Naohiro Takahara

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Takahara was born in Mishima on 4 June 1979. He began his club career with Júbilo Iwata in 1998, winning the J.League Cup and being selected for the New Hero awards that year. In 1999, the club won the J1 League and Asian Club Championship. In August 2001, he moved on loan to Boca Juniors, becoming the first Japanese player in the Argentine Primera División. After returning to Júbilo Iwata in 2002, he became top scorer and MVP as the club won the J.League Division 1. He then moved to Hamburger SV, making his Bundesliga debut in January 2003 and scoring his first Bundesliga hat-trick on 3 December 2006. In January 2008 he transferred to Urawa Reds, and in July 2010 was loaned to Suwon Samsung Bluewings. He returned to Japan in 2011, playing for Shimizu S-Pulse, Tokyo Verdy, and SC Sagamihara. In December 2015, he co-founded Okinawa SV, serving as president, player, and captain. He announced his retirement at the end of the 2023 season. Internationally, he played for Japan at the 2000 Asian Cup (winning the tournament), the 2000 Olympics, the 2003 Confederations Cup, and the 2006 World Cup. He missed the 2002 World Cup due to lung disease. He played 57 games and scored 23 goals for Japan until 2008.

In Their Own Story

At the 2007 Asian Cup, Takahara finished as top scorer after an impressive performance. He scored against Qatar in the first match, which Japan tied 1–1. In the next match against the United Arab Emirates, Takahara impressed coach Ivica Osim with two goals. In the quarterfinal match against rivals Australia, Takahara scored the tying goal and sent the game to penalty kicks. Although Takahara missed his spot-kick, saves from goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi sent Japan through into the semifinals, where they lost to Saudi Arabia 3–2.

Reader's Guide

At the 2007 Asian Cup, Takahara played six matches and scored four goals, becoming the tournament's top scorer. He scored against Qatar in the first match, two goals against the United Arab Emirates, and the tying goal against Australia in the quarterfinal, which Japan won on penalties. Japan lost to Saudi Arabia 3–2 in the semifinals.

Did You Know?

• He became the first Japanese player to play in the Argentine Primera División.
• He was the J.League Most Valuable Player and top scorer in 2002.
• He co-founded Okinawa SV in 2015 and served as player-president.
• He scored a hat-trick for Hamburger SV against Alemannia Aachen in December 2006.