Yukinari Sugawara was born on 28 June 2000 in Toyokawa, Aichi, and developed through Nagoya Grampus' academy. He made his J1 League debut as a teenager and quickly drew European attention. In 2019 he joined AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands on loan, with a permanent move in 2020.
Over four seasons at AZ, Sugawara grew into one of the most attacking right-backs in the Eredivisie. His 2022–23 season was outstanding — 30 Eredivisie matches, 4 goals and 7 assists — and a long European campaign in the UEFA Europa Conference League further enhanced his profile. In summer 2024 he joined Premier League side Southampton for around €7 million.
His Premier League season was a difficult one for a relegated Southampton — 35 appearances with one goal and one assist — but his individual performances kept him in the conversation. In August 2025 he joined Werder Bremen of the Bundesliga on loan, immediately rediscovering his attacking output: 30 league matches with 6 assists across the 2025–26 season, very much the modern attacking right-back the European game now demands.
A two-footed right-back with elite stamina, dribbling and crossing range, Sugawara is one of Japan's most-discussed full-backs heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and his contest with Hiroki Sakai for the senior right-back role has been a defining narrative of recent Japan camps.