1. Overview
Masakazu Tashiro (田代 真一Tashiro MasakazuJapanese, born June 26, 1988) is a Japanese professional football player who primarily plays as a defender. Known by the nickname "Masa" (マサJapanese), he is right-footed and stands 72 in (182 cm) tall, weighing 159 lb (72 kg). Tashiro currently plays for SC Sagamihara in the J3 League.
2. Early Life and Youth Career
Masakazu Tashiro was born on June 26, 1988, in Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. His early football development began in 1998 with Yokohama Flügels Junior. Following the absorption of Yokohama Flügels, he joined the youth organization of Yokohama F. Marinos from his elementary school days. He progressed through the ranks, playing for Yokohama F. Marinos Primary Sugita from 1999 to 2000, then Yokohama F. Marinos Junior Youth from 2001 to 2003. From 2004 to 2006, he played for Yokohama F. Marinos Youth while attending Tokai University Takanawadai High School. In 2006, Tashiro was selected for the U-18 Japan national team. His contemporaries from that period included notable players such as Yasushi Endo, Takashi Inui, Shu Kurata, and Shun Nagasawa.
3. Professional Career
Masakazu Tashiro's professional career began with his promotion to the top team of Yokohama F. Marinos at the end of 2006, alongside Aria Jasuru Hasegawa. His career saw him move through several clubs, often on loan, in pursuit of greater playing time and impact, eventually establishing himself as a reliable defender and a leader within various teams.
3.1. Club History
Masakazu Tashiro's professional career began with Yokohama F. Marinos, where he was promoted to the first team at the end of 2006. He initially found limited opportunities with the club.
- Yokohama F. Marinos (2007-2013)
- Tashiro made his professional debut in the J.League Cup on May 20, 2009, against Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Nissan Stadium. His J1 League debut followed on September 27, 2009, in a match against Urawa Red Diamonds at Saitama Stadium 2002.
- → FC Machida Zelvia (loan, 2011-2012)
- In 2011, he moved on loan to FC Machida Zelvia, which was then in the JFL. During his time there, Machida Zelvia successfully achieved promotion to the J2 League. His loan was extended for the 2012 season. Despite the team's eventual relegation back to the JFL, Tashiro was recognized for his performance, being selected for the "J2 Exiting22".
- Yokohama F. Marinos (returned, 2013)
- He returned to Yokohama F. Marinos in 2013. Although he did not feature in domestic league, cup, or league cup matches that season, he notably started in a friendly match against Manchester United on July 23, 2013.
- JEF United Chiba (2014-2015)
- Tashiro completed a permanent transfer to JEF United Chiba on January 6, 2014. He scored his first Emperor's Cup goal during his tenure here. In 2015, he changed his jersey number from 15 to 3 and made his first league start for the club in the 14th round match against Zweigen Kanazawa. He left the club at the end of the 2015 season following the expiration of his contract.
- Montedio Yamagata (2016)
- He joined Montedio Yamagata in 2016. On July 20, he scored his first J.League goal against his former club, JEF United Chiba. He played a significant role, appearing in 30 league matches and scoring 1 goal throughout the season.
- V-Varen Nagasaki (2017-2018)
- In 2017, Tashiro moved to V-Varen Nagasaki and was appointed vice-captain.
- → Yokohama FC (loan, July-December 2018)
- He joined Yokohama FC on loan in July 2018.
- Yokohama FC (2019-2021)
- Following his loan spell, Tashiro made a permanent move to Yokohama FC. He expressed happiness at returning to a club with historical ties to his youth team, Yokohama Flügels Junior. He served as a vice-captain for Yokohama FC. In a memorable derby match against Yokohama F. Marinos on December 19, 2020, at Mitsuzawa Football Stadium, he passionately motivated his team before scoring a goal that contributed to Yokohama FC's first derby victory against Marinos in 13 years. He also expressed deep affection for the club upon his subsequent departure.
- → FC Machida Zelvia (loan, July-December 2021)
- In July 2021, he returned to FC Machida Zelvia on a loan spell, marking his reunion with the club after nine years.
- Omiya Ardija (2022)
- In 2022, Tashiro completed a permanent transfer to Omiya Ardija. His contract with the club expired on October 31, 2022.
- Iwate Grulla Morioka (2023)
- On January 11, 2023, it was announced that Tashiro would make a permanent transfer to Iwate Grulla Morioka.
- SC Sagamihara (2024-present)
- Since 2024, Masakazu Tashiro has been playing for SC Sagamihara.
3.2. Career Highlights
Throughout his career, Masakazu Tashiro has achieved several notable milestones:
- Made his professional debut in the J.League Cup on May 20, 2009, for Yokohama F. Marinos.
- Made his J1 League debut on September 27, 2009.
- Selected for the "J2 Exiting22" (2012).
- Participated as a starter in a friendly match against Manchester United on July 23, 2013, with Yokohama F. Marinos.
- Scored his first Emperor's Cup goal in 2014 while playing for JEF United Chiba.
- Scored his first J.League goal on July 20, 2016, for Montedio Yamagata against his former club, JEF United Chiba.
- Appointed vice-captain for V-Varen Nagasaki in 2017 and later for Yokohama FC from 2019 to 2021.
- Contributed to a historic derby victory for Yokohama FC against Yokohama F. Marinos on December 19, 2020, scoring a goal and motivating his team.
- Made one appearance in the J1 Promotion Play-off in 2018.
4. Playing Style
Masakazu Tashiro is primarily recognized for his defensive qualities as a centre-back. He is noted for his strong ability in one-on-one defending situations and tenacious man-marking. His playing style also features excellent pass interception skills, which he attributes to his calm reading of the game.
5. Career Statistics
The following table provides detailed match appearance and goal statistics for Masakazu Tashiro throughout his professional football career, updated as of February 14, 2025.
5.1. Club Statistics
| 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 | |||||||
| 2007 | Yokohama FM | J1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2009 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |||
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2011 | Machida | JFL | 32 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | 34 | 1 | ||
| 2012 | J2 | 34 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 37 | 0 | |||
| 2013 | Yokohama FM | J1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Chiba | J2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | - | 7 | 1 | ||
| 2015 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 14 | 0 | ||||
| 2016 | Yamagata | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | 33 | 1 | |||
| 2017 | Nagasaki | J2 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 31 | 0 | ||
| 2018 | J1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Yokohama FC | J2 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | 16 | 3 | |||
| 2019 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | 33 | 3 | ||||
| 2020 | J1 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | 21 | 3 | |||
| 2021 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | |||
| 2021 | Machida | J2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022 | Omiya Ardija | J2 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 16 | 1 | ||
| 2023 | Iwate | J3 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2024 | Sagamihara | J3 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2025 | |||||||||||
| Career total | 291 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 321 | 15 | |||
Other official matches:
- 2018: J1 Promotion Play-off (1 appearance, 0 goals)
6. National Team Career
Masakazu Tashiro represented Japan at the youth international level. In 2006, he was selected for the U-18 Japan national team. He also played for the U-19 Japan national team in the same year, showcasing his potential as a young defender for the national setup.
7. Individual Honors
- J2 Exiting22 (2012)
8. Personal Life
Masakazu Tashiro is married and became a father to his first child, a son, in June 2013.