Atomu Tanaka is a Japanese association football player known for his midfield prowess.
He played for Albirex Niigata from 2005 to 2014, where he began his professional career.
In 2015, Tanaka joined Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi, marking his entry into Finnish football.
Biography
Early Life
Atomu Tanaka, affectionately known as Atom, is a Japanese professional footballer born in Japan. He honed his skills at Maebashi Ikuei High School in Gunma, where he was recognized as a promising talent in football. During his high school years, he was registered as a specially-designated player for Albirex Niigata, allowing him to train and play with the club while still representing his school team.
Career
Tanaka made his professional debut for Albirex Niigata in 2005, appearing in two league games that season. He officially signed with the club after graduating high school in 2006, marking the beginning of his professional career. His first professional goal came shortly after, on April 8, 2006, against Ventforet Kofu.
In 2015, Tanaka moved to Finland to join Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (HJK Helsinki), where he quickly made an impact, scoring on his Veikkausliiga debut. His performances earned him recognition as a best eleven member in both 2015 and 2016. After a brief stint with Cerezo Osaka in 2018, he returned to HJK in 2020, continuing to showcase his skills on the field.
On the international stage, Tanaka represented Japan as a U-20 international, participating in the 2006 AFC Youth Championship and the 2007 U-20 World Cup, where he scored once in eight appearances.
Personal Life
Beyond football, Tanaka is a passionate sauna enthusiast and maintains a sauna blog in Japanese. He has expressed a deep affection for Helsinki, referring to it as his second hometown, reflecting his connection to both Japan and Finland.
Collected from open sources (3) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Gallery
Career & Clubs
Tanaka was a U-20 international and took part in the 2006 AFC Youth Championship and 2007 U-20 World Cup. He scored 1 goal in 8 appearances for this tournament.
Albirex Niigata
Tanaka was educated at and played for Maebashi Ikuei High School in Maebashi, Gunma. While he was a high school student, he was registered as a J.League specially-designated player by Albirex Niigata. It meant that he was eligible to play and train with Albirex Niigata, while he was still eligible to play for his high school football club. He played two league games for Albirex in the 2005 season. He made his debut on 27 November 2005 in a J1 League away match against Nagoya Grampus Eight. After graduating from his high school in 2006, he officially signed with Albirex Niigata. His first appearance as a professional player came on 5 March 2006 in a league match against Kawasaki Frontale. His first professional goal came on 8 April 2006 in a league match against Ventforet Kofu.
HJK Helsinki
After scoring once in five matches for his new team HJK Helsinki in the 2015 Finnish League Cup, he scored on his Veikkausliiga debut against RoPS in a 3–1 away win on 12 April. In October 2015 of the same year, HJK exercised their option of keeping Tanaka under contract for the 2016 season. Tanaka was voted as a best eleven member in 2015 and 2016 in the Finnish League. On 25 October 2017, it was announced that Tanaka would leave HJK at the end of the 2017 season.
Cerezo Osaka
He is playing for Cerezo Osaka for the 2018 season.
Return to HJK
On 3 March 2020, Tanaka returned to Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi, after signing a contract until…
- Club
- Albirex Niigata (2005–2014)
- Club
- Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (2015–)
- Club
- Japan national under-20 association football team (2006–2007)
- National team
- Japan
Personal
Atom is a Finnish sauna enthusiast and he writes a sauna blog in Japanese. He has described Helsinki his second hometown.
Clubs
- Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi2015current
- Albirex Niigata2005–2014
- Japan national under-20 association football team2006–2007
Played together with
- Aarno TurpeinenHelsingin Jalkapalloklubi · 1995–2004
Aatos LehtonenHelsingin Jalkapalloklubi · 1933–1947- Adel EidHelsingin Jalkapalloklubi · 1998–2000
- Aki HyryläinenHelsingin Jalkapalloklubi · 1989–1993
- Aki HyryläinenHelsingin Jalkapalloklubi · 1994–1996
Aki RiihilahtiHelsingin Jalkapalloklubi · 1993–1993- Aki RiihilahtiHelsingin Jalkapalloklubi · 1995–1999
- Aki RiihilahtiHelsingin Jalkapalloklubi · 2009–2011
- Akihiko TakeshigeAlbirex Niigata · 2013–2013
- Akihiro KuriharaAlbirex Niigata
Akihito OzawaAlbirex Niigata
Akseli PelvasHelsingin Jalkapalloklubi · 2007–2013
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Atomu Tanaka , nicknamed Atom, is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ykkösliiga club KTP.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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