Former Japan defender Tomoaki Makino is retiring, Vissel Kobe said after the 35-year-old revealed his decision on a TV program in the early hours of Sunday.
Makino, who represented Japan at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, made his J-League debut with his local club Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 2006 and had a one-year spell at Cologne in the German Bundesliga in 2011.
He returned to Japan with Urawa Reds in 2012, initially on loan before making the move permanent. He won multiple titles at the club, including the Asian Champions League in 2017 and the Emperor's Cup in 2018 and 2021.
Known for his physical and one-on-one defending abilities, Makino played predominantly as a center-back and scored 46 goals in 415 appearances in J1.
