kids encyclopedia robot

Naohiro Takahara facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Naohiro Takahara
高原 直泰
Takahara Naohiro, Omiya vs Shimizu 2012 (cropped).jpg
Takahara with Shimizu S-Pulse in 2012
Personal information
Full name Naohiro Takahara
Date of birth (1979-06-04) 4 June 1979 (age 46)
Place of birth Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1995–1997 Shimizu Higashi High School
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2002 Júbilo Iwata 105 (58)
2001 → Boca Juniors (loan) 6 (1)
2002–2006 Hamburg 97 (13)
2006–2008 Eintracht Frankfurt 38 (12)
2008–2010 Urawa Reds 63 (10)
2010 → Suwon Samsung Bluewings (loan) 12 (4)
2011–2012 Shimizu S-Pulse 46 (9)
2013–2014 Tokyo Verdy 41 (11)
2014–2015 SC Sagamihara 54 (11)
2016–2023 Okinawa SV 62 (30)
Total 464 (129)
International career
1995 Japan U-17 3 (1)
1998–1999 Japan U-20 16 (16)
1998–2000 Japan U-23 11 (4)
2000–2008 Japan 57 (23)
Managerial career
2016–2019 Okinawa SV
2021–2023 Okinawa SV
Medal record
Júbilo Iwata
Winner J1 League 1999
Winner J1 League 2002
Runner-up J1 League 1998
Runner-up J1 League 2001
Winner J.League Cup 1998
Runner-up J.League Cup 2001
Shimizu S-Pulse
Runner-up J.League Cup 2012
Representing  Japan
AFC Asian Cup
Gold 2000 Lebanon
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Silver 1999 Nigeria
AFC U-19 Championship
Silver 1998 Thailand
AFC U-16 Championship
Gold 1994 Qatar
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 December 2023, 13:22 (UTC)

Naohiro Takahara (高原 直泰, Takahara Naohiro, born 4 June 1979) is a Japanese football manager and a former footballer. He was a forward who played for many clubs and also for Japan's national team. He is currently the president of Okinawa SV, a football club he helped create.

Playing for Clubs

Naohiro Takahara was born in Mishima, Japan, on June 4, 1979. After finishing high school, he joined Júbilo Iwata in 1998.

Early Success in Japan

In 1998, his team, Júbilo Iwata, won the J.League Cup. Takahara was even chosen for the "New Hero" award. The next year, in 1999, they won the J1 League and the Asian Club Championship. They also finished second in the Asian Club Championship in 1999–2000 and 2000–01.

In August 2001, Takahara went to play for Boca Juniors in Argentina for a short time. He was the first Japanese player ever to play in Argentina's top football league.

He returned to Júbilo Iwata in 2002. That year, the club won the 2002 J.League Division 1 again. Takahara was amazing, becoming the top scorer in the league and winning the "Most Valuable Player" award.

Playing in Germany

After his great season in 2002, Takahara moved to Germany to play for Hamburger SV. He made his first appearance in the Bundesliga (Germany's top league) in January 2003. He was the third Japanese player to ever play in the Bundesliga. On December 3, 2006, he scored three goals in one game, which is called a hat-trick, against Alemannia Aachen.

In January 2008, he moved to another Japanese club, Urawa Reds. Later, in July 2010, he played for Suwon Samsung Bluewings in South Korea for a short time. He scored a goal and was named "MVP" in one of their games.

Return to Japan and Club Ownership

In 2011, Takahara came back to Japan and joined Shimizu S-Pulse. After that, he played for J2 League club Tokyo Verdy from 2013 to 2014, and then for J3 League club SC Sagamihara from 2014 to 2015.

In December 2015, Naohiro Takahara did something very special. He started his own football club called Okinawa SV. He wasn't just the club's president; he also played for the team and was their captain! On November 27, 2022, he helped his club get promoted to the Japan Football League for the first time. He even played in that important match. Takahara announced his retirement from playing football at the end of the 2023 season.

Playing for Japan

Naohiro Takahara also had a fantastic career playing for Japan's national football teams.

Youth National Teams

In August 1995, Takahara was chosen for the Japan U17 national team to play in the 1995 U-17 World Cup. He played in all three matches and scored one goal.

In April 1999, he joined the Japan U-20 national team for the 1999 World Youth Championship. He played in all seven games and scored three goals, helping Japan finish in second place.

Senior National Team

Takahara was first selected for the Japan national team in February 2000 for the 2000 Asian Cup qualifiers. He made his debut against Singapore on February 13. He played in all three qualification matches, scoring three goals, and Japan qualified for the main tournament.

In September 2000, he played for the Japan U23 national team at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He played in all four matches and scored three goals. In October, he played in the 2000 Asian Cup, scoring five goals and helping Japan win the championship!

Unfortunately, he missed the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which was co-hosted by Japan and South Korea, due to a health issue.

After the 2002 World Cup, Takahara continued to play for Japan, including in the 2003 Confederations Cup. In 2006, he was chosen for the 2006 World Cup and played in all three of Japan's matches. After the 2006 World Cup, he played in the 2007 Asian Cup. He played six matches, scored four goals, and was the top scorer of the tournament. He played 57 games and scored 23 goals for Japan until 2008.

2007 Asian Cup Highlights

Takahara was the top scorer at the 2007 Asian Cup. He scored against Qatar in the first game, which ended in a 1–1 tie. Japan won their next match against the United Arab Emirates, and Takahara scored two goals, impressing his coach. In the quarterfinal against Australia, Takahara scored the tying goal, sending the game to penalty kicks. Even though he missed his penalty, Japan won thanks to saves from their goalkeeper. Japan then lost to Saudi Arabia in the semifinals.

Career Statistics

Here are some statistics about Naohiro Takahara's career playing for different clubs and for his country.

Club Appearances and Goals

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club season League National cup League cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Júbilo Iwata 1998 J.League / J. League Division 1 20 5 2 0 6 4 – 28 9
1999 21 9 3 1 1 0 – 25 10
2000 24 10 0 0 2 0 – 26 10
2001 13 8 0 0 2 2 – 15 10
2002 27 26 3 0 0 0 – 30 26
Total 105 58 8 1 11 6 – 124 65
Boca Juniors 2001–02 Argentine Primera División 6 1 – – 1 0 7 1
Hamburger SV 2002–03 Bundesliga 16 3 – – – 16 3
2003–04 29 2 3 1 3 1 2 0 37 4
2004–05 31 7 1 0 – *1 0 33 7
2005–06 21 1 2 1 – *10 0 33 2
Total 97 13 6 2 3 1 13 0 119 16
Eintracht Frankfurt 2006–07 Bundesliga 30 11 4 4 – 5 2 39 17
2007–08 8 1 2 0 – – 10 1
Total 38 12 6 4 – 5 2 49 18
Urawa Reds 2008 J.League Division 1 27 6 1 0 3 1 4 1 35 8
2009 32 4 0 0 8 2 – 40 6
2010 4 0 0 0 1 1 – 5 1
Total 63 10 1 0 12 4 4 1 80 15
Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2010 K-League 12 4 1 0 – 1 0 14 4
Shimizu S-Pulse 2011 J.League Division 1 28 8 1 0 4 1 – 25 9
2012 18 1 0 0 2 0 – 20 1
Total 46 9 1 0 6 1 – 53 10
Tokyo Verdy 2013 J. League Division 2 41 11 0 0 – – 41 11
2014 0 0 0 0 – – 0 0
Total 41 11 0 0 – – 41 11
SC Sagamihara 2014 J3 League 21 5 0 0 – – 21 5
2015 33 6 0 0 – – 33 6
Total 54 11 0 0 – – 54 11
Okinawa SV 2018 Kyushu Soccer League 17 11 – 17 11
2019 11 7 2 1 – 19 8
2020 4 5 1 0 – 5 5
2021 15 5 1 0 – 16 5
2022 13 2 1 0 – 14 2
2023 Japan Football League 2 0 0 0 – 2 0
Total 68 30 5 1 – 73 31
Career total 530 159 28 8 32 12 24 3 614 182

International Appearances and Goals

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Japan 2000 11 8
2001 4 0
2002 4 1
2003 8 2
2004 5 1
2005 7 2
2006 5 3
2007 9 6
2008 4 0
Total 57 23

Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Takahara goal.

List of international goals scored by Naohiro Takahara
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 16 February 2000 Macau, China  Brunei 9–0 2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2
3 20 February 2000 Macau, China  Macau 3–0 2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification
4 14 October 2000 Sidon, Lebanon  Saudi Arabia 4–1 2000 AFC Asian Cup
5 17 October 2000 Sidon, Lebanon  Uzbekistan 8–1 2000 AFC Asian Cup
6
7
8 24 October 2000 Beirut, Lebanon  Iraq 4–1 2000 AFC Asian Cup
9 27 March 2002 Łódź, Poland  Poland 2–0 Friendly
10 20 August 2003 Tokyo, Japan  Nigeria 3–0 Friendly
11
12 31 March 2004 Jalan Besar, Singapore  Singapore 2–1 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
13 7 September 2005 Rifu, Japan  Honduras 5–4 Friendly
14 8 October 2005 Riga, Latvia  Latvia 2–2 Friendly
15 28 February 2006 Dortmund, Germany  Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–2 Friendly
16 30 May 2006 Leverkusen, Germany  Germany 2–2 Friendly
17
18 24 March 2007 Yokohama, Japan  Peru 2–0 Friendly
19 1 June 2007 Fukuroi, Japan  Montenegro 2–0 Friendly
20 9 July 2007 Hanoi, Vietnam  Qatar 1–1 2007 AFC Asian Cup
21 13 July 2007 Hanoi, Vietnam  United Arab Emirates 3–1 2007 AFC Asian Cup
22
23 21 July 2007 Hanoi, Vietnam  Australia 1–1 2007 AFC Asian Cup

Managerial Statistics

Naohiro Takahara has also worked as a manager for his club, Okinawa SV. Here is his record as a manager.

Managerial record by club and tenure
Team From To Record
G W D L Win %
Okinawa SV 1 February 2016 31 January 2020 &&&&&&&&&&&&&044.&&&&&044 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&&&&&037 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&084.&9000084.09
29 July 2021 present &&&&&&&&&&&&&040.&&&&&040 &&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&075.&&&&&075.00
Total &&&&&&&&&&&&&084.&&&&&084 &&&&&&&&&&&&&067.&&&&&067 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&079.76000079.76

Awards and Achievements

Naohiro Takahara has won many awards and championships throughout his career.

Júbilo Iwata

Hamburger SV

  • DFB-Ligapokal: 2003
  • UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2005

Okinawa SV (player-manager)

  • Kyushu Soccer League: 2019, 2021, 2022
  • Japanese Regional Football Champions League : 2022 (Runner-up)

Japan U17

  • AFC U-17 Championship: 1994

Japan U20

Japan

Individual Awards

  • AFC U-19 Championship top scorer: 1998
  • AFC Asian Cup Best Eleven: 2000
  • Selected to AFC All Star Team: 2000
  • J.League Most Valuable Player: 2002
  • J.League Top Scorer: 2002
  • J.League Best XI: 2002
  • AFC Asian Cup top scorer: 2007

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Naohiro Takahara para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Naohiro Takahara Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.