Yahiro Kazama facts for kids

Yahiro Kazama (born October 16, 1961) is a famous Japanese football player and coach. He played as a midfielder and was known for his skills. He also played for the Japan national team.

Yahiro Kazama made history by scoring the very first goal by a Japanese player in the J1 League. This is Japan's top professional football league. His two sons, Koki Kazama and Koya Kazama, also became football players.

Yahiro Kazama's Club Journey

Yahiro Kazama was born in Shizuoka, Japan, on October 16, 1961. After finishing university, he moved to Germany in 1984. There, he played for several football clubs. These included teams like Remscheid and Eintracht Braunschweig.

In 1989, Kazama returned to Japan. He joined a team called Mazda, which later became Sanfrecce Hiroshima. This club was in Japan's second division at the time. His team worked hard and was promoted to the top division in 1991.

Making History in the J1 League

In 1992, a new and exciting league started in Japan called the J1 League. Yahiro Kazama played in the very first match of this new league. He scored a goal in that game. This goal was special because it was the first one ever scored by a Japanese player in the J1 League! He played for Sanfrecce Hiroshima until the end of 1995. After that, he went back to play for Remscheid in Germany again. He stopped playing professional football in 1998.

Playing for Japan: The National Team

Yahiro Kazama also represented his country, Japan, in football.

Youth National Team

In August 1979, when he was still a student at Shimizu Commercial High School, he was chosen to play for the Japan U-20 national team. He played in the 1979 World Youth Championship, which is a big tournament for young players from around the world. He played 3 games in this championship.

Senior National Team

In December 1980, while he was a university student, he was selected for the Japan senior national team. This is the main team that represents Japan in international matches. He made his first appearance for the national team on December 22, playing against Singapore.

He also played for Japan in other important competitions. These included the 1982 Asian Games and the qualification games for the 1984 Summer Olympics. He played a total of 19 games for Japan until 1983. After he moved to Germany in 1984, he was no longer chosen to play for the national team.

Becoming a Coach: Leading Teams

After he stopped playing football, Yahiro Kazama started a new career as a coach.

Early Coaching Roles

In 1998, he became the manager for the Toin University of Yokohama football team. He coached them until 2003. Later, in 2008, he returned to his old university, University of Tsukuba, to coach their team. He stayed there until April 2012.

Coaching in the J.League

On April 23, 2012, Kawasaki Frontale, a team in the J.League, announced that Kazama would be their new manager. He took over the team when they were not doing very well. Kazama helped the team improve a lot. They finished in 3rd place twice in the J1 League, in 2013 and 2016. They also reached the final of the 2016 Emperor's Cup in 2016, finishing as runners-up. He left Kawasaki Frontale at the end of the 2016 season.

In 2017, Kazama moved to another J.League club, Nagoya Grampus. This team was in the J2 League at the time. He led them to a 3rd place finish, which meant they were promoted back to the J1 League for the 2018 season. In 2018, even though the team had some tough times, they managed to stay in the J1 League. On September 23, 2019, it was announced that Kazama would be leaving Nagoya Grampus after that season.

See also

In Spanish: Yahiro Kazama para niños