Sota Kawasaki was born on 30 July 2001 in Kōfu. He came through Kyoto Sanga's youth ranks and developed into one of the J1 League's most exciting young central midfielders. With Kyoto he played 30 J1 matches with 3 goals and an assist in 2024.
In July 2025 FSV Mainz 05 in Germany's Bundesliga signed Kawasaki. His Bundesliga debut season has been productive: 10 league matches, 7 UEFA Europa Conference League matches with a goal and an assist — exceptional output for a debut Bundesliga season.
For Japan, Kawasaki was a member of the squad that won the EAFF E-1 Football Championship in 2025 and the AFC U23 Asian Cup in 2024 with the U-23 side.
A 172cm two-footed central midfielder with elite ball-control, vision and the technical security to play between the lines, Kawasaki is one of the J1-graduate Japanese midfielders breaking through in Europe. He is a candidate for the wider 2026 FIFA World Cup squad as a senior central midfielder option.