Yuta Watanabe (badminton)

About

Yuta Watanabe (渡辺 勇大, Watanabe Yūta; born 13 June 1997) is a Japanese badminton player. He is a former member of the Japanese national team and joined J-Power in April 2025. He is known for his quick and explosive movements with signature drop shots. Partnered with Arisa Higashino, Watanabe won consecutive mixed doubles bronze medals at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. The pair has also secured four medals at the BWF World Championships.

Watanabe started his career in badminton when he joined the Kodaira junior club in Tokyo in 2005. He had shown his talent in badminton when he won some national event when he was in the elementary school. He made a partnership with Arisa Higashino as his senior in Tomioka Dai-ichi Junior High School in 2012.
Watanabe was selected to join national junior team competed at the 2014 Asian Junior Championships, and helped the team win the mixed team bronze medal. He also settled for another bronze medal in the boys’ doubles event partnered with Kenya Mitsuhashi. At the World Junior Championships in Alor Setar, Malaysia, he won the bronze medals in the mixed doubles event with Arisa Higashino and in the mixed team event. In June…