Rihito Yamamoto: Who is Freiburg's new Japanese midfield talent?
Rihito Yamamoto is hoping to follow Ritsu Dōan and Yuito Suzuki's footsteps by becoming the latest successful Japanese import at Freiburg. We run the rule over the new signing from Sint-Truiden.
Data correct as of 27 May 2026
Rihito Yamamoto
Age: 24 (born 12 December 2001)
Club: Freiburg
Position: Defensive midfielder
Country: Japan (18 U23 caps)
Key stats
The native of Sagamihara, in Kanagawa prefecture, initially developed in the Japanese capital at Tokyo Verdy, and made over 90 appearances in the J2 League before a switch to the J1 League with Gamba Osaka in 2022.
A move to Europe and Sint-Truiden in Belgium's Jupiler Pro League followed - initially on a loan basis in 2023/24 and then on a permanent deal. Yamamoto made 38 appearances and provided five goals plus six assists as Sint-Truiden took a sensational third-placed finish in 2025/26.
Yamamoto has been a regular figure in Japan's youth international set-up and has appeared for as many as nine different national team age groups, culminating in four appearances for the Japanese team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He notched two goals in the tournament against Paraguay and Mali, before captaining his country against Israel.
Plays a bit like: Angelo Stiller
Yamamoto is a classy midfield operator with a great passing range and ball-carrying ability, but also packs a notable off-the-ball robustness. Much like VfB Stuttgart's star midfielder Stiller, he is comfortable playing either in front of the defence or as more of a box-to-box midfielder.
Did you know?
While Dōan and Suzuki are the most recent, Yamamoto is becoming the fifth Japanese footballer to ply his trade in the Black Forest. The other two are Kisho Yano, who made 15 Bundesliga appearances for Freiburg in 2010/11 and Kosuke Kinoshita, who was on their books as a youngster without making a first-team appearance. If that sounds like a lot, Yamamoto was just one of 29 Japanese players to appear for Sint-Truiden in the past decade under the club's Japanese ownership.
What they're saying
“Rihito made excellent progress last season. He’s a versatile midfielder. One of his biggest strengths is definitely how many different qualities he brings. He can make a real impact both with and without the ball. The next step now is for him to adapt and keep developing the finer details of his game – and we’re looking forward to helping him do that!” - Freiburg sporting director Klemens Hartenbach.
"I am taking this step to test myself in one of the world’s best leagues, the Bundesliga, and hopefully to be part of the Japanese World Cup squad in 2030." - Rihito Yamamoto on his transfer to Freiburg
