Sano: “Let the numbers speak for themselves”

The 25-year-old discusses his early days at Mainz 05, his World Cup experience and the start to the season ahead of the high-stakes derby

A walk of almost two hours through fields, mountains and forests — that was Kaishu Sano’s route to school from first to sixth grade. At first, he made the journey alone. Only when his younger brother Kodai Sano started school did he have company along the way, and above all more pace on the way back: “We wanted to get home as quickly as possible so we could play football. That’s why we usually ran back.” The 25-year-old has since swapped the mountains of Tsuyama in his home prefecture of Okayama for the pitch at the MEWA ARENA and is heading into his third season with the Rheinhessen as an undisputed regular. In the 5-0 win in Hamburg, the Japan international won the ball to set up Sheraldo Becker’s opening goal, putting Mainz 05 on course for victory.

Development in focus

“The mood after the game was excellent. We weren’t really able to convince in our first home match, which made the game in Hamburg all the more important. The whole team was fully focused, and we brought that onto the pitch,” said Sano, looking back on the away match, while also turning his attention to the coming weeks with humility and a sense of duty, as befits a Japanese player: “In exactly these situations, it is important to remain self-critical and focus on our weaknesses. That mentality helps us enormously and drives our development forward.”

The midfielder has certainly developed further over his good two years at the club. When he moved from the J.League to the Rhine in summer 2024, the Japan international first had to get used to the speed in Germany. “The speed of the actions and the ball circulation were on a different level. At the beginning, I also had four or five games that did not meet my standards. During that phase, my coaches and teammates helped me a lot. Each of them challenged me individually and showed me my weaknesses.” Sano has since matured into “an absolute world-class player” (sporting director Niko Bungert) and has become impossible to imagine outside head coach Urs Fischer’s starting XI. He now feels it is his duty to pass on his experience.

Profis 10.09.2026

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Off the pitch, the 25-year-old now feels completely at home. A daily highlight for him is his walk along the banks of the Rhine with his dog. “That is very relaxing and gives me energy for the tasks ahead,” said the Japan international. Nevertheless, he still misses his homeland. “What I miss most is Japanese food, even though I cook Japanese food at home every day. In Japan, everything tastes that little bit better. When I get back home, I usually go for yakiniku and soba noodles, because you don’t find them that often in Germany.”

Speaking of Japan: at this year’s World Cup, Sano played a key role in midfield for the Japanese national team, the Samurai Blue. In the round of 16 against Brazil, he scored the temporary 1-0 and truly put his name on the world map. “Playing at a World Cup is every footballer’s dream. Just having that experience helped me a lot. At the same time, I felt confirmed in my performances and was also able to help my team in attack.” The 25-year-old wants to carry this newly found attacking drive into the current Bundesliga season too. Now, the Japan international wants to “let the numbers speak for themselves”, and with his assist on the previous matchday, he has certainly made a start.

“I’m sure that we will win”

The Rhine-Main derby against Eintracht Frankfurt is now on the agenda on Saturday (15:30, live on Sky and 05ER.fm). For the Mainz 05 midfield engine, it is an absolute highlight of the season. “The atmosphere will be that of a derby. That mood doesn’t just carry over to the fans, but to us players as well. For us, it will be about bringing our game onto the pitch and always keeping the opposition’s tactics in mind. We have to perform as a united unit, help each other, and then I’m sure that we will win.” Big words are not usually his style, but ahead of this highly charged derby, Sano’s confidence sounds remarkably clear. In that respect, the 25-year-old has definitely developed further too.

First team Silvan Widmer ruled out through injury Alle News First team Wehen Wiesbaden and Mainz 05 agree comprehensive partnership