Naohiro Takahara

Naohiro Takahara

Takahara with Shimizu S-Pulse in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Naohiro Takahara
Date of birth	(1979-06-04) June 4, 1979 (age 37)
Place of birth	Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current team	Okinawa SV
Number	10
Youth career
1995–1997	Shimizu Higashi High School
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1998–2002	Júbilo Iwata	105	(58)
2001	→Boca Juniors (loan)	6	(1)
2002–2006	Hamburg	97	(13)
2006–2008	Eintracht Frankfurt	38	(12)
2008–2010	Urawa Reds	63	(10)
2010	Suwon Samsung Bluewings	12	(4)
2011–2012	Shimizu S-Pulse	46	(9)
2013–2014	Tokyo Verdy	41	(11)
2014–2015	SC Sagamihara	54	(11)
2016–	Okinawa SV
Total		462	(129)
National team
1998–1999	Japan U-20	16	(16)
1998–2000	Japan U-23	11	(4)
2000–2008	Japan	57	(23)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of December 31, 2015.

Naohiro Takahara (高原 直泰, Takahara Naohiro^?, born June 4, 1979) is a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team. He plays for Okinawa SV.

In December 2015, with legendary Japanese judoka Tadahiro Nomura, established Okinawa SV.

Takahara was born in Mishima, Shizuoka. He has previously played for Júbilo Iwata in Japan, Boca Juniors in Argentina, Hamburger SV and Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany. On December 3, 2006, he scored his first hat-trick in the German Bundesliga in a league game against Alemannia Aachen. In January 2008 he moved to Urawa Red Diamonds for a transfer fee of around ¥180 million (around $1.7 million).

Takahara had played for Japan in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney but missed the 2002 World Cup, co-hosted by his home country and South Korea, because of lung disease. He was a member of the Japan team for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup and played in all the six games involving Japan. He scored four goals and was a joint top scorer of the tournament.