Kaishū Sano

Kaishū Sano (佐野 海舟) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for club Mainz 05 and the Japan national team.

Career
After four seasons with J2 League club FC Machida Zelvia, in December 2022 it was announced that Sano would be joining J1 League club Kashima Antlers for the 2023 season.

Sano appeared as starter at the beginning of the season, appearing in nine of their first ten games. In April, he picked up a knee injury which would leave him out of action for 4 weeks.

Mainz 05
On 3 July 2024, Sano signed for Bundesliga club Mainz 05 on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee.

Personal life
Sano is the elder brother of fellow professional footballer Kodai Sano.

Sexual assault allegations
On 17 July 2024, following Sano's transfer to Mainz, it was reported that he was arrested along with two other co-suspects under suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman who had earlier dined with the three men.