BioMasami Ihara was the icon of Japan's defence for nearly a decade, and in eight years at Yokohama he was such a central part of the team that he earned the nickname "Mr. Marinos". During the 1990s, he was perhaps the second most recognizable domestic star in the J.League, behind only Kazu Miura. Ihara's record of 123 national team caps stood as the benchmark for Japanese players for almost two decades, until Yasuhito Endo finally overtook him in the 20-teens. A brilliant position player,. Ihara was never particularly speedy, but he rarely was beaten on the dribble and had good strength in the air. Ihara was named Asian Player of the year in 1995, and won numerous selections to the J.League all-star team. After retirement, Ihara entered the coaching ranks. Today, he is a member of the National Team coaching staff, and supervises younger age groups in particular.
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