is a former Japanese

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player. He played for Japan national team.

Club career

Takakuwa was born in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

on August 10, 1973. After graduating from high school, he joined

Yokohama Marinos , stylised as Yokohama F·Marinos, is a Japanese professional football club based in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The club competes in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. Having w ...

(later ''Yokohama F. Marinos'') in 1992. However he could not play in the match behind Japan national team goalkeeper,

Shigetatsu Matsunaga is a Japanese football goalkeeper coach and former football player. He is the goalkeeper coach for J1 League club Yokohama Marinos. Club career Matsunaga was educated at and played for Hamana High School and Aichi Gakuin University. After gr ...

and

Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi , also known as Yoshi Kawaguchi, is a retired Japanese footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Kawaguchi spent most of his professional career in the Japanese J1 League, with brief spells in Europe as a reserve goalkeeper. He has earned 116 inte ...

. He moved to

Kashima Antlers The are a professional association football, football club based in Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan. They currently play in the J1 League, the top tier of Japanese professional football leagues. The club has financial backing from Mercari, a Japanese ...

in 1996. In 1998, he became a regular goalkeeper and won the champions in

J1 League The , the J.League or the for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Japan and the highest level of the Japanese football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation ...

. In Asia, the club won

1998–99 Asian Cup Winners' Cup The 1998–99 Asian Cup Winners' Cup was the ninth edition of association football competition run by the Asian Football Confederation The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of association football, beach soccer, and ...

. In 2000, the club won all three major title in Japan;

J.League Cup The is a Japanese Association football, football (soccer) competition organised by J.League, the men's association football league in Japan. It has been sponsored by Yamazaki Biscuits (YBC) of Yamazaki Baking (formerly Yamazaki Nabisco) since it ...

and

Emperor's Cup , commonly known as or Japan FA Cup, and rebranded as The JFA Emperor's Cup from 2024 onwards, is a Japanese annual football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formatio ...

. He also was selected Best Eleven. In 2001, his opportunity to play decreased behind Hitoshi Sogahata. He moved to

Tokyo Verdy is a Japanese professional football club based in Inagi, Tokyo. The club currently competes in the J1 League, following promotion from the J2 League in 2023. History Founded as Yomiuri Football Club in 1969, Tokyo Verdy is one of the mo ...

in 2002 and

Vegalta Sendai is a Japanese professional association football, football club based in Sendai, Miyagi, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. They currently play in J2 League, the Japanese second tier of professional football. History Founded in 1988 as ''Tohoku Elect ...

in 2003. At Vegalta Sendai, he played as regular goalkeeper from 2004 to July 2006. In 2007, he returned to Yokohama F. Marinos for the first time in 11 years. However he could hardly play in the match. He moved to

Tokushima Vortis is a Japanese professional football club located in Tokushima, capital of Tokushima Prefecture. The club currently playing in the J2 League, the Japanese second tier of professional football league. Name origin The name, "Vortis" was named in 19 ...

in 2009 and retired end of 2009 season.

National team career

In October 2000, Takakuwa was selected Japan national team for

2000 Asian Cup The 2000 AFC Asian Cup was the 12th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held in Lebanon between 12 and 29 October 2000. Japan def ...

. At this competition, on October 20, he debuted against

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

. Although he played only one match, Japan won the champions.

Club statistics

National team statistics

National team

(champions)

Honors and awards

Individual Honors

Best Eleven: 2000

Team Honors

AFC Asian Cup The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), determining the continental champion of Asia. It is the second-oldest c ...

Champions:

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

* J - League: 1998, 2000 * J - League Cup: 2000 *

: 2000 *

Japanese Super Cup The , the for sponsorship reasons, is an annual one-match association football competition in Japan organised by J.League and the Japan Football Association. This competition serves as the season opener and is played between the reigning J1 Leag ...

: 1999, 2000

References

External links

* * *
Japan National Football Team Database
* 1973 births Living people Association football people from Tokyo Japanese men's footballers Japan men's international footballers J1 League players J2 League players Yokohama F. Marinos players Kashima Antlers players Tokyo Verdy players Vegalta Sendai players Tokushima Vortis players 2000 AFC Asian Cup players AFC Asian Cup–winning players Men's association football goalkeepers {{Japan-footy-goalkeeper-stub