Masahiko Inoha

2.1. Childhood and Family

Inoha began playing football in elementary school, quickly developing a passion for the sport. During his time at Ikime-dai Junior High School, he was selected for the Miyazaki Prefecture team alongside his contemporary, Tsuneyuki Ueda. He also undertook two short-term training trips to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, accompanied by fellow Miyazaki native Chikashi Masuda. From a young age, Inoha was a devoted fan of Kashima Antlers. He even attempted to join their youth team directly, but was declined due to his relatively small stature at the time and the geographical distance. Despite the initial rejection, he later had the opportunity to meet and take a photo with his idol, Mitsuo Ogasawara, during a Kashima Antlers training camp held in Miyazaki.

2.2. Education and Youth Career

In 2001, Inoha enrolled at Kagoshima Jitsugyo High School, where he continued to develop his football skills. After high school, he sought to join a J.League club, participating in trials with several teams, but was unsuccessful in securing a professional contract. Consequently, he decided to further his education and football career at Hannan University in 2004.

During his first year at Hannan University, Inoha's talent was recognized when he was selected as a candidate for the Universiade football team. He went on to represent Japan at the 23rd Universiade football competition in İzmir, Turkey, where the team emerged victorious. His strong performances in the Kansai University League also earned him the Rookie of the Year award in 2004 and the Excellent Midfielder Award at the Denso Cup Korea-Japan University Regular Match. Inoha's impressive form led to his selection for the U-20 Japan national team by coach Kiyoshi Okuma as a replacement for the injured Mitsushi Yoshihiro, and he participated in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. Although he did not make an appearance in the main tournament, this experience fueled his determination to turn professional. Feeling that he did not need to complete four years of university, he decided to take a leave of absence to pursue a professional career, later withdrawing from the university.

3.1. FC Tokyo

In January 2006, Masahiko Inoha officially joined FC Tokyo, choosing the club over offers from six other J1 teams, including Kashima Antlers, where his friend Chikashi Masuda played. His decision was partly driven by a desire to compete against Masuda. Under the management of Alexandre Gallo, Inoha was immediately integrated into the starting lineup as a defensive midfielder (ボランチ) for the opening match, where he was tasked with man-marking key opposing players.

Throughout his initial seasons, Inoha demonstrated significant versatility, filling in various defensive roles such as full-back (SB), defensive midfielder, and centre-back (CB) due to injuries within the squad. He scored his first professional goal with a header in the J1 Matchday 19 fixture against Avispa Fukuoka. In 2007, he expressed a desire to specialize as a full-back, but after losing his starting spot in April, he requested a return to the defensive midfield position. However, with the return of Yasuyuki Konno to defensive midfield later in the season, Inoha found himself back on the bench. He made 48 league appearances and scored 1 goal during his tenure at FC Tokyo.

3.2. Kashima Antlers

In 2008, Inoha made a permanent transfer to Kashima Antlers. His primary goal upon joining was to secure a regular starting position to earn a spot in the Beijing Olympics squad. However, he initially served as a backup and ultimately missed out on the Olympic Games. Towards the end of the season, he established himself as a starting centre-back, playing a crucial role in Kashima's J1 League title victory, which marked his first professional championship.

In early 2010, Inoha's playing time significantly decreased following the arrival of defender Lee Jung-soo. However, he regained his regular starting spot after Lee's departure in July of the same year. The beginning of the 2011 season saw him consistently starting in both league matches and the AFC Champions League. His appearances became less frequent after Kashima's elimination from the AFC Champions League, as Koji Nakata was often preferred at centre-back. Inoha decided to leave the club mid-season, stating his desire to "achieve results with the Japan national team." During his time at Kashima Antlers, he made 89 league appearances, scoring 2 goals.

3.3. Hajduk Split

In July 2011, Masahiko Inoha moved to Europe, joining Croatian First League club Hajduk Split. He viewed this move as a potential stepping stone to a higher-tier league. He scored his only goal for Hajduk on October 21, 2011, in a 3-0 away victory against newly promoted side NK Lučko.

However, Inoha faced significant challenges adapting to life in Croatia, citing difficulties with the language barrier and the absence of other Asian players in the squad as major factors. On January 17, 2012, he missed training for the first time due to unpaid wages, a common issue at the club at the time due to its financial debt. After being fined for missing three training sessions, he ultimately rescinded his contract and returned to Japan in late January 2012. He made 15 league appearances for Hajduk Split, with a total of 19 appearances across all competitions, scoring 1 goal. Upon his departure, Inoha expressed profound sadness, stating, "In my entire career, I have never been as sad as I was in the last two weeks."

3.4. Vissel Kobe (First Stint)

Following his departure from Hajduk Split, Masahiko Inoha signed with Vissel Kobe as a free agent in February 2012. He initially played primarily as a defensive midfielder before transitioning to a centre-back role. Despite his contributions, Vissel Kobe was relegated from the top tier of Japanese football at the end of the 2012 season, leading to Inoha's departure after just one year. He made 29 league appearances, with a total of 30 appearances across all competitions, but did not score any goals during this first stint.

3.5. Júbilo Iwata

In January 2013, Inoha transferred to Júbilo Iwata. He began the season as part of a three-back defensive formation. However, he struggled to fully adapt to the team's playing style, and the demands of his national team duties further compounded the challenges. Unfortunately, Júbilo Iwata was relegated to J2 after losing to Sagan Tosu in J1 Matchday 31, marking Inoha's second consecutive relegation to J2.

In 2014, Inoha served as the defensive leader for Júbilo Iwata, but his performance was inconsistent, and the team failed to secure promotion back to J1. The 2015 season saw him play 32 matches as a crucial defender, despite battling a left flexor hallucis longus injury. On November 23, 2015, in the final J2 match against Oita Trinita, which determined J1 promotion, Inoha scored his first goal of the season, an opening goal that helped secure the team's return to J1. He dedicated the goal to manager Hiroshi Nanami's father, who had passed away earlier that month. Despite contributing to the promotion, Inoha's contract with Júbilo Iwata was not renewed due to his high salary and the club's policy of promoting younger players. He later revealed that Iwata had informed him he was no longer needed. He made 82 league appearances and scored 3 goals for Júbilo Iwata, with a total of 87 appearances across all competitions.

3.6. Vissel Kobe (Second Stint)

After exploring options including overseas transfers to countries like Thailand and even considering retirement, Masahiko Inoha decided to return to Vissel Kobe in February 2016. He felt he had "unfinished business" at the club after their previous relegation. In 2016, he was a regular starting centre-back but notably received the highest number of yellow cards in the league, tied with Quenten Martinus of Yokohama F. Marinos.

In the 2018 season, Inoha struggled for playing time until Juan Manuel Lillo took over as manager in October. Under Lillo, Inoha was reinstated as a regular defensive midfielder. Lillo publicly praised Inoha after the Matchday 31 game against Nagoya Grampus, stating that Inoha "brought heat to the team." However, despite his strong finish to the season, Vissel Kobe announced on January 17, 2019, the first day of the new season, that Inoha's contract would not be renewed. During his second stint with Vissel Kobe, he made 52 league appearances and scored 0 goals, with a total of 67 appearances across all competitions, scoring 1 goal.

3.7. Yokohama FC

On February 18, 2019, Masahiko Inoha's move to Yokohama FC was announced. Due to his late arrival in February, he was unable to participate in the club's preseason camp, which made his condition adjustment challenging. However, he made his debut for the club on March 16 in J2 Matchday 4 against Albirex Niigata. Following this match, Inoha became a regular starter and played a significant role in Yokohama FC's promotion to J1. His contract with Yokohama FC expired on December 30, 2021. He made 66 league appearances and scored 0 goals for Yokohama FC, with a total of 70 appearances across all competitions.

3.8. Nankatsu SC

On March 1, 2022, Masahiko Inoha joined Nankatsu SC. He made 1 league appearance for the club. This marked the final club of his professional career before he announced his retirement.

4.1. Youth National Teams

Inoha's international journey began with the U-20 Japan national team, participating in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. Although he did not feature in the tournament matches, the experience was crucial for his development. He later played for the U-21, U-22, and U-23 national teams. Notably, he served as the captain of the U-22 team until the second round of the Beijing Olympics Asian Qualifiers, where he commanded the defensive line from the central position in a three-back formation. While Hiroki Mizumoto took over the captaincy for the final qualifiers, Mizumoto acknowledged Inoha's significant support during that period. Inoha also participated in the 2008 Toulon Tournament with the U-23 Japan team.

4.2. Senior National Team

Masahiko Inoha received his first call-up to the senior national team on August 31, 2006, under coach Ivica Osim for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, though he did not play in any matches. He was also an emergency call-up for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup due to an injury to Ryuji Bando, but again, he did not make an appearance in the competition.

In 2010, Inoha was selected by new manager Alberto Zaccheroni for the first time, joining the squad for the Kirin Challenge Cup match against Argentina and a friendly against South Korea. His full international debut came on January 17, 2011, against Saudi Arabia in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, where he came on as a substitute for Atsuto Uchida and immediately assisted Ryoichi Maeda's goal. His first start for the national team was in the quarter-final match against Qatar, necessitated by Uchida's suspension. Despite a challenging performance that included an error leading to a goal against, Inoha scored a crucial winning goal in the 89th minute, securing a 3-2 victory for Japan. Japan went on to win the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.

On May 12, 2014, Inoha was selected for Japan's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He became the third player from a J2 League club to be chosen for a World Cup squad, following Akinori Nishizawa and Hiroaki Morishima from Cerezo Osaka in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Despite his selection, Inoha did not make any appearances in the tournament, and Japan was eliminated in the group stage. He concluded his international career with 21 appearances and 1 goal for the senior national team between 2011 and 2014.

7.1. Club

7.2. International

International Goals: