Kanji: 見上 辰夫
Nationality: Japanese
Mikami is a former Japanese national team goalkeeper best known as Genzo Wakabayashi's personal coach and mentor. He first appeared in the series as a tough, no-nonsense figure determined to push Wakabayashi to his limits—famously subjecting him to grueling training before facing Tsubasa and Nankatsu. When Wakabayashi struggled mentally after conceding a goal, Mikami didn't coddle him; he hit him and threatened to quit coaching, a shock tactic that snapped Wakabayashi back into focus.
Mikami's passion for elevating Japanese soccer led him to accept a three-year assignment in West Germany, and he convinced Wakabayashi to join him there. When he returned to Japan, his eyes were on building the next generation. He took over the All Japan Jr. Youth team for the International Jr. Youth Tournament in France, where his coaching philosophy really showed. He listened to his players, incorporated Misugi's tactical input, and even respected the decision to bench Tsubasa. His strategy of keeping Misaki and Misugi as secret weapons worked brilliantly in early matches, though his trust in Misugi and the Tachibana twins backfired during the France game, leaving Japan undermanned and battered. Still, they pulled through, and Mikami's choice to start Wakabayashi in the final against West Germany proved decisive.
For the World Youth series, Mikami moved up to All Japan Youth's coach—a position that forced him to make the difficult call of naming Wakabayashi the starter, which caused Wakashimazu to leave the team in frustration. An appendicitis complicated by peritonitis sidelined him temporarily, and he handed coaching duties to Gamo, recognizing his passion for the role. By the Asian preliminaries' end, Wakashimazu returned and made peace with Mikami, both acknowledging their shared stubbornness likely stemmed from being goalkeepers themselves.
In Road to 2002, Mikami coached the Japan Youth team through the Asian preliminaries with a squad led by Sawada, securing advancement after a tight final match against Korea.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
