She played for her local club Shimizudaihachi SC in the Shizuoka League where teams she belonged to won the championship in seven consecutive years from1980-1986, and for the Suzuyo Shimizu FC Lovely Ladies, in the Japan Women’s Football League where she belonged to the team which won the inaugural title in 1989.

As one of the key players in Shimizuhachidai, Yamada was chosen for the new team.

[1] On October 17, 1984, when Yamada was 18 years old, she debuted for the Japan national team against Italy.

In total, Yamada played 21 games, and scored 3 goals, for Japan between 1984 and 1989.

This biographical article related to women's association football in Japan is a stub.