Kaishū Sano
Japanese footballer (born 2000)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kaishu Sano (佐野 海舟, Sano Kaishū; born 30 December 2000) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Bundesliga club Mainz 05 and the Japan national team.[1]
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Sano in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 30 December 2000 | ||
| Place of birth | Tsuyama, Okayama, Japan | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Mainz 05 | ||
| Number | 6 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2015 | FC Viparte | ||
| 2016–2018 | Yonago Kita High School | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2022 | Machida Zelvia | 116 | (8) |
| 2023–2024 | Kashima Antlers | 47 | (1) |
| 2024– | Mainz 05 | 68 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Japan | 15 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:30, 16 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 16:03, 20 June 2026 (UTC) | |||
Club career
After four seasons with J2 League club Machida Zelvia, in December 2022 it was announced that Sano would be joining J1 League club Kashima Antlers for the 2023 season.[2]
Sano appeared as starter at the beginning of the season, appearing in nine of their first ten games. In April, he picked up a knee injury which would leave him out of action for four weeks.[3]
Mainz 05
On 3 July 2024, Sano signed for Bundesliga club Mainz 05 on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[4]
International career
On 15 May 2026, Sano was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[5]
Personal life
Sano is the elder brother of fellow professional footballer Kodai Sano.[6]
Controversy
Sexual assault allegations
On 17 July 2024, following Sano's transfer to Mainz, it was reported that he was arrested along with two other co-suspects under suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman who had earlier dined with the three men after the woman's friend had left for home.[7][8] He was released on July 29, and prosecutors decided not to indict him on August 8.[9]
On 5 June 2025, he was selected for the Japan national team for the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, scheduled to be held on 10 June, marking his return to the squad.[10] At a press conference, head coach Hajime Moriyasu stated, "I have been observing him all along, and after personally reaching out to him, I strongly felt that he is truly remorseful." He continued, "When we consider each team member as part of a family, I asked myself—as a coach facing an individual player—whether we should simply cast someone out of society or the football world for making a mistake. I decided it would be better, as a family, to give him a path to try again."[11] Sano also held a press conference on the 28th, where he offered a direct apology in his own words.[9]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Machida Zelvia | 2019 | J2 League | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2020 | J2 League | 41 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 41 | 1 | |||
| 2021 | J2 League | 34 | 6 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 35 | 6 | |||
| 2022 | J2 League | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 21 | 1 | |||
| Total | 116 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 119 | 7 | |||
| Kashima Antlers | 2023 | J1 League | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | 35 | 1 | |
| 2024 | J1 League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 23 | 0 | ||
| Total | 47 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | – | 58 | 1 | |||
| Mainz 05 | 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 36 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26 | Bundesliga | 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 11[c] | 1 | 47 | 2 | ||
| Total | 68 | 1 | 4 | 0 | – | 11 | 1 | 83 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 231 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 260 | 10 | ||
- Includes Emperor's Cup, DFB-Pokal
- Includes J. League Cup
- Appearances in UEFA Conference League
International
- As of match played 20 June 2026[14]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 2023 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 15 | 0 | |
