is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

former professional

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 who played as a full-back. A journeyman defender, Kanai made over 160 appearances in the

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 ...

Career

On 11 January 2014, Kanai was announced at

Sagan Tosu is a Japanese professional Association football, football club based in Tosu, Saga, Tosu, Saga Prefecture. The club plays in the J2 League, the second tier of Japanese football, since 2025 following relegation from the J1 League in 2024 J1 Leag ...

on a permanent transfer. On 13 January 2015, Kanai was announced at

JEF United Chiba , full name and also known as , is a Japanese professional football club based in Chiba, capital of Chiba Prefecture. They currently play in the J2 League, Japanese second tier of professional football. History Furukawa Electric SC (19 ...

on a permanent transfer. He moved to Yokohama F. Marinos in the next year. On 10 March 2017, Kanai made his 100th J1 League appearance against

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 ...

. During the 2017 season, he scored the winning goal in two league matches. On 25 July 2018, Kanai was announced at

Nagoya Grampus ; formerly known as is a Japanese association football club that plays in the J1 League, and have for all but one season since the inauguration of the league, following promotion from the J2 League in 2017. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture an ...

on a permanent transfer. He scored his first two goals for the club against

on 11 August. He was described as a player to "watch out" for. On 15 August 2019, Kanai was announced at

on a six month loan deal. He moved on to

Shimizu S-Pulse is a Japanese professional association football, football club located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka (city), Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture. S-Pulse is going to compete in the J1 League for the 2025 Season, after winning promotio ...

the following year. On 6 January 2021, Kanai was announced at

Ventforet Kofu is a Japanese professional football club from Kōfu in Yamanashi Prefecture. The team currently competes in the J2 League, Japanese second tier of professional football, hosting their home matches in the JIT Recycle Ink Stadium, located in Kōf ...

on a permanent transfer. Already on 28 July 2021, Kanai was announced at

FC Ryukyu is a Japanese professional football club based in Okinawa. The club plays in the J3 League, Japanese third tier of professional football. The team's home stadium is Okinawa Athletic Park Stadium, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The team derive ...

on a permanent transfer. On 27 October 2022, the club announced he would not be renewing his contract for the 2023 season. On 22 December 2022, Kanai was announced at

Kamatamare Sanuki Kamatamare Sanuki (カマタマーレ讃岐、''Kamatamāre Sanuki'') is a football club based in Takamatsu, the capital city of Kagawa Prefecture of Japan. They currently play in the J3 League, the Japanese third tier of professional football. ...

on a permanent transfer. On 1 December 2023, Kanai announced he would retire at the end of the 2023 season.

International career

In August 2007, Kanai was selected for the Japan U-17 national team for the 2007 U-17 World Cup. Kanai was called up to the Japan squad for the

2010 Asian Games The 2010 Asian Games (), officially known as the XVI Asian Games () and also known as Guangzhou 2010 (), were a regional multi-sport event held from November 12 to 27, 2010 in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (although several events commenced ear ...

. He was going to withdraw from the squad after discovering he had arrhythmia, but was forced to withdraw after it was discovered he was driving without a license.

Personal life

In October 2010, Kanai was found to have been driving without a license. He obtained his driver's license in August 2008, but was involved in an accident that could have resulted in injury or death in April 2009. He reported the accident to Yokohama F. Marinos as a "minor rear-end collison", and his license was suspended. He did not take the required training course to get his license back, and was suspended by the club from all remaining training sessions and games until the end of the season.

Club statistics

''Updated to 21 February 2019''.Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社
"2016J1&J2&J3選手名鑑"
10 February 2016, Japan, (p. 62 out of 289)

¹Includes

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 ...

²Includes J. League Cup.

Awards and honours

Japan

AFC U-17 Championship The AFC U-17 Asian Cup, formerly known as the AFC U-16 Championship and AFC U-17 Championship, is a football competition, organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) held once every two years for Asian under-17 teams that also serves as a q ...

(1) :

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

References

External links

Profile at Yokohama F. Marinos
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kanai, Takashi 1990 births Living people Association football people from Kanagawa Prefecture Japanese men's footballers Japan men's youth international footballers J1 League players J2 League players J3 League players Yokohama F. Marinos players Sagan Tosu players JEF United Chiba players Nagoya Grampus players Shimizu S-Pulse players Ventforet Kofu players FC Ryukyu players Kamatamare Sanuki players Men's association football defenders 21st-century Japanese sportsmen