1. Overview
Shota Kaneko (金子 翔太Kaneko ShōtaJapanese) is a Japanese professional footballer who primarily plays as a winger or forward. Born on May 2, 1995, in Nikko, Tochigi, he is known for his right-footed play. Kaneko currently plays for Fujieda MYFC in the J2 League, having previously had significant tenures with Shimizu S-Pulse and Júbilo Iwata. His career has seen him contribute to team promotions and achieve notable individual milestones in Japanese professional football.
2. Early Life and Youth Career
Shota Kaneko's football journey began in his hometown, where he developed his skills from an early age, leading to his enrollment in a prestigious youth academy and a promising start to his career.
2.1. Birth and Background
Shota Kaneko was born on May 2, 1995, in Nikko, Tochigi, Japan. He stands at 64 in (163 cm) and weighs 128 lb (58 kg), and is primarily right-footed. His early football development took place with Imaichi Daisan Carnaval, a local team affiliated with the Nikko Municipal Imaichi Daisan Elementary School.
2.2. Youth Club Career
In 2008, Kaneko enrolled as a third-generation student at JFA Academy Fukushima. Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March 2011, which led to J-Village being used as a response base, the academy's environment was relocated to Gotemba, Shizuoka. In 2012, Kaneko became the top scorer in the Takamado no Miya Prince League Tohoku Division 1 with 20 goals, playing a pivotal role in his team's championship victory and promotion to the Prince Takamado Cup JFA U-18 Football Premier League. In June 2013, he was registered as a special designated player for Shimizu S-Pulse, though he did not make any official appearances during that period.
3. Professional Club Career
Shota Kaneko's professional club career has spanned several teams within the Japanese football league system, marked by periods of consistent performance, key contributions to his teams' successes, and significant career milestones.
3.1. Shimizu S-Pulse and Loan Spells
Kaneko officially joined Shimizu S-Pulse in 2014. In February of the same year, he was also registered to play for the J.League U-22 Selection team, which competed in the J3 League. In August 2015, he moved to Tochigi SC on a developmental loan spell, which concluded at the end of 2015. He returned to Shimizu S-Pulse for the 2016 season.
Upon his return, despite limited appearances early in the 2016 J2 League season, Kaneko seized an opportunity after Genki Omae suffered a long-term injury in early June. He formed an attacking partnership with Jung Tae-se, increasing his playing time. On November 20, 2016, in the final match of the J2 season against Tokushima Vortis, a crucial game for automatic promotion, Kaneko came on as a substitute and scored the winning goal, directly contributing to Shimizu S-Pulse's promotion back to the J1 League.
On April 21, 2017, during a J1 League match against Kawasaki Frontale at Todoroki Athletics Stadium, Kaneko scored the 20,000th goal in J1 League history. From 2018 onwards, he predominantly played as a wide midfielder. On March 18, 2018, in a J1 League match against Vegalta Sendai, he scored for the third consecutive game and also notched Shimizu S-Pulse's 650th home goal in the J1 League. On August 29, in a rescheduled J1 League match against Yokohama F. Marinos (postponed due to a typhoon), Kaneko recorded a goal and an assist. As a midfielder, he became the league's top scorer in his position, with nine goals and five assists. On December 1, in the final J1 League match against V-Varen Nagasaki, he assisted Hideki Ishige's equalizer in the first half and scored another equalizer himself in the second half from an assist by Douglas. This goal marked his first time achieving double-digit league goals in a single season. Alongside Koya Kitagawa and Douglas, Kaneko's achievement meant Shimizu S-Pulse had three players with double-digit goals in a season for the first time since 1998, and concluded the league season in a single-digit position for the first time since 2013.
3.2. Júbilo Iwata
On July 14, 2021, Kaneko was loaned to Júbilo Iwata, a J2 League club. He scored his first goal for the club on September 4 in a match against Matsumoto Yamaga FC. Following Júbilo Iwata's promotion to the J1 League that season, his permanent transfer to the club was announced on December 24, 2021.
In the 2022 season, Kaneko frequently came on as a substitute but saw an increase in starting appearances from July 30, starting with a match against Shonan Bellmare. He scored in two consecutive matches on September 17 against Cerezo Osaka and on October 8 against Kashima Antlers. Despite his efforts, the team was relegated back to the J2 League after one season.
During the 2023 season, Kaneko was a central player for Júbilo Iwata, recording six goals in 29 league matches and significantly contributing to the team's promotion back to the J1 League.
In the 2024 season, his playing time decreased. Despite his reduced role, he worked to maintain his condition by undertaking high-altitude training during the league break. Although he had periods as a starter, the team's overall performance did not improve, leading to their relegation to the J2 League after one season. His contract with Júbilo Iwata expired at the end of the 2024 season, and his departure from the club was announced on December 12, 2024.
3.3. Fujieda MYFC
Following the expiration of his contract with Júbilo Iwata, Shota Kaneko signed with Fujieda MYFC for the 2025 season, where he currently plays.
4. International Career
Shota Kaneko has represented Japan at various youth international levels, demonstrating his talent on the national stage from a young age. He has been called up for and participated in several tournaments with the Japan national youth teams, including the U-16, U-17, U-18, and U-19 squads. His U-18 participation included the qualifiers for the 2014 AFC U-19 Championship, and he was part of the U-19 team that competed in the 2014 AFF U-19 Youth Championship.
5. Club and International Statistics
Shota Kaneko's club career statistics are detailed below, encompassing appearances and goals in various Japanese league, cup, and league cup competitions.
| Season | Club | League | League Apps | League Goals | Emperor's Cup Apps | Emperor's Cup Goals | League Cup Apps | League Cup Goals | Total Apps | Total Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Shimizu S-Pulse | J1 League | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2014 | J.League U-22 Selection | J3 League | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| 2015 | Shimizu S-Pulse | J1 League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2015 | Tochigi SC | J2 League | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 2015 | J.League U-22 Selection | J3 League | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| 2016 | Shimizu S-Pulse | J2 League | 22 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 6 |
| 2017 | Shimizu S-Pulse | J1 League | 26 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 5 |
| 2018 | Shimizu S-Pulse | J1 League | 34 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 10 |
| 2019 | Shimizu S-Pulse | J1 League | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 1 |
| 2020 | Shimizu S-Pulse | J1 League | 30 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 5 |
| 2021 | Shimizu S-Pulse | J1 League | 5 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| 2021 | Júbilo Iwata | J2 League | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| 2022 | Júbilo Iwata | J1 League | 23 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 4 |
| 2023 | Júbilo Iwata | J2 League | 29 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 7 |
| 2024 | Júbilo Iwata | J1 League | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| 2025 | Fujieda MYFC | J2 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career totals | League | Emperor's Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
| J1 League | 172 | 24 | 26 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 213 | 27 | ||
| J2 League | 73 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 82 | 15 | ||
| J3 League | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 3 | ||
| Grand Total | 263 | 39 | 30 | 4 | 20 | 2 | 313 | 45 | ||
- The first official match appearance for Shota Kaneko was on March 19, 2014, in the J.League Cup Group Stage match against Vegalta Sendai at IAI Stadium Nihondaira.
- His first J.League appearance and goal were on March 30, 2014, in a J3 League match against Blaublitz Akita at Akita Yabase Athletic Field.
- He scored the 20,000th goal in J1 League history on April 21, 2017, in a J1 League match against Kawasaki Frontale at Todoroki Athletics Stadium.
- He scored Shimizu S-Pulse's 650th home goal in the J1 League on March 18, 2018, in a J1 League match against Vegalta Sendai at IAI Stadium Nihondaira.
6. Achievements and Records
Throughout his career, Shota Kaneko has earned various team titles and individual accolades, reflecting his impact on the clubs and national youth teams he has represented.
6.1. Team and International Titles
- JFA Academy Fukushima U15
- Fukushima Prefectural Football League: 2008
- Tohoku U-15 Michinoku League South Tohoku: 2009
- JFA Academy Fukushima U18
- Takamado no Miya Prince League Tohoku Division 2: 2011
- Takamado no Miya Prince League Tohoku Division 1: 2012
- Júbilo Iwata
- J2 League: 2021
- Japan U-19 national football team
- 2014 AFF U-19 Youth Championship: 2014
6.2. Individual Awards and Milestones
- Takamado no Miya Prince League Tohoku Division 1 Top Scorer: 2012
- Prince Takamado Cup JFA U-18 Football Premier League East Top Scorer: 2013
- Scored the 20,000th goal in J1 League history: 2017
- Scored Shimizu S-Pulse's 650th home goal in the J1 League: 2018
- Achieved first double-digit league goals in a single season: 2018
7. Personal Life
Shota Kaneko is married. He tied the knot in April 2017. The couple welcomed their first child, a son, in July 2018, and their second child, a daughter, was born on November 18, 2021.