Japan’s Bundesliga contingent: promise and a difficult start
Yuito Suzuki’s early scoring run is the headline: he has four goals in five Bundesliga appearances in 2026/27. The broader picture is more mixed. This season’s Japanese contingent includes established starters, players still waiting for minutes, and others whose form is still taking shape.
The Bundesliga’s 23 October 2026 preview focuses on Ritsu Dōan, Hiroki Ito, Shūto Machino and their compatriots. Here’s the thing: national reputation and past output only tell you so much. Current playing time—and, in Ito’s case, whether he’s fit enough to feature—offers a sharper measure of where each player stands.
Dōan is back in Frankfurt’s starting XI
Ritsu Dōan has started all six of his appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt, where the 28-year-old plays as an attacking midfielder. He recorded 10 goal involvements last season, then represented Japan at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A muscle injury kept him out of Frankfurt’s season opener. Since returning, he’s reclaimed a place in Adi Hütter’s preferred XI. Dōan played 87 minutes in Matchday 7’s 1-0 away defeat to Borussia Dortmund, though he couldn’t prevent Frankfurt from losing. Six starts suggest his role is secure for now; the early injury and the team’s defeat offer a reminder that a regular place doesn’t guarantee immediate results.
Ritsu Dōan
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
Position: Attacking midfielder
Age: 28 (born 16 June 1998)
Appearances: 6
Starts: 6
Watch: The best of Ritsu Dōan
Ito is still waiting to play
Hiroki Ito’s numbers are stark: zero appearances and zero starts for Bayern Munich this season. The 27-year-old centre-back’s second campaign at the reigning champions was interrupted by injury last season, although he did earn a short run in the starting lineup late in the campaign.
He was an unused substitute in Bayern’s 6-1 Matchday 6 win over RB Leipzig. That result was emphatic; Ito’s place in the team remains unresolved. The available information doesn’t explain whether his absence reflects fitness, selection or both.
Hiroki Ito
Club: Bayern Munich
Position: Centre-back
Age: 27 (born 12 May 1999)
Appearances: 0
Starts: 0
Hiroki Ito is yet to play for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga this season. — IMAGO/Bahho Kara
About the players
- Ritsu Doan, midfielder, Eintracht Frankfurt, shirt No. 20
- Satoshi Tanaka, midfielder, FC Schalke 04, shirt No. 13
- Kōki Machida, defender, TSG Hoffenheim, shirt No. 28
Japanese players across Germany’s clubs
The roster spans several Bundesliga sides and positions, which is the more useful story here than any single name. Borussia Mönchengladbach lists midfielder Zento Uno (No. 47), striker Shuto Machino (No. 18) and defender Daiki Hashioka (No. 14). Sport-Club Freiburg has midfielder Rihito Yamamoto (No. 20), midfielder Yuito Suzuki (No. 14) and striker Keisuke Gotō (No. 42). Mainz 05 fields two midfielders: Sota Kawasaki (No. 24) and Kaishu Sano (No. 6). FC St. Pauli’s Joel Chima Fujita (No. 16) is also a midfielder. The list reaches beyond the Bundesliga, too. Shio Fukuda (No. 13), a striker, is shown at Karlsruher SC, while Bayern Munich’s Hiroki Ito (No. 21) and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Keita Kosugi (No. 26) are defenders. If you’re tracking Japanese players in Germany, the spread across clubs and roles is striking; the cards alone, though, say nothing about playing time or influence on the pitch.Kaishū Sano: Mainz’s ever-present engine
Kaishū Sano has played every minute of Mainz’s six league matches so far, continuing a run of consistency that matters more than it may first appear. The 25-year-old midfielder started every game last season, too, as Mainz recovered from a spell near the relegation places to finish 10th. Along the way, he recorded his first four Bundesliga goal involvements. That durability hasn’t yet translated into a strong start for Mainz this season. Sano completed the full 90 minutes in a 3-2 home defeat to Werder Bremen, whose win was inspired by Niclas Füllkrug. If you’re assessing Mainz, Sano’s six starts make him a reliable presence; the result also shows that reliability alone can’t keep the team from conceding ground.