is a former

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player. He is the twin brother of Masashi Otani.

Playing career

Otani was born in Isesaki on April 17, 1983. After graduating from high school, he joined

J1 League The , known as the for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of the system. Founded in 1992, it is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football. Contested by 18 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the J ...

club

FC Tokyo Football Club Tokyo, commonly known as , is a Japanese professional football club based in Chōfu, Tokyo. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The team is one of only four in the J.League to be si ...

in 2002. However he could not play at all in the match. In June 2004, he moved to

Japan Football League The also known as simply the JFL is the 4th tier of the Japanese association football league system, positioned beneath the three divisions of the J.League. The league features fully professional teams that hold J.League associate membership am ...

club

Thespa Kusatsu is a professional football (soccer) club based in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture in Japan. The club plays in the J2 League, the second division of professional football in Japan. History The club was founded in 1995 in Kusatsu, one of the most w ...

. He became a regular player as defensive midfielder soon. Although he was injured in late in 2004, Thespa was promoted to

J2 League The or simply J2 is the second division of the and the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The top tier is represented by the J1 League. It (along with the rest of the J.League) is currently sponsored by Meiji Yas ...

end of 2004 season. However he could not play at all in the match for rehabilitation in 2005. Although he came back in 2006, he could hardly play in the match and retired end of 2006 season.

Club statistics

References

External links

* 1983 births Living people Association football people from Gunma Prefecture Japanese footballers J1 League players J2 League players Japan Football League players FC Tokyo players Thespakusatsu Gunma players Twin sportspeople Japanese twins Association football midfielders {{Japan-footy-midfielder-1980s-stub