and I still feel that way," he said of his future.

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