Natsuko Hara

Natsuko Hara
Personal information
Full name	Natsuko Hara
Date of birth	March 1, 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth	Ome, Tokyo, Japan
Height	1.56 m (5 ft 1+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
2001–2006	Nippon TV Beleza
Senior career*
Years	Team
2006–2015	Nippon TV Beleza
Total
National team
2008	Japan U-20
2010	Japan
Honours
Nippon TV Beleza
Representing Japan
AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup
AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Natsuko Hara (原菜摘子, Hara Natsuko, born March 1, 1989) is a former Japanese football player. She played for the Japan national team.

Biography[change | change source]

Hara was born in Ome on March 1, 1989. She was promoted to Nippon TV Beleza from the youth team in 2006. Especially since 2009, she played in many games as a successor of the Japan national team player Homare Sawa moved to United States. She played for the club until 2015. In 10 seasons, she played 149 matches in Nadeshiko League and she was selected Best Eleven in 2015.^[1]

In April 2005, when Hara was 16 years old, she was selected the Japan U-17 national team for 2005 AFC U-17 Championship. At the tournament, she played as captain and she became top scorer with 12 goals. She was named "Asian Footballer of the Year". In November 2008, Hara was selected for the Japan U-20 national team for the 2008 U-20 World Cup. On January 13, 2010, she played for the Japan national team for the first time against Denmark. She played two games for Japan in 2010.