1. Early life and youth career
Kazuma Takayama was born on July 14, 1996, in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. His early football development began with the local club Kawagoe Panther. He then joined the youth system of Omiya Ardija, playing for their junior youth team from 2009 to 2011 and subsequently for the Omiya Ardija youth team from 2012 to 2014.
2. Professional career
Takayama's professional career spanned several clubs in Japan before he moved overseas to Singapore. He primarily played as a defender, capable of covering both centre-back and left-back positions.
2.1. Omiya Ardija
After completing his youth career, Kazuma Takayama was promoted to the senior team of J2 League side Omiya Ardija for the 2015 season. His promotion, alongside youth teammate Motoki Kojima, was officially announced on October 10, 2014. He had multiple stints with Omiya Ardija. He remained with the club until the end of the 2021 season, when his contract expired. Following his departure from Omiya Ardija, he participated in a J.League joint tryout held at the Fukuda Denshi Arena on December 10, 2021.
2.2. Montedio Yamagata (loan)
In 2020, Takayama transferred to Montedio Yamagata on a loan deal. Despite the transfer, he made no official match appearances for Montedio Yamagata during his loan spell. He returned to Omiya Ardija on October 28, 2020.
2.3. Kataller Toyama
On December 30, 2021, Takayama completed a permanent transfer to Kataller Toyama, a club playing in the J3 League. He played for Kataller Toyama for one season. On December 28, 2022, it was announced that his contract with the club had expired, leading to his departure.
2.4. Hougang United
On January 27, 2023, Kazuma Takayama made an overseas move, joining Hougang United, a club competing in the Singapore Premier League. He made his debut for Hougang United in the 2023 Singapore Community Shield, where his team suffered a 3-0 defeat against Albirex Niigata (S). On February 26, 2023, Takayama scored his first goal for the club in his league debut against Balestier Khalsa, contributing to a 3-2 victory. He then scored his second league goal on July 29, 2023, in a dominant 6-2 win against Young Lions. He also scored a consolation header goal in the Singapore Cup 2023 final against the Lion City Sailors, though Hougang United ultimately lost the match 3-1.
3. Retirement and coaching career
On January 25, 2024, Kazuma Takayama announced his retirement from professional football. Following his retirement, he returned to his former club, Omiya Ardija, taking on a new role as an outreach coach specializing in youth development.
4. Career statistics
This section provides a comprehensive overview of Kazuma Takayama's professional playing statistics, detailing his appearances and goals across various competitions for each club, as well as for other official matches.
4.1. Club performance
The table below summarizes Kazuma Takayama's club statistics across domestic leagues, cup competitions, and league cups in Japan and Singapore.
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | AFC Cup | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J. League Cup | AFC | Total | |||||||
| 2015 | Omiya Ardija | J2 League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 | J1 League | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2017 | J1 League | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | |
| 2018 | J2 League | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2019 | J2 League | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Montedio Yamagata | J2 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020 | Omiya Ardija | J2 League | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2021 | J2 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Kataller Toyama | J3 League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Singapore | League | Singapore Cup | Others | AFC Cup | Total | |||||||
| 2023 | Hougang United | Singapore Premier League | 23 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 |
| Career total | 51 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 5 | ||
4.2. Other official matches
This table details Kazuma Takayama's statistics from other official competitions not covered under regular club performance.
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | J.League U-22 Selection | J3 League | 14 | 0 |
| Career total | 14 | 0 | ||
Takayama's J.League debut came on May 6, 2015, in a J3 League match against AC Nagano Parceiro at Minami Nagano Sports Park Stadium, while playing for the J.League U-22 Selection.
5. Honours
Kazuma Takayama achieved the following honor during his professional career:
- Singapore Cup
- Runner-up: 2023 (with Hougang United)