Shogo Taniguchi was born on 15 July 1991 in Kumamoto and came through the youth setup of Kumamoto Kokufu High School and Tsukuba University before signing with Kawasaki Frontale in 2014. He developed into one of the most technically refined, ball-playing centre-backs in the J1 League and was at the heart of Frontale's golden era, winning four J1 League titles (2017, 2018, 2020, 2021), the J.League Cup, multiple Super Cups and the 2020–21 Emperor's Cup.
In January 2023 Taniguchi made the unusual move of joining Al-Rayyan in Qatar's Stars League, gaining exposure to Asian club football outside Japan. He returned to mainstream European football in summer 2024 by joining Belgium's Sint-Truiden on a free transfer. After a transitional 2024–25 season (14 Pro League matches), he stepped up emphatically in 2025–26 with 36 Pro League matches and a goal — full-time starter again, looking comfortable in a top European league well into his 30s.
A composed centre-back with aerial dominance, comfortable distribution and leadership presence, Taniguchi has been a Japan regular since 2018 and started both Japan's 2022 FIFA World Cup matches against Spain and Croatia. He won the 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship and has continued to feature in Japan camps in 2024 and 2025. With his Belgium revival, he is in the conversation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad as a senior defensive option.