Taisei Miyashiro (UD Las Palmas)

TOKYO, Feb. 26, 2026 /LALIGA=Kyodo JBN/ --Another Japanese international has taken his first steps in LALIGA: 25-year-old Taisei Miyashiro joined UD Las Palmas on loan until the end of the season from Vissel Kobe during the January transfer window, his first move in European football, and has already begun to justify the expectations placed on him in his first challenge abroad.

The Tokyo native has already been an impressive performer for the LALIGA HYPERMOTION promotion hopefuls, playing in four of five possible matches and drawing a standing ovation from the fans after being substituted in the 89th minute in the 1-1 draw with league leaders CD Castellón this past weekend.

UD Las Palmas, based on the island of Gran Canaria, currently compete in Spain’s second tier, LALIGA HYPERMOTION, and are strong contenders for promotion back to LALIGA EA SPORTS this season. The club possesses a distinct football identity which many observers in Spain believe align well with Miyashiro’s style: technical, possession-oriented and fluid in attack.

Miyashiro is not the first Japanese player to star for the islanders. Former Nagoya Grampus Eight and FC Tokyo forward Kenji Fukuda wore the yellow and blue in the 2007/08 season. More broadly, he follows in the footsteps of fellow Japanese players who have carved paths in Spanish football, most notably fellow internationals and current LALIGA stars Takefusa Kubo at Real Sociedad and Takuma Asano at RCD Mallorca. While Miyashiro’s journey begins in the second tier, the competitive intensity of LALIGA HYPERMOTION is widely regarded as one of the toughest proving grounds in Europe.

What should Japanese fans watch for? First, how quickly he adapts to the physical intensity and tactical precision demanded in European competition; second, whether his positional flexibility and his capacity to operate centrally or slightly deeper allows him to maintain a regular starting role; and third, whether he can contribute decisively to the club’s push to return to LALIGA EA SPORTS at the first attempt after relegation in 2025.

Gran Canaria may feel far from Kobe, but for Miyashiro, it is now the centre of opportunity. His challenge represents not only personal ambition, but another step forward in the expanding influence of Japanese footballers in LALIGA.

About LALIGA

LALIGA is the largest football ecosystem in the world. It is a private sports association composed of the 20 public limited sports companies (SADs) and clubs of LALIGA EA SPORTS and the 22 of LALIGA HYPERMOTION, and is responsible for organising professional football competitions in Spain. LALIGA has over 258 million followers globally across social networks, on 16 platforms and in 20 different languages. With its headquarters in Madrid (Spain) it has the most extensive international network of any sports property and is present in 35 countries through 8 offices. The organisation carries out its social work through its foundation FUNDACION LALIGA and was the world's first professional football league to establish a league for intellectually challenged footballers: LALIGA GENUINE Moeve.

Source: LALIGA