Hayato Okanaka | Today's AI Wiki

1. Overview

Hayato Okanaka, born on September 26, 1968, is a former Japanese professional football player who primarily played as a goalkeeper. He spent the majority of his playing career with Gamba Osaka and Oita Trinita in the J.League, becoming a key figure for both clubs during his tenure. After retiring from professional play in 2005, Okanaka transitioned into a coaching career, working with youth teams and university football clubs.

2. Personal Background

Hayato Okanaka's early life involved several relocations before he pursued his academic and footballing aspirations.

2.1. Birth and Childhood

Okanaka was born on September 26, 1968, in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. At the age of five, his family relocated to Hiroshima Prefecture, where he spent part of his childhood. By the age of eleven, he had moved again, settling in Fukuoka Prefecture, where he grew up.

2.2. Education

For his high school education, Okanaka attended Tokai University Fifth High School (東海大学付属第五高等学校_{Tōkai Daigaku Fuzoku Dai-go Kōtō Gakkō}^Japanese) from 1984 to 1986. Following high school, he enrolled in Tokai University (東海大学_{Tōkai Daigaku}^Japanese) from 1987 to 1990, where he continued to play football as part of the university's football club.

3. Playing Career

Okanaka's professional football career spanned from 1991 to 2005, during which he played for two major Japanese clubs, Gamba Osaka and Oita Trinita, establishing himself as a prominent goalkeeper.

3.1. Early Career and Club Joining

After graduating from Tokai University in 1990, Hayato Okanaka officially began his professional career in 1991 by joining Matsushita Electric Football Club, which would later become Gamba Osaka. This marked his transition from university-level football to the professional ranks.

3.2. Gamba Osaka Period

Okanaka's tenure with Gamba Osaka (including the Matsushita Electric era) lasted for 11 seasons, from 1991 to 2001. Upon the establishment of the J.League in 1993, he entered into a fierce competition for the starting goalkeeper position with Kenji Honnami. Initially, Okanaka often found himself on the bench. However, when Honnami suffered a severe kidney rupture, leading to a long-term absence, Okanaka stepped in as the regular goalkeeper and maintained the role. Upon Honnami's return in 1994, Okanaka again spent time on the bench. He regained the starting position midway through the 1996 season and became the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper after Honnami transferred to Verdy Kawasaki in 1997.

In 2000, Okanaka faced another setback when he was sidelined due to illness, during which time Ryota Tsuzuki took over his position. After his recovery, Naoki Matsuyo had become the regular goalkeeper, further limiting Okanaka's opportunities. With reduced playing time, he decided to seek new challenges and departed Gamba Osaka at the end of the 2001 season.

3.3. Oita Trinita Period

In 2002, Okanaka moved to J2 League club Oita Trinita. He immediately became the regular goalkeeper for the team, playing a crucial role in their success. In his first season, Oita Trinita won the J2 League championship and secured promotion to the J1 League for the 2003 season.

During the 2003 J1 League season, Okanaka continued as the regular goalkeeper. A notable moment occurred in the 2nd stage, during the 11th match against Kyoto Sanga F.C. (then Kyoto Purple Sanga) at the Kumamoto Prefectural General Athletic Park Athletics Stadium. Okanaka made a decisive penalty kick save, contributing to a 1-0 victory. This win was Oita Trinita's only victory in the 2nd stage (1 win, 8 draws, 6 losses), but it proved critical in their fight against relegation. The club ultimately finished 14th, just 3 points above last-place Kyoto and 1 point above 15th-place Vegalta Sendai, securing their J1 status. Despite Oita finishing last in the 2nd stage, Okanaka's performance helped the team concede the fewest goals during that period. Their J1 survival was confirmed with a draw against Sendai in the final match of the season.

In 2004, Okanaka lost his regular starting position to Riki Takasaki, who had joined from Kashima Antlers. His playing opportunities further diminished in 2005 with the emergence of Koji Ezumi and rookie Shusaku Nishikawa. On November 25, 2005, Hayato Okanaka officially announced his retirement from professional football at the end of the season.

3.4. Position

Throughout his career, Hayato Okanaka played exclusively as a goalkeeper. He stood at 73 in ^{(186 cm)} tall and weighed 187 lb ^{(85 kg)}.

4. National Team Career

Hayato Okanaka's performances at the club level earned him recognition from the national team. In 1998, he was called up to the Japan national football team by both then-manager Takeshi Okada and his successor, Philippe Troussier. However, he did not make any official A-match appearances for the senior national team, though he did play in one C-match (a non-international friendly).

5. Personal Statistics

The following table details Hayato Okanaka's club performance throughout his professional career:

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		League Cup		Total
1990-91	Matsushita Electric	JSL Division 1	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
1991-92	Matsushita Electric	JSL Division 1	10	0	0	0	0	0	10	0
1992	Gamba Osaka	J1 League	-		0	0	0	0	0	0
1993			20	0	1	0	7	0	28	0
1994			0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
1995			5	0	0	0	-		5	0
1996			16	0	0	0	8	0	24	0
1997			32	0	3	0	4	0	39	0
1998			33	0	1	0	4	0	38	0
1999			29	0	2	0	4	0	35	0
2000			8	0	0	0	1	0	9	0
2001			0	0	0	0	3	0	3	0
2002	Oita Trinita	J2 League	42	0	3	0	-		45	0
2003		J1 League	28	0	0	0	2	0	30	0
2004			11	0	0	0	1	0	12	0
2005			3	0	0	0	1	0	4	0
J1 League total			185	0	10	0	35	0	230	0
J2 League total			42	0	3	0	-		45	0
JSL Division 1 total			13	0	0	0	0	0	13	0
Career total			240	0	13	0	35	0	288	0

6. Coaching Career

Following his retirement as a player, Hayato Okanaka transitioned into football coaching, taking on various roles at different levels of the sport.

From 2006 to 2007, he served as a goalkeeper coach for the Oita Trinita youth teams, specifically working with the U-12 and U-15 age groups for two years. In 2008, Okanaka was appointed as the manager of the Japan Bunkuri University Football Club, a position he held for four years until 2011. He stepped down from this role in 2011, making way for Shigehiro Yuri to be promoted to manager. In 2012, Okanaka joined the Osaka Gakuin University Football Club as a coach, continuing his involvement in collegiate football.