Akira Kaji

Akira Kaji

Kaji with Gamba Osaka in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Akira Kaji
Date of birth	(1980-01-13) 13 January 1980
Place of birth	Minamiawaji, Hyōgo, Japan
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Right back
Club information
Current team	Fagiano Okayama
Number	21
Youth career
1995–1997	Takigawa Daini H.S.
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1998–1999	Cerezo Osaka	24	(0)
2000–2001	Oita Trinita	75	(3)
2002–2005	FC Tokyo	89	(1)
2006–2014	Gamba Osaka	225	(2)
2014	Chivas USA	15	(0)
2015–	Fagiano Okayama	36	(0)
National team‡
1998–1999	Japan U-20	8	(1)
2003–2008	Japan	64	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 February 2016. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 30 January 2010

Akira Kaji (加地 亮, Kaji Akira) (born 13 January 1980 in Minamiawaji, Hyōgo) is a Japanese professional footballer who last played for Fagiano Okayama FC. He is a specialist on the right-hand side of the pitch playing as a full back or a wide midfielder.^[1]

Playing career

Club

After graduating from Takigawa Daini High School, Kaji joined Cerezo Osaka in 1998. He made his first league appearance on 25 July 1998 against Avispa Fukuoka. At the club, he found it difficult to break into the first team and was loaned out to J. League Division 2 side Oita Trinita at the start of the 2000 season.

After spending 2 years at Oita, Kaji came back to Division 1 in 2002 to play for F.C. Tokyo. The manager Hiromi Hara made him a regular and assigned a more attacking role. His club won the 2004 J. League Cup by beating Urawa Red Diamonds in the final which ended 0–0 after the extra time. The penalty shoot-out was required and his successful conversion as the last penalty taker for Tokyo finally broke the deadlock.

He was transferred to Gamba Osaka at the beginning of the 2006 season and scored in the beginning league match against Urawa Reds. He was selected as a member of the 2006 J-League Team of the Year.

After eight years with Gamba Osaka, Kaji signed with Major League Soccer club Chivas USA on 24 June 2014.^[2]

International

He was a member of the Japan team for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship finals where the team finished runners-up.

He gained his first cap for Japan when national coach Zico played him on 8 October 2003 in a friendly against Tunisia. He was rated highly by Zico who made him the first-choice right full-back. He was a member of the Japan team who won the 2004 Asian Cup in China.^[3] In a 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup against Brazil, his goal was disallowed by a controversial offside decision.^[4] His first goal for the country finally came on 17 August 2005 in a World Cup qualifier against Iran.^[5]

He made the final squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals. In a preparation match against Germany just before the tournament, he injured his ankle when tackled by Bastian Schweinsteiger.^[6] Zico considered his replacement but decided to keep him. He missed Japan's first game in the tournament against Australia with Yūichi Komano filling in for his place, but he returned to the team and played in the rest of the competition.

After the 2006 World Cup, Zico was replaced by Ivica Osim who also regularly picks him for the national team. He was a member of the Japan team for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup and played all the Japan games in the tournament.

On 20 May 2008 he announced retirement from international football.

Club career stats

Updated to 23 February 2016.^[7]

¹Includes AFC Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup.

National team career statistics

^[8]

Appearances in major competitions

Team	Competition	Category	Appearances		Goals	Team Record
			Start	Sub
Japan	1999 FIFA World Youth Championship	Senior	0	3	0	2nd place
Japan	2003 Confederations Cup	Senior			0	Group Stage
Japan	2004 AFC Asian Cup	Senior	6	0	0	Champions
Japan	2005 Confederations Cup	Senior			0	Group Stage
Japan	East Asian Cup 2005	Senior			0	2nd place
Japan	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification	Senior			1	Qualified
Japan	2006 FIFA World Cup	Senior	3	0	0	Group Stage

Goals for Senior National Team

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	17 August 2005	Yokohama, Japan	Iran	2–1	Won	2006 FIFA World Cup Qualification
2.	17 October 2007	Osaka, Japan	Egypt	4–1	Won	2007 Afro-Asian Cup of Nations

Personal Honors

• J. League Best Eleven – 2006

Team Honors

Club

• AFC Champions League – 2008
• Emperor's Cup – 2008, 2009
• J. League Cup – 2004, 2007
• Japanese Super Cup – 2007

National Team

• AFC Asian Cup – 2004
• FIFA World Youth Championship – 1999 (Runner-up)

References

External links

• National Football Teams
• Japan National Football Team Database
• Player statistics at J.League Data Site (Japanese)
• Profile at Fagiano Okayama

Japan Squad
Japan squad – 2004 AFC Asian Cup Winners (3rd Title) 1 Narazaki 3 Tanaka 4 Endō 5 Miyamoto (c) 6 Nakata 8 Ogasawara 10 Nakamura 11 Suzuki 12 Doi 14 Alex 15 Fukunishi 16 Fujita 17 Miura 18 Matsuda 19 Motoyama 20 Tamada 21 Kaji 22 Nakazawa 23 Kawaguchi 24 Nishi 25 Chano 26 Yamada Coach: Zico Japan squad – 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup 1 Narazaki 2 Tanaka 3 Chano 4 Endō 5 Miyamoto (c) 6 K. Nakata 7 H. Nakata 8 Ogasawara 9 Tamada 10 Nakamura 11 Suzuki 12 Doi 13 Yanagisawa 14 Alex 15 Fukunishi 16 Oguro 17 Miura 18 Inamoto 19 Motoyama 20 Tsuboi 21 Kaji 22 Moniwa 23 Kawaguchi Coach: Zico Japan squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Narazaki 2 Moniwa 3 Komano 4 Endō 5 Miyamoto (c) 6 K. Nakata 7 H. Nakata 8 Ogasawara 9 Takahara 10 Nakamura 11 Maki 12 Doi 13 Yanagisawa 14 Alex 15 Fukunishi 16 Oguro 17 Inamoto 18 Ono 19 Tsuboi 20 Tamada 21 Kaji 22 Nakazawa 23 Kawaguchi Coach: Zico Japan squad – 2007 AFC Asian Cup Fourth Place 1 Kawaguchi (c) 2 Konno 3 Komano 5 Tsuboi 6 Abe 7 Endō 8 Hanyu 9 Yamagishi 10 S. Nakamura 11 Satō 12 Maki 13 Suzuki 14 K. Nakamura 15 Mizuno 18 Narazaki 19 Takahara 20 Yano 21 Kaji 22 Nakazawa 23 Kawashima 24 Hashimoto 28 Ota 29 Inoha Coach: Osim