VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Rise FC announced on Tuesday that the club has signed Japanese defender Yuka Okamoto.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Yuka, she proved herself as a top defender in Japan,” said Rise FC President Sinead King. “She is a tactically intelligent player who brings a wealth of experience and stability to our backline.”

Okamoto, 27, has made over 100 appearances throughout her career in Japan, establishing herself as a top defender before joining Rise FC. 

The defender most recently played for AC Nagano Parceiro Ladies in Japan’s Women's Empowerment Professional Football League (WE League), making 80 league appearances and scoring one goal in Japan’s top-flight. She was part of the AC Nagano team that became a founding member of the WE League during its transition to a fully professional league in 2020. 

“I’m so excited to get started with the team,” said Okamoto on her signing. “I’m just full of energy and ready to start playing!”

Okamoto appeared in nearly every match for AC Nagano, recording a perfect appearance record in three out of their four seasons (2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25). She scored her first goal for the club on September 21st, 2024 in a league match against JEF Chiba Ladies. 

“We are looking very much forward to having Yuka available for games,” said Rise FC Head Coach Anja-Heiner Møller. “Yuka is a player with a high technical level and an offensive mindset, which fits very well into our style of play.”

Before making her professional debut with AC Nagano, Okamoto played for Nippon Sport Science University FIELDS Yokohama in the WE League’s preceding amateur league Nadeshiko Division 1, where she played for four years. 

The Tokyo native played her youth soccer for Shutoku Junior and Senior High School in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo, Japan.