Joel Chima Fujita

Joel Chima Fujita
藤田 譲瑠 チマ
Fujita in 2026
Personal information
Full name Joel Chima Fujita
Date of birth (2002-02-16) 16 February 2002 (age 24)
Place of birth Tokyo, Japan
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 FC St. Pauli
Number 16
Youth career
2008–2013 Machida Okura FC
2014–2019 Tokyo Verdy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2021 Tokyo Verdy 45 (3)
2021 Tokushima Vortis 28 (1)
2022–2023 Yokohama F. Marinos 46 (3)
2023–2025 Sint-Truiden 58 (1)
2025– FC St. Pauli 39 (2)
International career‡
2019 Japan U17 4 (0)
2023 Japan U22 1 (0)
2022–2024 Japan U23 20 (1)
2022– Japan 8 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Japan
EAFF Championship
Winner2022 JapanTeam
AFC U-23 Asian Cup
Third place2022 UzbekistanTeam
Winner2024 QatarTeam
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20:30, 23 October 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 28 March 2026

Joel Chima Fujita (藤田 譲瑠 チマ, Fujita Joeru Chima; born 16 February 2002) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for 2. Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli and the Japan national team.

Club career

Sint-Truiden

On 27 July 2023, Fujita left Japan for the first time to join Sint-Truiden on a permanent deal.

International career

On 4 April 2024, Fujita was called up to the Japan U23 squad for the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.

Personal life

Fujita was born in Tokyo on 16 February 2002 to an Igbo Nigerian father and Japanese mother, and chose to represent the Japan national football team.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 23 October 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Tokyo Verdy 2019 J2 League 400000—40
2020 J2 League 4130000—413
Total 4530000—453
Tokushima Vortis 2021 J1 League 2810050—331
Yokohama F. Marinos 2022 J1 League 291102070391
2023 J1 League 172004000212
Total 463106070603
Sint-Truiden 2023–24 Belgian Pro League 25120——271
2024–25 Belgian Pro League 23030——260
Total 48150——531
FC St. Pauli 2025–26 Bundesliga 32140——361
2026–27 2. Bundesliga 7110——81
Total 39250——442
Career total 206101101107023510

International

As of match played 28 March 2026
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Japan 202220
202550
202610
Total80

Honours

Yokohama F. Marinos

Japan

Japan U23

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019: List of Players: Japan" (PDF). FIFA. 31 October 2019. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2019.
  2. ↑ "Japanse kampioen wordt een Kanarie" (in Dutch). Sint-Truidense V.V. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  3. ↑ "U-23日本代表 メンバー・スケジュール（4.6-5.4 カタール／ドーハ）AFC U23アジアカップ カタール2024" [U-23 Japan National Team Squad List (4.6-5.4 Qatar/Doha) AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024] (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. 4 April 2024.
  4. ↑ Dachen, Isaac (21 October 2019). "Nigeria loses prodigious football talent to Japan". Naija Online TV Blog. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  5. ↑ "Joel Chima Fujita – Japanese-Nigerian Midfielder Who Helped Japan U17 To Win Over Nigeria Ahead Of WYC". OwnGoal Nigeria. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  6. ↑ Joel Chima Fujita at Soccerway
  7. ↑ "J1横浜M 3年ぶりリーグ制覇 最終節で決める" [J1 Yokohama F. Marinos clinch the league title for the first time in 3 years, securing it in the final round.]. Kanagawa Shimbun. Retrieved 10 November 2022.