FootballerJapaneseGoalkeeperShimane Prefecture

Yutaro Hara

Yutaro Hara is a former Japanese professional goalkeeper who played for Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Roasso Kumamoto, and Ehime FC, represented Japan at youth levels, and transitioned to coaching.

1. Overview

Yutaro Hara (原 裕太郎Hara YūtarōJapanese) is a former Japanese professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Born in Hikawa, Shimane, he began his football journey at a young age, progressing through youth academies before making his professional debut with Sanfrecce Hiroshima. His career spanned several clubs, including Roasso Kumamoto and Ehime FC, marked by periods of both starting opportunities and challenging competition for playing time. After retiring as a player, Hara transitioned into coaching, contributing to youth development. He also represented Japan at various youth national team levels, participating in significant international tournaments.

2. Personal Information

Yutaro Hara was born on April 23, 1990, in Hikawa, Shimane, which is now part of Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. He holds Japanese nationality. Standing at 74 in (187 cm) tall and weighing 181 lb (82 kg), he primarily played as a goalkeeper throughout his professional career.

3. Youth Career

Hara began playing football at the age of eight, during his second year of elementary school. While playing for Shobara Elementary SSS, he participated as a goalkeeper in the All Japan Youth Futsal Tournament. From 2003 to 2005, he was part of the Sanfrecce Kunibiki Junior Youth team. Although he played as a goalkeeper in official matches during this period, he primarily trained as a midfielder in practice sessions.

In 2005, during his third year of junior high school, Hara was promoted early to the Sanfrecce Hiroshima Youth team, alongside his classmate Tomotaka Okamoto. He attended Yoshida Junior High School and later Hiroshima Prefectural Yoshida High School. By his second year of high school, he secured the position of starting goalkeeper, surpassing Akie Kaneda. He played a crucial role in the team's achievements, including a third-place finish in the 2007 Japan Club Youth Football Championship (U-18) and a runner-up position in the Prince Takamado Cup (U-18) in the same year.

4. Professional Career

Yutaro Hara's professional career began with Sanfrecce Hiroshima, where he progressed from their youth system to the senior team. He later moved to Roasso Kumamoto and Ehime FC, experiencing various roles and challenges before his retirement and transition into coaching.

4.1. Clubs

Hara played for three main clubs during his professional career: Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Roasso Kumamoto, and Ehime FC.

He spent six seasons with Sanfrecce Hiroshima from 2009 to 2014. During this period, he made 2 league appearances, 1 J.League Cup appearance, and 0 Emperor's Cup appearances. He was part of the squad that won the J1 League title twice in 2012 and 2013, and the Japanese Super Cup in 2013.

In 2015, Hara transferred to Roasso Kumamoto. He played for the club for two seasons, from 2015 to 2016. He made 11 league appearances for Roasso Kumamoto in the J2 League.

In May 2016, he was loaned to Ehime FC due to a goalkeeper shortage, and then made a permanent move to the club in December 2016, staying until 2020. During his time at Ehime FC, he made 0 league appearances, 1 Emperor's Cup appearance, and 2 J.League Cup appearances.

4.2. Debut and Transfers

In 2008, while still in his third year of high school, Hara was registered as a Type 2 player for the Sanfrecce Hiroshima top team, allowing him to play for the senior squad while still eligible for youth competitions. His first bench appearance for the senior team occurred on June 25, 2008, in a J2 League match against Tokushima Vortis at Hiroshima Big Arch. This opportunity arose due to injuries to senior goalkeepers Takashi Shimoda and Koichi Kidera. He remained on the bench for two months until Yoji Nakabayashi was signed, after which Hara was no longer included in the matchday squad.

Hara officially joined the Sanfrecce Hiroshima top team in 2009. He made his professional debut on June 3, 2009, in a Nabisco Cup Group A matchday 5 fixture against Oita Trinita at Kyushu Oil Dome, playing the full match. His league debut followed on July 3, 2009, in a J1 League matchday 16 game against Júbilo Iwata, which Sanfrecce Hiroshima lost 0-1. He played the entire match. After this, he was generally registered as the third-choice goalkeeper.

Following 2010, with the arrival of Shusaku Nishikawa, Hara remained the third-choice goalkeeper. However, on May 6, 2013, he made a notable return to league action after four years, coming on as a substitute in a J1 League matchday 13 game against Omiya Ardija. This occurred after Takuya Masuda (who had started in place of an injured Nishikawa) collided with Omiya forward Takayuki Tomiyama and was stretchered off.

On December 12, 2014, it was announced that Hara would make a permanent transfer to Roasso Kumamoto. Initially, he secured a starting position as the main goalkeeper, but his playing opportunities diminished significantly after the arrival of Daniel Schmidt.

In 2016, with the addition of Akihiro Sato, a former teammate from Hiroshima, Hara found himself with limited playing time at Roasso Kumamoto. On May 9, 2016, he was loaned to Ehime FC through an exception in the registration window, as Ehime FC was facing a shortage of goalkeepers due to injuries. The loan was set to last until January 31, 2017. While at Ehime FC, he consistently made the bench as the second-choice goalkeeper but was unable to make an official appearance due to the strong performance of Tsuyoshi Kodama. On December 2, 2016, his permanent transfer to Ehime FC was announced. Even after Kodama's departure to Montedio Yamagata, Hara continued to face stiff competition from returning injured goalkeeper Park Sung-soo and new signing Masahiro Okamoto from JEF United Chiba, preventing him from securing playing time.

4.3. Retirement and Coaching Career

Yutaro Hara announced his retirement from professional football on December 28, 2020, concluding his playing career with Ehime FC.

Following his retirement, Hara transitioned into a coaching role. In 2021, he was appointed as a coach for the Academy Development Department and a Goalkeeper Development Coach at Sanfrecce Hiroshima, the club where he began his professional journey.

5. National Team Career

Yutaro Hara represented Japan at various youth national team levels. In 2005, he was part of the U-15 national team. The following year, in 2006, he was a member of the U-16 national team that won the AFC U-17 Championship 2006, though he did not make any appearances in the tournament.

In August 2007, Hara was selected for the Japan U-17 national team to participate in the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup. However, he did not play in any matches during the tournament, serving as the team's reserve goalkeeper behind Ryotaro Hironaga. He was also part of the U-21 national team in 2010.

6. Career Statistics

Updated to the end of the 2020 season.
The 'Other' column in the table includes appearances in the Japanese Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

Club performanceLeagueCupLeague CupContinentalOtherTotal
SeasonClubLeagueAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
JapanLeagueEmperor's CupJ.League CupAFCOtherTotal
2009Sanfrecce HiroshimaJ1 League100010--20
201000000000-00
2011000000--00
2012000000--00
2013100000000010
2014000000000000
2015Roasso KumamotoJ2 League11000---110
20160000---00
Ehime FC0010---10
20170000---00
20180000---00
2019000010--10
20200000---00
Career total13020300000180

7. Titles and Awards

Yutaro Hara achieved several team titles during his playing career, primarily with Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

  • Sanfrecce Hiroshima
    • J.League Division 1: 2012, 2013
    • Xerox Super Cup: 2013