Yahiro Kazama

is a Japanese manager and former footballer. He currently manager of Nankatsu SC. He played for the Japan national team until 1983. He is the first Japanese player to score in the J1 League. His two sons Koki Kazama and Koya Kazama are also footballers.

Club career Kazama was born in Shizuoka on October 16, 1961. After graduating from University of Tsukuba, he moved to Germany in 1984. He played for several clubs, including Remscheid and Eintracht Braunschweig. In 1989, he returned to Japan and joined Japan Soccer League Division 2 club Mazda (later Sanfrecce Hiroshima). The club was promoted to Division 1 in 1991. In 1992, the Japan Soccer League was folded and a new league, the J1 League, was founded. In the league's first season, he played in the opening match and scored a goal, which is the first goal by a Japanese player in the J1 League. He left Sanfrecce Hiroshima at the end of the 1995 season and returned to Remscheid again. He retired in 1998.

National team career In August 1979, when Kazama was a Shimizu Commercial High School student, he was selected by the Japan U-20 national team for 1979 World Youth Championship and he played 3 games. In December 1980, when he was a University of Tsukuba student, he was selected by the Japan national team for 1982 World Cup qualification. At this qualification, on December 22, he debuted against Singapore. He also played in the 1982 Asian Games and the 1984 Summer Olympics qualification. He played 19 games for Japan until 1983. After he moved to Germany in 1984, he was not selected to play for Japan.

Managerial career After retirement, Kazama became a manager for the Toin University of Yokohama in 1998. He resigned in 2003. In 2008, he became a manager for his alma mater University of Tsukuba and managed until April 2012.

On 23 April 2012, Kawasaki Frontale announced Kazama as their new manager. He succeeded Naoki Soma who was fired for poor results.

On 7 November 2023, Kazama was announce official appointment manager of Kantō Soccer League club, Nankatsu SC from 2024 season.

Club statistics

National team statistics