Akira Kaji facts for kids
Kaji with Gamba Osaka in 2010
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| Full name | Akira Kaji | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 13 January 1980 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Minamiawaji, Hyogo, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Takigawa Daini High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Cerezo Osaka | 24 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Oita Trinita | 75 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | FC Tokyo | 89 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2014 | Gamba Osaka | 225 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Chivas USA | 15 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Fagiano Okayama | 86 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 514 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Japan U20 | 8 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2008 | Japan | 64 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Akira Kaji (born January 13, 1980) is a Japanese former professional footballer. He played as a defender, which means his main job was to stop the other team from scoring. He also played for the Japan national team until 2008.
Contents
Akira Kaji's Club Journey
Starting with Cerezo Osaka
After finishing high school, Akira Kaji joined the football club Cerezo Osaka in 1998. He played his first league game on July 25, 1998. It was sometimes hard for him to get a regular spot on the main team. Because of this, he moved to J2 League side Oita Trinita at the start of the year 2000.
Playing for Oita Trinita and FC Tokyo
Akira Kaji spent two years playing for Oita Trinita. Then, in 2002, he returned to the top league, J1 League, to play for FC Tokyo. The team's manager, Hiromi Hara, made him a regular player. Kaji was given a more attacking role, meaning he helped more with scoring goals.
In 2004, his club, FC Tokyo, won the 2004 J.League Cup. They beat Urawa Reds in the final match. The game ended in a 0–0 tie, even after extra time. So, they had to do a penalty shootout. Akira Kaji took the last penalty for Tokyo and scored, helping his team win the cup!
Success with Gamba Osaka
At the beginning of the 2006 season, Kaji moved to Gamba Osaka. He even scored a goal in his very first league match against Urawa Reds. In 2006, he was chosen as one of the best players in the league, making it into the J.League Best XI.
His team, Gamba Osaka, won many championships. They won the 2007 J.League Cup, and the Emperor's Cup in 2008 and 2009. They also had great success in Asia, winning the 2008 AFC Champions League. They even finished third in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. After 2012, Kaji played less often because of injuries.
Later Career and Retirement
After eight years with Gamba Osaka, Akira Kaji joined the American club Chivas USA in Major League Soccer on June 24, 2014. However, that club stopped playing at the end of 2014. Kaji then returned to Japan and joined Fagiano Okayama in 2015. He played there until the end of the 2017 season, when he decided to retire from professional football.
Akira Kaji's International Career
Playing for Japan's Youth Team
Akira Kaji was part of the Japan U20 national team. They played in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship finals, where they finished as runners-up, which means they came in second place.
Joining the Senior National Team
Kaji played his first game for the Japan national team on October 8, 2003. This was a friendly match against Tunisia, and the national coach, Zico, thought highly of him. Kaji became the main right full-back for the team.
He was a key player when Japan won the 2004 AFC Asian Cup in China. In a game against Brazil in 2005, a goal he scored was not allowed because of a controversial offside call. His first official goal for Japan finally came on August 17, 2005, during a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Iran.
The 2006 FIFA World Cup
Akira Kaji was chosen to be part of the Japan squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals. Before the tournament, in a warm-up match against Germany, he hurt his ankle. The coach, Zico, thought about replacing him but decided to keep him on the team.
Kaji missed Japan's first game in the tournament against Australia. Another player, Yuichi Komano, played in his place. But Kaji recovered and played in the rest of Japan's games in the competition.
After the World Cup
After the 2006 World Cup, a new coach, Ivica Osim, took over. He also regularly picked Kaji for the national team. Kaji was part of the Japan team for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup and played in all of Japan's games during that tournament.
On May 20, 2008, Akira Kaji announced that he was retiring from international football. He played a total of 64 games and scored 2 goals for Japan before 2008.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Cerezo Osaka | 1998 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | – | 17 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 | 0 | ||
| Oita Trinita | 2000 | 34 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 37 | 3 | |
| 2001 | 41 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 47 | 0 | ||
| FC Tokyo | 2002 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 27 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 30 | 0 | ||
| 2004 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 26 | 0 | ||
| 2005 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 | 0 | ||
| Gamba Osaka | 2006 | 29 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 39 | 2 |
| 2007 | 28 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | – | 38 | 2 | ||
| 2008 | 26 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 20 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 42 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 40 | 0 | |||
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | ||
| Fagiano Okayama | 2015 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 37 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 26 | 1 | |||
| 2017 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 24 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 499 | 7 | 38 | 3 | 32 | 1 | 34 | 0 | 608 | 11 | |
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 2003 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 64 | 2 | |
- Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kaji goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 August 2005 | Yokohama, Japan |  Iran |
2–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 2 | 17 October 2007 | Osaka, Japan |  Egypt |
4–1 | 2007 Afro-Asian Cup of Nations |
Akira Kaji's Achievements
Here are some of the major awards and championships Akira Kaji won during his football career:
- AFC Champions League – 2008
- Emperor's Cup – 2008, 2009
- J.League Cup – 2004, 2007
- Japanese Super Cup – 2007
With Japan National Team
- AFC Asian Cup – 2004
- FIFA World Youth Championship – 1999 (Runner-up)
Individual Awards
- J.League Best XI – 2006 (This means he was chosen as one of the best 11 players in the J.League for that year!)
See also
In Spanish: Akira Kaji para niños
