Kensuke Nagai was born on 5 March 1989 in Hiroshima. He attended Fukuoka University before signing with Nagoya Grampus in 2011 — his trademark elite acceleration making him one of the most feared running-in-behind forwards the J1 League has seen. He won the gold medal with Japan at the 2010 Asian Games while still at university, an early international honour.
In January 2013 Nagai moved to Belgium with Standard Liège for around €340,000 — a move that proved short-lived as he returned to Nagoya in summer 2013. His career then alternated between Japanese clubs: Nagoya through 2016, FC Tokyo from 2017 to 2022, and a return to Nagoya in July 2022 where he has remained.
Now in his late thirties, Nagai continues to be a J1 starter for Nagoya Grampus. The 2024 season brought 34 J1 appearances with 6 goals and 3 assists, and 8 J.League Cup matches with 3 goals as Nagoya lifted the J.League Cup in 2024. The 2025 season has been productive too: 36 J1 appearances with 2 goals and 2 assists.
A blistering fast, two-footed forward who can play through the middle or off either flank, Nagai earned his Japan A-team debut over a decade ago and remains an option in Japan camps. He has already won 2 J.League Cups, the Asian Games gold and decades of senior football experience — a model J1 veteran whose career longevity has been remarkable.