1. Playing Career
Masaaki Yanagishita's playing career spanned from his youth days through a professional tenure as a central defender, marked by his contributions to club success and participation in international youth tournaments.
1.1. Youth Career
Born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Yanagishita attended Shizuoka Prefectural Hamana High School from 1975 to 1977. During his third year, he participated in the 56th National High School Soccer Championship. Despite being considered a strong contender for the title, his team was eliminated in the first round after a penalty shootout loss to Kansai University Hokuyo Junior and Senior High School. Following high school, he continued his football development at Tokyo University of Agriculture from 1978 to 1981. While at university, he was selected for the Japan U-20 national team and participated in the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship held in Japan, where he played in three matches.
1.2. Club Career
After graduating from university, Yanagishita joined Yamaha Motors (which later became Júbilo Iwata) in 1982, where he played as a central defender until his retirement in 1992. He was an integral part of the team during their "glory years" in the 1980s. He made a total of 135 league appearances for the club, contributing to significant victories such as the 1982 Emperor's Cup and the 1987 Japan Soccer League championship.
Yanagishita reflected on his playing style, stating that he was originally a "fierce player" but, as he gained experience and due to his relatively smaller physique, he gradually adapted his defensive approach to focus on positioning and anticipation to win the ball. A notable incident during his playing career occurred in the 1989 Emperor's Cup final. His team had a two-goal lead in the second half, but a clearing error by Yanagishita led to a tying goal by Renato of Nissan Motors.
1.2.1. Player Statistics
Yanagishita's club career statistics are detailed as follows:
| Japan | League | JSL Cup | Emperor's Cup | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 1982 | Yamaha Motors | JSL2 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 1983 | JSL1 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 1984 | 12 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1985 | 3 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1986-87 | 19 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1987-88 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||||
| 1988-89 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||||
| 1989-90 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||||||
| 1990-91 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||||||
| 1991-92 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Total (JSL1) | 135 | 0 | |||||||||
| Total (JSL2) | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| Career Total | 135 | 0 | |||||||||
Other official competitions:
- 1990 Konica Cup: 7 appearances, 0 goals
- 1991 Konica Cup: 1 appearance, 0 goals
1.3. National Team Career
In 1979, Masaaki Yanagishita was selected for the Japan U-20 national team to participate in the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship held in Japan. During this tournament, he played in three matches.
2. Managerial Career
After retiring as a player, Masaaki Yanagishita embarked on an extensive coaching career, starting with youth development and assistant roles before taking on managerial positions at several clubs across Japan's professional football leagues.
2.1. Early Coaching Roles
Yanagishita began his coaching career at Yamaha Motors (later Júbilo Iwata) in 1993, immediately after his retirement from playing. He primarily served in various coaching capacities, including satellite coach (1993, 1999-2000), coach (1994, 1996, 1999-2002), and youth manager (1997-1998). In September 2000, he was appointed head coach when Masaaki Suzuki was promoted to manager. In this role, he supported Suzuki, contributing to Júbilo Iwata's victories in the 2001 J1 League 1st Stage and both the 1st and 2nd Stages of the 2002 J1 League.
In 2007, after his first managerial stint, he worked as a soccer commentator for Sky PerfecTV! and as a coach for the Shizuoka Sangyo University football club. He returned to Júbilo Iwata as a coach in September 2007. In 2008, he held dual roles as a top team coach and satellite team manager. During this period, when manager Atsushi Uchiyama was dismissed mid-season, Yanagishita effectively served as an interim manager for one match to allow new manager Hans Ooft time to familiarize himself with the team, though Ooft was formally on the bench.
2.2. Managerial Career by Club
Yanagishita's managerial career saw him lead multiple clubs, often focusing on developing young talent and improving team performance under challenging circumstances.
2.2.1. Júbilo Iwata (First Stint)
In January 2003, Yanagishita was promoted to manager of Júbilo Iwata, succeeding Masaaki Suzuki. Despite concerns about a perceived decline in team strength, he focused on promoting young players. Júbilo Iwata finished 2nd in the 1st Stage and 3rd in the 2nd Stage of the J1 League. Shortly before the Emperor's Cup final at the end of the year, he announced his departure, citing differences in strengthening policy with the club's front office. Despite pleas from the players, he left the club, but not before leading Júbilo Iwata to victory in the 2003 Emperor's Cup, securing a championship in his final match of his first tenure.
2.2.2. Consadole Sapporo
In 2004, Yanagishita moved to J2 League club Consadole Sapporo as manager. He was highly regarded for his ability to develop young players, a crucial skill for Consadole Sapporo, which was facing financial difficulties and aiming to strengthen its team through its own youth system. In 2004, Consadole Sapporo finished at the bottom of the J2 League (12th place) but reached the Best 8 in the Emperor's Cup. In 2005, the team showed significant improvement, finishing 6th and competing for a 3rd-place finish until the final stages of the season. His initial two-year contract was extended until January 2007. However, in the 2006 season, the team ultimately failed to secure promotion. On November 22, Consadole Sapporo announced that Yanagishita's contract would not be extended at his request, leading to his departure at the end of the season. In the 2006 Emperor's Cup, he led the team to the club's first-ever Best 4 finish, defeating several J1 teams including Chiba, Niigata, and Kofu.
2.2.3. Júbilo Iwata (Second Stint)
Yanagishita returned to Júbilo Iwata as manager in 2009, succeeding Hans Ooft. In 2010, he led the club to victory in the 2010 J.League Cup. However, in 2011, the team failed to secure a spot in the ACL, which was a key objective. Consequently, his contract expired, and he resigned at the end of the season.
2.2.4. Albirex Niigata
In June 2012, Yanagishita was appointed manager of Albirex Niigata, marking his first time taking on a managerial role mid-season. At the time of his appointment, Albirex Niigata was struggling, sitting in 17th place out of 18 clubs in the J1 League, within the relegation zone. He focused on strengthening the team's defense and improving ball possession by emphasizing the importance of not losing the ball easily. Under his guidance, the club managed to secure J1 League survival on the final matchday, finishing in 15th place. He continued as manager for the 2013 season, where Albirex Niigata achieved its highest-ever points total in a season, including a five-game winning streak in the latter half of the league. He managed the club until the end of the 2015 season.
2.2.5. Zweigen Kanazawa
On December 6, 2016, it was announced that Yanagishita would become the manager of Zweigen Kanazawa, then a J2 League club. He managed the team until November 5, 2023, when his contract expired. On the same day, Zweigen Kanazawa was relegated to the J3 League based on the results of their J3 match.
2.2.6. Tochigi SC
In January 2024, Yanagishita joined Tochigi SC as Head Coach. However, his tenure was short-lived. On May 14, 2024, he and manager Makoto Tanaka were released from their contracts by mutual agreement.
2.3. Managerial Statistics
The following table provides a statistical overview of Masaaki Yanagishita's coaching career, detailing his performance with each club he managed, including league position, points, and cup results.
| Year | Club | League | League Performance | Cup Competitions | Win % | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Points | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | J.League Cup | Emperor's Cup | ||||
| 2003 | Iwata | J1 | 2nd | 57 | 30 | 16 | 9 | 5 | Best 4 | Winner | 53.3% |
| 2004 | Sapporo | J2 | 12th | 30 | 44 | 5 | 15 | 24 | - | Best 8 | 11.4% |
| 2005 | 6th | 63 | 44 | 17 | 12 | 15 | - | Round 3 | 38.6% | ||
| 2006 | 6th | 72 | 48 | 20 | 12 | 16 | - | Best 4 | 41.7% | ||
| 2009 | Iwata | J1 | 11th | 41 | 34 | 11 | 8 | 15 | Group Stage | Round 4 | 32.4% |
| 2010 | 11th | 44 | 34 | 11 | 11 | 12 | Winner | Round 4 | 32.4% | ||
| 2011 | 8th | 47 | 34 | 13 | 8 | 13 | Best 8 | Round 3 | 38.2% | ||
| 2012 | Niigata | 15th | 31 | 21 | 8 | 7 | 6 | Group Stage | Round 3 | 38.1% | |
| 2013 | 7th | 55 | 34 | 17 | 4 | 13 | Group Stage | Round 3 | 50.0% | ||
| 2014 | 12th | 44 | 34 | 12 | 8 | 14 | Group Stage | Round 3 | 35.3% | ||
| 2015 | 15th | 34 | 34 | 8 | 10 | 16 | Best 4 | Round 3 | 23.5% | ||
| 2017 | Kanazawa | J2 | 17th | 49 | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | - | Round 3 | 31.0% |
| 2018 | 13th | 55 | 42 | 14 | 13 | 15 | - | Round 3 | 33.3% | ||
| 2019 | 11th | 61 | 42 | 15 | 16 | 11 | - | Round 3 | 35.7% | ||
| 2020 | 18th | 49 | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | - | - | 28.6% | ||
| 2021 | 17th | 41 | 42 | 10 | 11 | 21 | - | Round 2 | 23.8% | ||
| 2022 | 14th | 52 | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | - | Round 3 | 31.0% | ||
| 2023 | 22nd | 35 | 42 | 9 | 8 | 25 | - | Round 2 | 21.4% | ||
| J1 Total | - | - | 255 | 96 | 67 | 92 | - | - | 37.6% | ||
| J2 Total | - | - | 430 | 128 | 123 | 179 | - | - | 29.8% | ||
| Career Total | - | - | 685 | 224 | 190 | 271 | - | - | 32.7% | ||
Note: For Albirex Niigata in 2012, Yanagishita managed from Matchday 14 onwards.
3. Player and Managerial Achievements
Masaaki Yanagishita has achieved notable success both as a player and as a manager throughout his career.
As a Player
; Yamaha Motors
- Emperor's Cup: 1982
- Japan Soccer League: 1987-1988
As a Manager
; Júbilo Iwata
- Emperor's Cup: 2003
- J.League Cup: 2010
4. Personal Life and Episodes
Masaaki Yanagishita was born on January 1, 1960, in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. He is known by the nickname "Yantsu" (ヤンツーJapanese). He stands at 69 in (176 cm) tall and weighs 154 lb (70 kg).
A notable episode from his managerial career occurred during the 2012 J1 League season while he was managing Albirex Niigata. In the 33rd matchday against Sendai, Yanagishita was sent off for persistent protests against the referee's decision, which resulted in him being unable to directly command the team in the crucial final match against Consadole Sapporo, where Niigata's J1 survival was at stake. It was later revealed that his aggressive protest was intentional. He aimed to calm down his player, forward Bruno Lopes, who was on seven yellow cards and highly agitated by the referee's call. By drawing the referee's attention and receiving the red card himself, Yanagishita prevented Lopes from potentially receiving another yellow card, which would have led to his suspension for the final match. This strategic move ensured that Lopes, unlike fellow forward Michel who was already suspended, would be available for the decisive game.