Reo Hatate was born on 21 November 1997 in Suzuka, Mie. He attended Junten University before signing with Kawasaki Frontale in 2020 — relatively late by elite professional standards, but that arrived didn't slow him down. With Frontale he won the J1 League in 2020, the Emperor's Cup in 2020–21, the Super Cup in 2021, and the J1 League again in 2021 — three full sets of major honours in two seasons.
In January 2022 Hatate joined Celtic in Scotland, where his style of play immediately proved a perfect fit for Ange Postecoglou's high-tempo, possession-based football. Across his Celtic career he has won the Scottish Premiership in 4 successive seasons (2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25), the Scottish Cup in 2022–23 and 2023–24, and the Scottish League Cup in 2022–23 and 2024 — an extraordinary domestic haul.
Hatate's 2024–25 season was perhaps his best yet: 37 Scottish Premiership matches with 10 goals and 4 assists, plus 10 UEFA Champions League appearances. The 2025–26 campaign has continued his rise: 28 league matches with 2 goals and 2 assists, plus 9 UEFA Europa League matches with 3 goals and an assist.
A two-footed, technically refined central midfielder with vision, ball-carrying ability and the goal-scoring instinct to arrive in the box, Hatate is a Japan regular and a leading candidate for the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad as a senior creator.