Masami Ihara facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | September 18, 1967 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Koka, Shiga, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1983–1985 | Moriyama High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1989 | University of Tsukuba | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1999 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 267 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Júbilo Iwata | 20 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Urawa Reds | 54 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 341 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1999 | Japan | 122 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Japan U-23 (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2014 | Kashiwa Reysol (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2018 | Avispa Fukuoka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2023 | Kashiwa Reysol (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Kashiwa Reysol | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Masami Ihara (井原 正巳, Ihara Masami, born September 18, 1967) is a famous Japanese former football player and manager. He was most recently the manager of the J1 League club Kashiwa Reysol.
Masami Ihara was a strong defender. He was the captain of the Japan national team for over ten years in the 1990s. He played alongside star striker Kazuyoshi Miura and midfielder Ruy Ramos. Ihara held the record for the most national team appearances with 122 games. This record was later broken by Yasuhito Endo in 2012.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Becoming "Mister Marinos"
Masami Ihara spent most of his playing career with Yokohama F. Marinos. He joined the team, then called Nissan Motors, after finishing university. He quickly became a very important player for the club. Fans even nicknamed him Mister Marinos because he was so crucial to the team.
Ihara was a strong leader and helped younger talented players like Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi and Shunsuke Nakamura grow. He played 267 games for Yokohama F. Marinos, scoring 5 goals.
Later Club Years and Retirement
After leaving Yokohama F. Marinos, Ihara played one season with Júbilo Iwata in 2000. He then spent his last two seasons with Urawa Reds from 2001 to 2002. He retired from playing football in 2002.
In total, he played 341 league games and scored 7 goals during his club career. He was recognized as one of the best players, being chosen for the J.League Best Eleven six years in a row. He was also named part of the J.League 30th Anniversary Best Eleven.
International Football Journey
Early Days and Asian Cup Win
Masami Ihara first played for the Japan national team on January 27, 1988. He was still a university student at the time. After his first game, he became a regular player for Japan. He played in the qualifiers for the 1990 FIFA World Cup and at the 1990 Asian Games.
In 1992, Japan won the AFC Asian Cup for the very first time. This was a big achievement for the team.
World Cup Dreams and Debut
Japan tried to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup but did not succeed. After that, Ihara became the captain of the national team. He led Japan in tournaments like the 1995 King Fahd Cup and the 1996 AFC Asian Cup.
In 1997, Japan finally qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup for the first time ever. This was a historic moment for Japanese football. During the 1998 World Cup in France, Ihara's experience as a defender was very important. He helped Japan's defense, playing alongside players like Yutaka Akita and Eisuke Nakanishi. Young goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi was also a key part of the team.
Final International Games
After the 1998 World Cup, Ihara played in the 1999 Copa América. This competition marked his last games for Japan. He played a total of 122 games and scored 5 goals for his country before retiring from international football in 1999.
Coaching and Managerial Roles
Starting as an Assistant Coach
In 2006, Masami Ihara began his coaching career. He became an assistant coach for the Japan U-23 national team for two years. After that, he joined Kashiwa Reysol as an assistant coach in 2009. He even took charge of the team as a temporary manager twice.
Leading Avispa Fukuoka to Promotion
In 2015, Ihara became the head coach for Avispa Fukuoka. The team had been struggling in the J2 League. Under his leadership, Avispa Fukuoka had a great season. They won 24 out of 42 games and finished in third place.
Avispa Fukuoka then entered the playoffs. They won their playoff matches and earned promotion to the top league, the J1 League. This was a big success for the club under Ihara's guidance.
Return to Kashiwa Reysol
Ihara managed Avispa Fukuoka in the 2016 J1 League season. His first win in the league was a 1–0 away victory against FC Tokyo. He left Avispa Fukuoka at the end of the 2018 season.
He later returned to Kashiwa Reysol as an assistant coach from 2019 to 2023. In 2023, he took over as the head manager of Kashiwa Reysol, a position he held until 2024.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 1990–91 | JSL Division 1 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 26 | 2 | ||
| 1991–92 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||||
| 1992 | J1 League | — | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 1993 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| 1994 | 41 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 1 | ||
| 1995 | 47 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 49 | 1 | |||
| 1996 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 43 | 1 | ||
| 1997 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | ||
| 1998 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||
| 1999 | J1 League | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| Total | 267 | 5 | 19 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 322 | 5 | ||
| Júbilo Iwata | 2000 | J1 League | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| Urawa Reds | 2001 | J1 League | 26 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 36 | 1 |
| 2002 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 37 | 1 | ||
| Total | 54 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 73 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 341 | 7 | 23 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 418 | 8 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 1988 | 5 | 0 |
| 1989 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1990 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1991 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1992 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1993 | 15 | 2 | |
| 1994 | 9 | 1 | |
| 1995 | 16 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 13 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 21 | 1 | |
| 1998 | 10 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 122 | 5 | |
- Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ihara goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 May 1993 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |  Sri Lanka |
2–0 | 6–0 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 3–0 | |||||
| 3 | 11 October 1994 | Hiroshima, Japan |  South Korea |
2–2 | 2–3 | 1994 Asian Games |
| 4 | 3 June 1995 | London, England |  England |
1–1 | 1–2 | Umbro Cup |
| 5 | 8 November 1997 | Tokyo, Japan |  Kazakhstan |
4–0 | 5–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Kashiwa Reysol | 2009 | 2009 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Avispa Fukuoka | 2015 | 2018 | 181 | 77 | 47 | 57 | 42.54 |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 2023 | 2024 | 78 | 21 | 25 | 32 | 26.92 |
| Total | 261 | 98 | 73 | 90 | 37.55 | ||
Awards and Achievements
Team Honours
- With Nissan Motors / Yokohama F. Marinos:
- Emperor's Cup: 1991, 1992
- J1 League: 1995
- Asian Cup Winners' Cup: 1991–92, 1992–93
- With Júbilo Iwata:
- Japanese Super Cup: 2000
- With Japan National Team:
- AFC Asian Cup: 1992
Individual Awards
- Asian Footballer of the Year: 1995
- J.League Best XI: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
- MasterCard Asian/Oceanian Team of the 20th Century: 1998
- J.League 20th Anniversary Team
- J.League 30th Anniversary Team
See also
In Spanish: Masami Ihara para niños
