"Soccer is Work, Studying is a Hobby"…J-League Pro Player Aiming to Pass the Bar Exam [Japanese Side]

J-League FC Machida Zelvia DF Hayashi Kotaro
Meiji Law School Graduate... "Studying Until Dinner After Soccer Practice" Sparks Interest

'What are your hobbies or recent interests?'

'Studying.'

Would you believe this is the answer from a J.League player? After work, when you come home, eat, and sleep, how could studying be a hobby? The protagonist here is Hayashi Kotaro, the brainy defender of FC Machida Zelvia. He even revealed, "I am going to take the bar exam," attracting considerable attention from various media outlets including Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei). Nikkei recently published an interview article titled 'Generation Z players treat soccer as work and studying as a hobby,' which caught my eye as well.

Today, we share the story of Hayashi, who is playing as a professional athlete but is also charging toward another goal: passing the bar exam.

Introduction of FC Machida Zelvia player Kotaro Hayashi. (Photo by FC Machida Zelvia)

Hayashi was born in 2000 in Saga Prefecture. He graduated from Meiji University’s Faculty of Law. He served as captain of Meiji University’s soccer team and, after playing for Yokohama FC in the second division, joined FC Machida Zelvia this year. Machida Zelvia belongs to the first division of the J.League, and currently leads the league standings. Hayashi plays as a wing-back defender (DF) for this top-ranked J.League team. He has been highly rated since joining, thanks to his strong performance right from the start.

His fame is not only due to his skills. He consistently states that his goal is to pass the bar exam (the equivalent of the lawyer qualification exam in Korea). Nikkei recently conducted an interview to explore whether it is possible to be both a soccer player and a lawyer.

Hayashi says he developed this goal because he found studying law enjoyable while attending law school. He thought it would be easier to keep studying if he set a concrete goal beyond just university studies, namely passing the bar exam.

He does not just talk about it; he puts it into daily practice. On days with club practice, he wakes up around 6:30 a.m. and trains from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. After strength training and body care, he eats lunch around 2 p.m. When he returns home, he focuses solely on studying until dinner. On days with more available time, he can invest up to five hours a day in studying.

When asked if it is hard, Hayashi replied, "It might seem tough, but actually, saying studying is my hobby is accurate. It’s similar to how others play games, so I haven’t found it particularly difficult."

Welcome poster for Kotaro Hayashi joining FC Machida Zelvia. (Photo by Kotaro Hayashi X)

He approaches life with the motto "Soccer is work, studying is a hobby," so setting the goal of passing the bar exam is not a heavy burden. He said, "I don’t worry about it. Whether I pass or fail depends on me, and even if I don’t pass, I won’t be a burden to anyone."

Regarding why he prepares so thoroughly, he shared that although he is a soccer player, he doesn’t know how long he can continue playing. He said, "I haven’t imagined too far into the future, but I want to do my best with what I can do now. I am a soccer player now, but it’s a job I don’t know how long I can keep. The moment I get injured, my career ends, so I think it’s important to cherish each day and focus on the present."

He says this mindset developed while serving as captain of his university soccer team. Many teammates joined the university team hoping to become professional players, but not everyone could debut professionally. However, that didn’t mean those who didn’t become pros failed. Hayashi emphasized, "Playing soccer at university and then working well as a member of society is also a person’s life. Soccer is really just a small part of life from society’s perspective."

Though this may sound somewhat cynical, he also has a determination not to neglect his main job. He said, "Even if I win the J.League, if you ask whether I can do something when I enter society, the reality is I can’t do much. Still, I became a professional player because there is an emotion that only professionals can convey to people."

Hayashi player during his time at Yokohama FC. (Photo by Yokohama FC X)

In fact, the reason he can say this confidently is that his skills have already been proven. Studying is not limited to his major; after every match, he carefully reviews video footage without fail. Other sports media have noted, "His playing time is the longest among rookie players in the J.League first division," and "He is characterized by a high tactical understanding and flawless play based on speed." His playing time is the longest among J.League first division rookies.

Nikkei introduced this as a characteristic of Generation Z players: not focusing on just one career. The reason for studying is not a specialty but to develop the habit of concentrating and sitting still. He might be someone who breaks the stereotype of sports clubs that say 'skip classes and only train.' We look forward to both his bar exam results and his performance in the J.League.