National team footballer comes out as trans in sweet post with ‘wonderful’ wife
Marumi Yamazaki with his partner. (Instagram)
Marumi Yamazaki with his partner. (Instagram)
A Japanese football star has proudly come out as a trans man – and fans are pouring in the love.
Marumi Yamazaki, 35, marked New Year’s Day by coming out to fans in a heartfelt picture alongside his wife.
The football star, formerly of JEF United Chiba, announced he had officially changed his legal gender in an Instagram post alongside pictures of him and his wife, who he called a “really wonderful woman”.
Yamazaki retired in 2023 after playing for four separate teams between 2006 and 2020.
He also played for Japan’s national team in the 2013 Algarve Cup, bagging four senior caps along the way.
“I’ve mustered the courage to announce this to everyone,” he wrote in the post, translated by OutSports.
“[This happened a while ago] I have changed my gender on my family register to male and married a really wonderful woman! The main reason I retired from soccer was to make this dream come true.”
He went on to admit that he hadn’t planned on publicly announcing his transition, but decided to share his truth after a year of privately coming out.
In order to legally change gender in Japan, trans people must undergo sterilisation surgery and must not be married.
Yamazaki confirmed he had undergone treatment, saying that he chose to transition after considering his age and believes that “now was the only timing”.
Of trans acceptance in Japan, he wrote: “I think it’s still not well accepted and there are mixed opinions, but I hope that I can broaden someone’s values, be a guide for someone, or give someone courage and hope.”
Yamazaki’s sports career involved playing for AS Elfen Sayama FC from 2006 to 2007, Albirex Niigata from 2009 to 2016, AC Nagano Parceiro from 2016 to 2017, and JEF United Chiba from 2018 to 2020.
Overall, the midfielder earned 177 caps, with 101 of those coming from Albirex Niigata.
