Shuto Machino is leaving Shonan Bellmare to join 2.Bundesliga club Holstein Kiel in Germany.

Machino went professional with Yokohama F·Marinos, but never played for the club, instead making his debut with Giravanz Kitakyushu. After a good stint in the lower divisions there, he signed for Shonan Bellmare in 2021 and his career blossomed.

The forward made an impact right away, helping Bellmare narrowly avoid the drop in his first season at the club. He then became an outright star in 2022, finishing second in the Meiji Yasuda J1 League in goals. He’s been just as good this season, proving his true quality as his athleticism, instincts and cool finishing make him one of Japan’s most promising young players at 23 years old.

Machino joins a Holstein Kiel club that has been in the German second tier since 2017 and finished in eighth place last season.

After a terrific J.League career, Machino is now ready to make the leap to European football like so many of his other compatriots. He’ll always be beloved in Hiratsuka and now he has not just the Bellmare faithful, but all of Japanese football supporting him in Germany.

Good luck, Shuto.