1. Overview
Makoto Kimura (木村 誠Kimura MakotoJapanese, born June 10, 1979) is a former Japanese professional footballer who played as a defender or midfielder. Throughout his career, he played for several notable clubs, including Kawasaki Frontale, Montedio Yamagata, Zweigen Kanazawa, and Sakai Phoenix, before his retirement at the end of the 2015 season.
2. Early life and education
Makoto Kimura was born on June 10, 1979, in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. For his youth football career, he attended Fukui Prefectural Maruoka High School from 1995 to 1997. Following high school, he continued his education and played football at Komazawa University from 1998 to 2001, where he further developed his skills as a youth player.
3. Playing career
Makoto Kimura's professional football journey began in 2002 after his university career. He spent his professional years across various Japanese clubs, progressing through different leagues before concluding his playing career in 2015.
3.1. Club career
Kimura's club career saw him play for four main professional teams, starting with Kawasaki Frontale and concluding with Sakai Phoenix, facing both successes and challenges including recurring injuries.
3.1.1. Kawasaki Frontale
Kimura joined J2 League club Kawasaki Frontale in 2002 following his graduation from Komazawa University. His official debut came on December 24, 2002, in an Emperor's Cup quarter-final match against Kashima Antlers at National Stadium, where he appeared as a substitute. The following year, on August 3, 2003, he made his J.League debut against Ventforet Kofu at Todoroki Athletics Stadium. Although he saw limited action in 2003, he played in many matches during the 2004 season, contributing to Frontale winning the J2 League championship. However, after the club was promoted to the J1 League in 2005, he again found playing opportunities scarce.
3.1.2. Montedio Yamagata
In 2006, Kimura moved to Montedio Yamagata, another J2 League club. During his time there, he frequently played as a left-back, due in part to Kohei Usui being the regular right-back. He played numerous matches in 2006. However, from 2007 onwards, he struggled with repeated injuries, which significantly limited his playing time. Despite Montedio Yamagata's promotion to the J1 League in 2009, he continued to have minimal appearances. He left the club at the end of the 2009 season after his contract was not renewed.
3.1.3. Zweigen Kanazawa
In 2010, Kimura joined Japan Football League (JFL) club Zweigen Kanazawa. Initially, he participated as a trainee before officially signing with the team on March 7, 2010. He played many matches for Zweigen Kanazawa during his single season with the club.
3.1.4. Sakai Phoenix
In 2011, Kimura transitioned to the Japanese Regional Leagues, joining Maruoka Phoenix, which was later renamed Sakai Phoenix. He continued his playing career with the club until the end of the 2015 season.
3.2. Retirement
Makoto Kimura retired from professional football at the conclusion of the 2015 season, marking the end of a career that spanned from 2002 to 2015, across the J.League, Japan Football League, and Regional Leagues.
4. Career statistics
This section provides a detailed overview of Makoto Kimura's playing statistics throughout his professional career, encompassing appearances and goals in various league and cup competitions.
4.1. Club performance
The table below details Makoto Kimura's club performance by season, including appearances and goals scored in league, Emperor's Cup, and J.League Cup competitions.
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 2002 | Kawasaki Frontale | J2 League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2004 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 24 | 0 | |||
| 2005 | J1 League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2006 | Montedio Yamagata | J2 League | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 31 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 9 | 0 | |||
| 2008 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 9 | 0 | |||
| 2009 | J1 League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2010 | Zweigen Kanazawa | Football League | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 25 | 0 | |
| 2011 | Maruoka Phoenix | Regional Leagues | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | |
| 2012 | Sakai Phoenix | Regional Leagues | 11 | 2 | - | - | 11 | 2 | ||
| 2013 | 10 | 1 | - | - | 10 | 1 | ||||
| 2014 | 10 | 1 | - | - | 10 | 1 | ||||
| 2015 | 8 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 2 | ||||
| Career total | 143 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 148 | 7 | ||
5. Post-playing career
Following his retirement as a player at the end of the 2015 season, Makoto Kimura transitioned into a coaching role. In 2016, he was appointed as a coach for Sakai Phoenix, the last club he played for.
6. Affiliated clubs
Makoto Kimura was associated with the following clubs throughout his youth and professional playing career:
- 1992-1994: Sakai City Maruoka Junior High School
- 1995-1997: Fukui Prefectural Maruoka High School
- 1998-2001: Komazawa University
- 2002-2005: Kawasaki Frontale
- 2006-2009: Montedio Yamagata
- 2010: Zweigen Kanazawa
- 2011-2015: Maruoka Phoenix / Sakai Phoenix