Biography
Who is Yoshito Okubo?
Early life and career
Yoshito Okubo was born in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, on June 9, 1982. After graduating from high school, he began his professional career by joining the J1 League club Cerezo Osaka in 2001. During his first season, he played many matches as a forward and offensive midfielder, although the club finished at the bottom of the table and faced relegation to the J2 League.
In the 2002 season, Yoshito scored 18 goals to help Cerezo Osaka secure second place and earn promotion back to the top tier. From 2003 onward, he consistently scored more than 15 goals in the J1 League and earned the Asian Young Footballer of the Year award in 2003.
Club career and European experience
In 2005, Yoshito moved to the Spanish club Mallorca on loan. He helped the team finish in 17th place to remain in La Liga during the 2004 and 2005 season. He returned to Cerezo Osaka in June 2006, but the club suffered another relegation to the J2 League at the end of the year.
Yoshito later joined Vissel Kobe in 2007 and subsequently transferred to VfL Wolfsburg in Germany on January 3, 2009. After spending six months with Wolfsburg, he returned to Vissel Kobe, becoming the first Japanese striker to win a Bundesliga title. He later transferred to Kawasaki Frontale in 2013, where he clinched the J.League top scorer award for three consecutive years until 2015.
International career
Manager Zico selected Yoshito for the Japan national team in 2003. He made his international debut on May 31, 2003, during a friendly match against South Korea at the Tokyo National Stadium.
Yoshito also represented the Japan under-23 national team at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Later in his career, he played in all four matches for Japan as a left midfielder during the 2010 World Cup and also earned a spot in the 2014 World Cup squad in Brazil.
Birthday and age
Yoshito Okubo was born on June 9, 1982, which makes Yoshito 44 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Yoshito shares the date with 35 other famous people.
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