Saori Kimura Biography: Husband, Age, Kids, Height, Net Worth, Parents, Sister, Olympics, Volleyball
Saori Hidaka, known professionally as Saori Kimura, is a retired Japanese volleyball player celebrated as the most important player of her generation and the face of Japanese women’s volleyball for over a decade.
A wing-spiker of exceptional versatility, she captained the national team and led Japan to its first World Championship medal in 32 years in 2010 and a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
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Since retiring in 2017, she has worked as a commentator and runs a cafe with her husband in Osaka.
| Saori Kimura | |
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Real Name: | Saori Hidaka (née Kimura) |
| Stage Name: | Saori Kimura |
| Born: | 19 August 1986 (age 40 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Yashio, Saitama, Japan |
| Nationality: | Japanese |
| Height: | 1.85 m |
| Parents: | Mr. and Mrs. Kimura |
| Siblings: | Misato Kimura |
| Spouse: | Yujiro Hidaka (m. 2016) |
| Relationship: | Married |
| Children: | 1 |
| Occupation: | Volleyball player, commentator |
| Net Worth: | $3 million |
Early Life and Education
Saori Kimura was born on 19 August 1986 in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, and her early years were shaped by frequent moves between Osaka and Tokyo due to her father’s work.
Of Japanese origin and raised in a Shinto household, she is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kimura, both of whom played volleyball, and she has a younger sister named Misato.
Influenced particularly by her mother, Kimura began playing the sport in the second grade when she joined Akikawa JVC, a local club whose defensive focus laid the foundation for her later reputation as an exceptional receiver.
She attended Tanishi Elementary School in Akiruno City, where she helped her team win a championship in sixth grade.
She then enrolled at Seitoku Gakuen Junior High School, a prestigious volleyball institution, where she grew 15 centimetres over three years, became a key player, and won the All Japan Junior High School Volleyball Championship.
She continued at Seitoku Gakuen High School (now Shimokitazawa Seitoku High School), leading the team to the 2003 Spring High School Volleyball Tournament title and earning her first call-up to the senior national team at seventeen.
Career
Saori Kimura’s career began at Seitoku Gakuen High School, where her performances as a second-year starter earned her a place in the Japan national team training camp in 2003.
She made her senior international debut at the 2003 Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship at seventeen and later that year appeared at the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Cup as an injury replacement.
In 2004 she was called up for the Olympic qualification tournament and helped Japan secure a spot at the Athens Olympics, where she earned the nickname “Super High School Girl” for her lively presence despite limited playing time due to a herniated disc.
After graduating from high school, she joined the Toray Arrows in 2005 and quickly became the club’s leading player in the V.League, winning the New Face Award in her first season.
Kimura’s career reached its peak as the driving force behind Japan’s resurgence on the international stage.
She was named to the V.League Best 6 for three consecutive years and earned MVP honours for the 2009–2010 season, establishing herself as the face of the domestic game.
At the 2010 FIVB Women’s World Championship on home soil, she carried Japan to its first medal in 32 years, scoring 25 points in a semifinal loss to Brazil and then delivering 26 kills in the bronze-medal match against the United States.
Two years later at the London Olympics, she produced 32 kills in a five-set quarterfinal victory over China, Japan’s first win over their rivals in eleven years, and then anchored the serve-receive in the bronze-medal match against South Korea to secure Japan’s first Olympic volleyball medal since 1984.
Her club career took her overseas and back again. In 2012 she moved to VakıfBank Türk Telekom in Turkey on a contract reported to be worth around €840,000 (US$1.12 million), making her the highest-paid Japanese volleyball player at the time.
She spent the 2013–2014 season with Galatasaray Daikin before returning to the Toray Arrows in 2014, where she finished her playing career.
She served as captain of the national team through the 2016 Rio Olympics, her fourth Olympic appearance, and retired in 2017.
In retirement she has remained close to the sport as a commentator and television personality, and she co-owns and operates a cafe and bar in Nishi-ku, Osaka with her husband.
Her legacy rests on an all-around game that allowed her to play any position, a defensive foundation built in childhood, and a leadership role in one of the most successful eras in Japanese women’s volleyball history.
Personal Life
Saori Kimura married former beach volleyball player Yujiro Hidaka on 31 December 2016. The couple announced the birth of their first child, a son, in 2023.
Since retiring from volleyball, Kimura has settled into family life in Osaka, where she and her husband run a cafe and bar in the Nishi-ku district.
Net Worth
Saori Kimura has an estimated net worth of approximately $3 million, earned through a distinguished professional volleyball career spanning more than a decade.
Her primary income came from club contracts, including a reported one-year deal with VakıfBank worth around $1.12 million that made her the highest-paid Japanese player of her era, along with salaries from the Toray Arrows and Galatasaray.
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