Makoto Kakuda

2.1. Birth and Childhood

Makoto Kakuda was born on July 10, 1983, in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. He began playing football at the age of seven. His early football development took place with the Uji Ogura Bombers, a local club team, during his time at Nishikogura Elementary School.

2.2. Youth Career

Kakuda continued his football development by joining the Kyoto Purple Sanga junior youth academy, which he attended while studying at Nishikogura Junior High School. He then progressed to the Kyoto Purple Sanga youth team, where he played during his high school years at Kyoto Shoei High School. During his time with the Kyoto youth team, Kakuda made his professional debut in the J2 League in 2001, setting a record at the time for the youngest player to debut in the J2 League at 17 years, 10 months, and 13 days old.

3.1. Kyoto Purple Sanga / Kyoto Sanga FC

Kakuda joined the Kyoto Purple Sanga youth team in 2001 and made his professional debut in May of the same year. The club achieved promotion to the J1 League at the end of the 2001 season. In 2002, he established himself as a regular player, primarily operating as a left-back in a three-back defense. That year, Kyoto Purple Sanga won the 2002 Emperor's Cup, marking the club's first major title. However, in the 2003 season, the team finished at the bottom of the league and was relegated back to J2.

In May 2006, Kakuda was loaned back to Kyoto Purple Sanga, which had returned to J1 for the 2006 season. During this loan spell, he primarily played as a right-side back. Despite his contributions, Sanga once again finished at the bottom of the league and was relegated to J2.

He briefly returned to Nagoya Grampus in 2007 but moved back to Kyoto Sanga FC permanently in March of that year. He became a regular player, often featuring as a center-back, and helped Sanga secure third place in the 2007 season, earning promotion to J1. From the 2008 season onwards in J1, although he occasionally lost his regular starting position, he continued to play numerous matches as both a defender and a defensive midfielder. However, Kyoto Sanga finished 17th in the 2010 season and was relegated to J2 again.

3.2. Nagoya Grampus Eight

Following Kyoto's relegation in 2003, Kakuda moved to J1 club Nagoya Grampus (then known as Nagoya Grampus Eight) in 2004. During his initial tenure with Nagoya, he demonstrated his versatility by playing a significant number of matches not only as a defender but also as a defensive midfielder and right-side midfielder. He remained with the club until February 2007, with a loan spell back to Kyoto in 2006. After his loan ended, he briefly returned to Nagoya in 2007 before making a permanent move back to Kyoto in March of the same year.

3.3. Vegalta Sendai

In 2011, Kakuda made a permanent transfer to Vegalta Sendai. Despite the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami occurring in Sendai shortly after the start of the 2011 season, Kakuda became a regular defensive midfielder for the team. Vegalta Sendai achieved their best-ever club result that season, finishing in fourth place. In the 2012 season, Vegalta Sendai further improved, securing a second-place finish and qualifying for the 2013 AFC Champions League. Kakuda was recognized for his strong performances, receiving the J.League Excellent Player Award in both 2011 and 2012. Although the club's results became more inconsistent from 2013, he continued to play a significant number of matches as a defensive midfielder until 2014. He served as a co-captain in 2013 and was the sole captain in 2014.

3.4. Kawasaki Frontale

Kakuda joined Kawasaki Frontale in 2015. He was initially expected to be a key defensive leader and played all 14 matches as a regular center-back until May of that year. However, after a significant defeat in the 14th matchday, his playing time decreased, and he did not feature in any matches from June onwards.

3.5. Shimizu S-Pulse

In August 2015, Kakuda moved to Shimizu S-Pulse on a loan transfer, which was later made permanent at the end of the season. He played many matches as a center-back for Shimizu. Despite his efforts, S-Pulse was relegated to the J2 League at the end of the 2015 season, marking the first time in the club's history that they dropped to the second division. In the 2016 season, Shimizu S-Pulse secured second place and earned promotion back to J1 after just one year.

In March 2017, during a J1 League match against Kashima Antlers, Kakuda was involved in a provocative act towards opponent Yuma Suzuki. Following an internal investigation, Shimizu S-Pulse imposed a one-match league suspension and a fine on Kakuda. In the 2018 season, his playing time significantly decreased, with only five league appearances and five J.League Cup appearances. His contract with Shimizu S-Pulse expired on December 10, 2018.

3.6. V-Varen Nagasaki

On December 19, 2018, Kakuda signed with V-Varen Nagasaki, a club that had been relegated to the J2 League for the 2019 season. He played for V-Varen Nagasaki for two seasons. His contract with the club expired on December 21, 2020, leading to his departure.

3.7. Asuka FC

On February 2, 2021, Makoto Kakuda joined Porvenir Asuka as a player-coach. This marked his final role as a professional player. On December 14, 2021, he announced his retirement from playing professional football.

5.1. Coaching Roles

In 2021, while still playing, Kakuda served as a player-coach for Porvenir Asuka. On January 5, 2022, he was appointed as an assistant coach for Vegalta Sendai. His role at Vegalta Sendai evolved, serving as an academy coach from 2023 until July of that year, then as a junior youth coach from July 2023 to January 2024, and again as an academy coach from February 2024 until July 2024.

5.2. Head Managerial Appointment

On July 31, 2024, Kakuda was appointed as the official first manager of Reilac Shiga FC for the mid-2024 season. As of the end of the 2024 season, his managerial record with Reilac Shiga FC is 7 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses from 12 games, with the team finishing 3rd in the JFL.

5.3. Managerial Statistics