Japanese soccer player best known as a defender for the Kashima Antlers, where he won numerous J-League Division I and Japanese Super Cup titles from 2004 to 2013. He was captain of the Japanese national team which the 2003 Universiade.
He attended Tokyo Gakugei University from 2000 to 2003.
He earned J-League Best Eleven honors three straight years from 2007 to 2009.
Both of his parents were teachers.
He won the AFC Asian Cup Champions title alongside teammate Shinji Kagawa in 2011.
