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Hotaru Yamaguchi
山口 蛍
Hotaru Yamaguchi.jpg
Yamaguchi lining up for Japan at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Hotaru Yamaguchi
Date of birth (1990-10-06) 6 October 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth Nabari, Mie, Japan
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
V-Varen Nagasaki
Number 5
Youth career
2000–2002 Minowa West SC
2003–2008 Cerezo Osaka
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2015 Cerezo Osaka 140 (11)
2016 Port Vale 6 (0)
2016–2018 Cerezo Osaka 85 (3)
2019–2024 Vissel Kobe 192 (23)
2025– V-Varen Nagasaki 2 (0)
International career
2010–2012 Japan U23 29 (1)
2013–2019 Japan 48 (3)
Medal record
Representing  Japan
Asian Games
Gold 2010 Guangzhou Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 February 2025, 14:20 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2019

Hotaru Yamaguchi (born October 6, 1990) is a Japanese professional footballer. He plays as a defensive midfielder. Currently, he plays for the club V-Varen Nagasaki. Yamaguchi was also a member of the Japan national team until 2019.

Hotaru Yamaguchi's Football Journey

Starting Young: Early Days in Football

Hotaru Yamaguchi started playing football when he was in third grade. He mostly played as an attacking midfielder. When he entered junior high, he tried out for several youth academies. These included Cerezo Osaka, Gamba Osaka, and Kyoto Purple Sanga. He chose to join the Cerezo Under-15 team.

He quickly showed great skill at the club. He was chosen for the first group of the Japan Football Association Elite Program. This happened at the end of his first year. In 2006, Yamaguchi moved up to the Cerezo Under-18 team. He was the captain of this team. In 2008, they won the JFA Prince League U-18. Yamaguchi was even named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Playing for Cerezo Osaka

In 2009, Yamaguchi joined the senior team of Cerezo Osaka. His teammate Yusuke Maruhashi also joined. Yamaguchi spent three months training with the Palmeiras Under-21 academy. In his second season, he was selected for the Japan Under-21 team. He played in every match at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou. His team won the gold medal.

Yamaguchi started getting a lot of playing time with Cerezo in 2011. He scored his first league goal against Urawa Reds. Later that season, he often played as an attacking midfielder. He finished the season with 30 appearances. In 2012, he became a regular player for Cerezo. He played in central midfield with Takahiro Ogihara for both his club and the national team. He was also named to the Under-23 team.

Time in Germany: Hannover 96

On December 21, 2015, the German club Hannover 96 announced they had signed Yamaguchi. He played for Hannover 96 in 2016. However, he returned to Cerezo Osaka in the middle of that season.

Success with Vissel Kobe

On December 19, 2018, Yamaguchi made a big move. He transferred to Vissel Kobe. He wanted to help the team win the J1 League and the AFC Champions League. He achieved his goal by winning the league championship with them. Reports said he signed a three-year contract.

New Chapter: V-Varen Nagasaki

On December 23, 2024, it was announced that Yamaguchi would transfer to the J2 club, V-Varen Nagasaki. He officially joined the team in 2025.

Playing for Japan: International Career

Yamaguchi played for the Japan Under-23 national team. This was under coach Takashi Sekizuka. They successfully qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics. He was part of the final team for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Japan finished in fourth place at the tournament.

In July 2013, Yamaguchi was called up to the senior Japan side for the first time. This was by coach Alberto Zaccheroni for the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup. He played in all three matches and was named the tournament's MVP.

In May 2018, he was chosen for Japan's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Career Highlights and Achievements

Hotaru Yamaguchi has won many awards and championships throughout his career.

Club Trophies

International Medals

  • Japan
    • EAFF East Asian Cup: 2013
  • Japan U-23

Individual Awards

  • EAFF East Asian Cup Most Valuable Player: 2013
  • J.League Best XI: 2013, 2017, 2023

Career Statistics Summary

Hotaru Yamaguchi has played many games for his clubs and country. Here's a quick look at his appearances and goals.

Club Appearances and Goals

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Cerezo Osaka 2009 J.League Div 2 3 0 0 0 3 0
2010 J.League Div 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 4 0
2011 17 1 4 0 0 0 2 0 23 1
2012 30 2 4 2 6 0 40 4
2013 34 6 0 0 8 1 42 7
2014 19 1 1 0 0 0 8 0 28 1
2015 J2 League 35 1 0 0 2 0 37 1
2016 19 1 1 0 2 0 22 1
2017 J1 League 32 2 5 1 2 0 39 3
2018 33 0 1 0 1 0 4 0 39 0
Total 226 14 16 3 19 1 14 0 4 0 279 18
Hannover 96 2015–16 Bundesliga 6 0 0 0 6 0
Vissel Kobe 2019 J1 League 34 3 5 2 2 1 41 6
2020 34 6 1 0 7 1 42 7
2021 32 5 3 0 8 1 43 6
2022 33 2 3 0 2 0 6 0 44 2
2023 32 4 3 0 2 0 37 4
2024 27 3 3 0 0 0 30 3
Total 192 23 17 2 15 2 13 1 0 0 237 28
V-Varen Nagasaki 2025 J2 League 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Total 2 0 0 0 2 0
Career total 426 37 33 5 34 3 27 1 4 0 524 46

International Appearances and Goals

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Japan 2013 8 0
2014 7 0
2015 9 1
2016 6 1
2017 8 0
2018 7 0
2019 3 1
Total 48 3
Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Yamaguchi goal.
List of international goals scored by Hotaru Yamaguchi
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 5 August 2015 Wuhan Sports Center Stadium, Wuhan, China  South Korea 1–1 1–1 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup
2 6 October 2016 Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan  Iraq 2–1 2–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
3 19 November 2019 Panasonic Stadium Suita, Suita, Japan  Venezuela 1–4 1–4 2019 Kirin Challenge Cup

See also

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