Photo: Niels98 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
There's something poetic about a kid who grew up in Urawa — ground zero for Japanese soccer culture — eventually pulling on the red shirt of Urawa Red Diamonds. Naoki Maeda took the long scenic route to get there: Tokyo Verdy's youth academy, a stint at Matsumoto Yamaga, years at Yokohama F. Marinos, and a solid run at Nagoya Grampus where he picked up a J. League Cup winner's medal in 2021. Then in early 2022 he went all the way to the Dutch Eredivisie on loan at FC Utrecht, which honestly shows a curiosity and ambition you don't see from every J1 journeyman. At 175cm he's not the physically imposing type, but as a winger his whole game is built on sharpness, timing, and reading the moment — Scorpio energy, if you're into that. Coming home to Urawa felt like the story snapping into place. A proper soccer city lad, and one who did it the hard way.
Overview
Naoki Maeda is a Japanese professional soccer player born on November 17, 1994, in Urawa Ward, Saitama Prefecture — one of Japan's most prominent soccer regions. Standing 175 cm tall, he represents a generation of players raised in the storied soccer culture of the greater Saitama area. Further details regarding his career history and club affiliations are not publicly disclosed.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Naoki Maeda
- Name (Japanese)
- 前田直輝
- Reading
- まえだ なおき
- Born
- November 17, 1994 (age 31)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Dog (戌)
- Origin
- Urawa Ward, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
- Height
- 175cm
- Occupation
- Soccer player
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Naoki Maeda born?
Born November 17, 1994 (age 31).
Where is Naoki Maeda from?
Naoki Maeda is from Urawa Ward, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.
What does Naoki Maeda do?
Naoki Maeda works as Soccer player.
How tall is Naoki Maeda?
Naoki Maeda is 175cm.
Soccer player — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.