1. Overview
Mari Kawamura, whose current registered name is Kato Mari, is a former Japanese women's footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1988, she began her football journey at a young age, inspired by her brother. Her career spanned several professional clubs, most notably Fukuoka J. Anclas and JEF United Chiba Ladies. Kawamura also represented Japan at various levels, including the U-20 national team in the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and the senior national team in the 2013 Algarve Cup. After an initial retirement in 2015, she made a comeback to professional football in 2018 before transitioning into an advisory role for Fukuoka J. Anclas in 2022.
2. Personal Information
Mari Kawamura was born on December 19, 1988, in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Her full name is Mari Kawamura (川村 真理Kawamura MariJapanese). Following her marriage, her current registered name is Kato Mari (加藤 真理Kato MariJapanese). She is also known by the alias Shin (シンShinJapanese). Kawamura stands at 63 in (160 cm) tall and weighs 123 lb (56 kg). She is right-footed.
2.1. Youth Career and Background
Kawamura's interest in football began early, influenced by her brother who also played the sport. She attended Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Junior and Senior High School and later pursued higher education at Nakamura Gakuen University, where she studied in the Faculty of Human Development. During her high school years, she was called up to the Japan U-17 national team. She participated in the 2005 AFC U-17 Women's Championship, held in South Korea, where she was a key player in the team's victory, scoring six goals in the first round.
3. Club Career
Mari Kawamura's club career saw her play for two prominent Japanese women's football clubs, Fukuoka J. Anclas and JEF United Chiba Ladies, across multiple stints and divisions.
3.1. Fukuoka J. Anclas (Initial Stint)
Kawamura joined Fukuoka J. Anclas in 2006, then a club in the L.League Division 2. During her initial period with the club from 2006 to 2013, she demonstrated remarkable scoring ability as a midfielder. She played 77 games and scored 90 goals in Division 2 until 2009. Over her entire first tenure with Fukuoka J. Anclas, she accumulated 122 appearances and 100 goals across various divisions. Her debut in the Nadeshiko League was on May 21, 2006, against Bunnys Kyoto SC at Taiyogaoka Athletics Stadium in Kyoto Prefecture, where she also scored her first Nadeshiko League goal in the same match.
3.2. JEF United Chiba Ladies
In April 2013, Kawamura transferred to JEF United Chiba Ladies. She played for the club until the end of the 2015 season, contributing significantly to the team. During her tenure with JEF United Chiba Ladies, she made 66 appearances and scored 9 goals. She announced her retirement from professional football at the conclusion of the 2015 season.
3.3. Fukuoka J. Anclas (Comeback Period)
After a brief retirement, Mari Kawamura announced her return to professional football in April 2018, rejoining Fukuoka J. Anclas, which was then competing in the Kyushu Women's Football League Division 2. She continued to play for the club in subsequent seasons. In the 2020 season, playing in the Challenge League, she made 10 appearances and scored 5 goals. She also played in the 2021 season in the Nadeshiko League Division 2, though without any appearances or goals recorded for that year. Following her second period of play, on February 25, 2022, Kawamura was appointed as an advisor for Fukuoka J. Anclas.
4. National Team Career
Mari Kawamura represented Japan at both the youth and senior levels of international football, participating in significant tournaments.
4.1. U-20 National Team
In November 2008, Kawamura was selected to represent the Japan women's national under-20 football team at the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup held in Chile. During the tournament, she played in all four of Japan's matches. She started in the group stage match against the Democratic Republic of Congo and made three substitute appearances in other matches. She recorded 4 appearances and 0 goals for the U-20 national team.
4.2. Senior National Team
In March 2013, Kawamura received her first call-up to the senior Japan national team for the 2013 Algarve Cup. She made her senior international debut on March 6, 2013, in a match against the Norway national team. She played a total of two matches for Japan in 2013, with her second appearance being against the China national team on March 13, 2013, at Estádio Algarve in Faro/Loulé, Portugal.
5. Statistics
Mari Kawamura's career statistics reflect her contributions across various club competitions and her appearances for the national teams.
5.1. Club Statistics
Kawamura's club career spanned several seasons and divisions, primarily with Fukuoka J. Anclas and JEF United Chiba Ladies.
| Year | Club | No. | Division | League Apps | League Goals | Cup Apps | Cup Goals | League Cup Apps | League Cup Goals | Total Apps | Total Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Fukuoka J. Anclas | 23 | Nadeshiko Div.2 | 21 | 26 | - | - | 2 | 3 | 23 | 29 |
| 2007 | 19 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 15 | |||
| 2008 | 16 | 26 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 16 | 26 | |||
| 2009 | 21 | 26 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 21 | 26 | |||
| 2010 | Nadeshiko | 18 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 5 | ||
| 2011 | 8 | 1 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | |||
| 2012 | 7 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 5 | ||
| 2013 | Challenge | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2013 | JEF United Chiba Ladies | 28 | Nadeshiko | 15 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 3 |
| 2014 | 14 | 28 | 3 | - | - | 3 | 0 | 31 | 3 | ||
| 2015 | Nadeshiko Div.1 | 23 | 4 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 26 | 6 | ||
| 2018 | Fukuoka J. Anclas | 8 | Kyushu Div.2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | Kyushu Div.1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2020 | Challenge | 10 | 5 | - | - | 2 | 1 | 12 | 6 | ||
| 2021 | Nadeshiko Div.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Division 1 Totals (Nadeshiko League) | 110 | 18 | 15 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 136 | 23 | |||
| Division 2 Totals (Nadeshiko Div.2, Challenge, Kyushu) | 88 | 96 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 94 | 102 | |||
| Career Totals | 286 | 210 | 21 | 8 | 19 | 10 | 326 | 228 | |||
5.2. National Team Statistics
Kawamura represented Japan at both the U-20 and senior levels.
| Japan National Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 0 |
| Japan U-20 National Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2008 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 4 | 0 |
6. Retirement and Later Activities
Mari Kawamura initially announced her retirement from professional football at the end of the 2015 season, concluding her tenure with JEF United Chiba Ladies. However, she returned to the sport in April 2018, rejoining her former club, Fukuoka J. Anclas. After her second period of play, on February 25, 2022, she transitioned into an administrative role within the club, being appointed as an advisor for Fukuoka J. Anclas.