JFA Hall of Fame Inductee

KATO Hisashi

Inducted into the 15th Japan Football Hall of Fame in 2018

Born in Miyagi on 24 April 1956

Attended Waseda University after graduating from Sendai Daini High School, where he excelled as a defensive midfielder and a defender. Although he was not exceptionally a tall player, he showed great strengths in the air, while his decision-making skills and vigorous fighting spirit has made him a standout defender with accurate passing ability. He was named as a member of the Japan National Team during his time at Waseda University. After graduating from Waseda University, he applied to a postgraduate course at the University of Tsukuba to research the field of physical education, while playing as a member of Yomiuri FC, where he helped the Brazilian style team that featured many talented individual players to win five JSL titles.

By the mid-1980s, he has become a vital piece of the Japan National Team defence line, where he showcased his leadership as the team captain. The team however, fell short from qualifying in both the 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico and the 24th Olympic Games Seoul (1988).

After the J. League officially kicked off in 1993, he went onto pursue his career as a player at Verdy Kawasaki and Shimizu S-Pulse, before getting named as JFA’s Technical Director after his retirement.

His coaching career featured stints with numbers of J. League clubs including Verdy Kawasaki and Shonan Bellmare, while he was named as the JFA's Special Reconstruction Assistance Coach to support the affected areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

• 
  NISHINO Akira
• OKADA Takeshi