1. Overview
Miho Fukumoto 福元 美穂Fukumoto MihoJapanese is a highly accomplished Japanese football player, primarily known for her role as a goalkeeper. Her career spans over two decades, marked by significant contributions to both club and national teams. She made her debut for the Japan national team in 2002 and went on to earn 81 caps, participating in three FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments and two Summer Olympics. Fukumoto was a crucial member of the Japanese squad that famously won the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and secured a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Her club career saw her play for prominent Japanese clubs such as Okayama Yunogo Belle, INAC Kobe Leonessa, AS Elfen Saitama, and currently Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina, where she has achieved multiple domestic honors and individual accolades, including three selections to the Nadeshiko League Best Eleven.
2. Personal Information
Miho Fukumoto 福元 美穂Fukumoto MihoJapanese was born on October 2, 1983, in Yamakawa Town, Ibusuki District, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, which is now part of Ibusuki. She plays as a goalkeeper. Her physical attributes include a height of 65 in (165 cm) and a weight of 141 lb (64 kg). She is right-footed.
3. Youth Career
Fukumoto began her football journey in her youth, playing for Taisei Tsumabeni Ladies. She then attended Yamakawa Junior High School, which is now Ibusuki City Yamakawa Junior High School. Following her junior high education, she enrolled in Kamimura Gakuen High School, specifically in the Ordinary Course with a Physical Education track, from 1999 to 2001. During her time at Kamimura Gakuen High School, she served as the regular goalkeeper and was instrumental in her team's participation in various national tournaments.
4. Club Career
Miho Fukumoto has had a distinguished club career, playing for several prominent teams in the Japanese women's football league system.
4.1. Okayama Yunogo Belle
Miho Fukumoto joined Okayama Yunogo Belle in 2001, when the club was part of a regional league. She played a key role in the team's promotion to the Japan Women's Football League (L. League, now Nadeshiko League) in 2003. During her extensive 15-year tenure with the club, she made 259 appearances. Her consistent performance earned her selection to the Nadeshiko League Best Eleven three times, in the 2006, 2012, and 2014 seasons. On April 3, 2016, Fukumoto reached a significant milestone by making her 250th Nadeshiko League appearance in a match against Mynavi Sendai Ladies at Okayama Prefectural General Ground Athletics Stadium. She departed Okayama Yunogo Belle on August 10, 2016.
4.2. INAC Kobe Leonessa
Following her departure from Okayama Yunogo Belle, Fukumoto signed with INAC Kobe Leonessa on August 12, 2016. During her time with INAC Kobe Leonessa from 2016 to 2018, she made 7 appearances.
4.3. AS Elfen Saitama
In 2019, Fukumoto moved to Chifure AS Elfen Saitama. She played for the club from 2019 to 2020, making 13 appearances during her tenure.
4.4. Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina
In 2021, Miho Fukumoto made a full transfer to Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina, a club in the WE League, Japan's professional women's football league. She currently plays for this club, wearing jersey number 31. Her debut for Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina occurred on March 27, 2022, in a WE League match against Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies at Hiroshima Koiki Park First Athletic Field. As of May 26, 2024, she has made 10 appearances for the club.
4.5. Club Statistics
The following table summarizes Miho Fukumoto's club appearances and goals throughout her career in domestic league competitions, as of May 26, 2024.
| Year | Club | No. | League | Apps | Goals | League Cup | Goals | Empress's Cup | Goals | Total | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Okayama Yunogo Belle | 18 | L. League | 16 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 1 | L. League Division 2 | 15 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| 2005 | L. League Division 1 | 21 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | 25 | 0 | |||
| 2006 | Nadeshiko Division 1 | 17 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |||
| 2007 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |||
| 2008 | 17 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | ||||
| 2009 | 19 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||||
| 2010 | Nadeshiko | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2011 | 16 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||||
| 2012 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |||
| 2013 | 18 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |||
| 2014 | 28 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||||
| 2015 | Nadeshiko Division 1 | 24 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |||
| 2016 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | 17 | 0 | ||||
| INAC Kobe Leonessa | 31 | 3 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2019 | Chifure AS Elfen Saitama | 21 | Nadeshiko Division 2 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 2021-22 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina | 31 | WE League | 8 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2022-23 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2023-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2024-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Total (Division 1) | 261 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 317 | 0 | |||
| Total (Division 2) | 28 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |||
| Career Total | 289 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 348 | 0 | |||
5. National Team Career
Miho Fukumoto had a significant career with the Japan women's national football team, known as Nadeshiko Japan, spanning from 2002 to 2016.
5.1. Debut and Early Career
In August 2002, Fukumoto was called up to the Japan U-20 national team for the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship held in Canada. Later that year, in October, she received her first call-up to the senior Japan women's national football team for the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea. She made her senior national team debut on October 4, 2002, in a match against the Vietnam women's national football team at this competition.
Fukumoto was also a backup member for the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup in the United States and the 2004 Athens Olympics. After Hiroshi Ohashi took over as national team coach following the Athens Olympics, Fukumoto's opportunities to play increased. In 2005, she appeared in 5 of 9 matches. In 2006, she was selected for a friendly match against the United States in Osaka in May, and subsequently became a regular starter in the 2006 AFC Women's Asian Cup (which also served as the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup Asian qualifiers) held in Australia in July. In December 2006, at the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, she played a crucial role in the final against North Korea, which went to a penalty shootout, helping Japan secure a silver medal.
5.2. Major Tournament Participation
Fukumoto participated in several major international tournaments, contributing to Japan's success on the global stage.
5.2.1. FIFA Women's World Cup
Miho Fukumoto participated in three FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments. She was part of the squad for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China, where Japan advanced from the group stage. In 2011, she was a member of the team that achieved historic success by winning the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany. Although Ayumi Kaihori was the regular goalkeeper in that tournament, Fukumoto's presence contributed to the team's depth and success. She also played in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada, where Japan reached the final and finished as runner-up. In the 2015 tournament, she played in the group stage match against Ecuador on June 16.
5.2.2. Summer Olympics
Fukumoto represented Japan in two Summer Olympic Games. She was part of the team that competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where Japan finished in fourth place. In the 2012 London Olympics, she returned as the regular goalkeeper and played a pivotal role in Japan's campaign, which culminated in winning a silver medal, marking the national team's first-ever Olympic medal in women's football. She was selected for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics Asian final qualifiers but the team finished third, failing to qualify for the Olympics.
5.2.3. AFC Women's Asian Cup
Fukumoto participated in four AFC Women's Asian Cup tournaments. She was part of the Japanese squad that finished fourth in the 2006 AFC Women's Asian Cup. In the 2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup, Japan secured a third-place finish. She also participated in the 2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup, where Japan again finished third. Her most significant achievement in this competition came in the 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup in Vietnam, where Japan emerged as champions.
5.2.4. East Asian Football Championship
Miho Fukumoto also contributed to Japan's success in the East Asian Football Championship. She was a member of the Japanese team that won the tournament in 2008 and again in 2010.
5.3. National Team Statistics
The table below details Miho Fukumoto's appearances and goals for the Japan women's national football team by year.
| Japan national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2002 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | 4 | 0 |
| 2006 | 13 | 0 |
| 2007 | 14 | 0 |
| 2008 | 14 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 4 | 0 |
| 2011 | 5 | 0 |
| 2012 | 11 | 0 |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 |
| 2014 | 5 | 0 |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 81 | 0 |
6. Awards and Honors
Miho Fukumoto has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career, both at the club and national team levels.
6.1. Club Awards
- Okayama Yunogo Belle
- Nadeshiko League Regular Series: 2014
- INAC Kobe Leonessa
- Empress's Cup: 2016
- Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina
- WE League Cup: 2023-24
6.2. Individual Awards
- Nadeshiko League Best Eleven: 2006, 2012, 2014
6.3. National Team Awards
- Japan
- FIFA Women's World Cup: 2011 (Winner), 2015 (Runner-up)
- Olympic Games: 2012 (Silver Medal)
- AFC Women's Asian Cup: 2014 (Winner)
- East Asian Football Championship: 2008, 2010 (Winner)
7. Related Articles
- Okayama Yunogo Belle
- INAC Kobe Leonessa
- AS Elfen Saitama
- Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina
- Japan women's national football team
- List of Japan women's international footballers
- Ayaka Yamashita
- Ayumi Kaihori
- Homare Sawa
- Aya Miyama
- Norio Sasaki
- Hiroshi Ohashi
- Kagoshima Prefecture