"Simply put, it was just a sense of relief and happiness that 'I'm glad we made it this far.' I had been wondering all along, 'Can we really do this...?' so above all, I felt a great sense of relief."
Just after the “special day” for the club FC Tokyo had ended, Yukiki Hirano looked back with a hint of nostalgia. April 19, 2025. The day the Prince Takamado Trophy Premier League was held for the first time at Ajinomoto Stadium. Behind the scenes, many people’s hopes had gathered, wishing to provide the best stage for the young people who carry the blue and red future.
The idea itself had always been lingering in the back of his mind. Hirano belongs to the "Operations Headquarters Football Promotion Department Academy Office." Having closely observed the U-18 activities on a regular basis, and knowing their steady efforts and pure passion for soccer, he had been constantly thinking about whether it would be possible to hold Premier League matches at Ajinomoto Stadium.
The trigger was the passion of the coach leading the U-18 team.
"Hearing about the passionate feelings Yuki (Yukihiko SATO), who was the coach until 2025, had for the players, my desire to make it happen grew stronger."
As he continued conversations with former U-18 coach Yukihiko SATO, Hirano's enthusiasm for holding the Premier League match at Ajinomoto steadily grew.
That said, of course, the hurdles for that are not low. The biggest concern is whether the stadium itself can be secured. After all, it is a venue used by both FC Tokyo and Verdy for J.League matches, and various events are frequently held there, so the availability of the stadium must perfectly match the Premier League schedule.
Furthermore, if the match is held at Ajinomoto, the preparation and operation cannot be completed by the academy staff alone. As a club, how much resource can be allocated to that one match was also a point that could not be ignored, but Hirano recalled the presence of two key figures working toward the realization of the 'Premier Ajinomoto match.'
"The operations staff who are always involved in the top team’s matches guided me step by step. Since I only go to Ajinomoto two or three times a year, I hardly knew where anything was or how to properly admit the spectators, but they handled everything necessary for the match, including schedule adjustments."
“And then, of course, Satoru ASARI (Academy Director). He has been with the club for a long time and has been deeply involved with the academy for many years. Because he conveyed his strong desire to somehow make it happen at Ajinomoto, the idea spread among the club staff that ‘If ASARI says so’ and ‘If the academy players care so much about Tokyo,’ and as a result, they cooperated in so many ways, very, very much.”
With one cooperation after another from the staff involved with Tokyo, nearly three months had passed since the full-scale plan began to take shape, and at the end of February, the match date for the 'Premier Ajinomoto Hosting' was set for April 19. Hirano continued to feel the unity of the club both leading up to that point and toward the day itself.
“Everyone was saying things like, ‘This is how we should guide the fans and supporters,’ or ‘In that case, wouldn’t it be better to offer gourmet food?’ and ‘Shouldn’t we include the team’s YouTube channel too?’ ‘Then we have to invite the school students as well,’ and it felt like they could have done it even without me (laughs). It was really reassuring how proactively everyone got involved.”
The players clearly understood the significance of the club’s first-ever 'Premier Ajinomoto Hosting' becoming a reality.
“I heard that the club staff really put in a lot of effort, and I felt that they truly value academy players like us. On top of that, since it’s the home stadium of the top team, my motivation to ‘definitely have to win’ increased,” said Kio TANAKA.
"I had heard that the Premier League had never been held at Ajinomoto before, so I was surprised that it was going to be held there for the first time. But I also understood that this was not an opportunity that could be realized with ordinary cooperation, and since playing matches at Ajinomoto was everyone's goal, I was honestly very happy that we could do it in the Premier League." (Yuuki TOMOMATSU)
The feelings of the club staff who support Tokyo both behind the scenes and in the spotlight, the feelings of the U-18 players standing on the pitch, and the feelings of the supporters who have always warmly watched over the academy players. Amidst the crossing of various commitments, that day finally arrives.
April 19, 2025. The 'PREMIST Ajinomoto Event' welcoming Ichiritsu Funabashi High School got off to a turbulent start. After conceding the opening goal in the 8th minute, Tokyo fell behind by two goals as another was conceded in the 28th minute.
"I thought, 'This is bad,' but honestly, I didn't really feel like we were going to lose. I thought we could definitely score enough goals to come back, and if that happened, it would probably get even more exciting," (Tanaka)
The next goal was scored by the home team. At the 35th minute, Yuuki TOMOMATSU sliced through the center with a dribble, and Yuya TAKAHASHI struck a superb long-range shot. "In some article, it was written, ‘It hit the opponent, and Takahashi...’ but that was definitely my assist (laughs)," said TOMOMATSU. The match went into halftime with a one-goal difference.
58 minutes. Tokyo catches up. Takahashi, who received a pass from Tomomatsu on the left side, delivers an accurate cross. Tanaka, running into the center, shoots and shakes the goal net. "It felt special. The murmur from the stands and the way the sound echoed were different from usual, and it was really exciting and made me happy," said Tanaka. 2-2. The atmosphere in the stands strongly supports the players on the pitch from behind.
69 minutes. Tokyo overturns the score. Yuta SUGAWARA crosses from the right side. Tomomatsu reacts to the defender’s clearance with a header to keep the ball, and Tanaka reliably and carefully kicks the ball into the goal. "Well, it was a bit of a gift goal (laughs), but the excitement was even greater than when I scored the equalizer, and my feelings were really stirred up. The atmosphere in the stadium when scoring was something I don’t usually experience on the pitch," said Tanaka.
Tomomatsu, who recorded a valuable assist, said he felt something beyond reason in this comeback goal.
"That goal was not just the power of the 18 players, including those on the bench, but also thanks to the support from the fans and supporters, as well as the players from U-15 Musashi and U-15 Fukagawa who came to cheer us on."
The whistle signaling time-up is swallowed by the blue sky spreading above Ajinomoto. 3-2. A tenacious come-from-behind victory. Then, in Hirano’s view from the pitch side, the figure of "that person" rushing over suddenly appears.
"Right after the final whistle blew, Yuki came over to me and gave me a warm embrace, and that really moved me. After that, the players came over one after another. It was my first experience, and there were various hurdles and difficulties, but I felt, 'I'm really glad we did this.' It was the most impactful and deeply memorable experience since I joined Tokyo."
The first-ever 'Premier Ajinomoto Hosting'—a historic event in Tokyo's club history where everyone worked together to make it happen and the players seized a dramatic victory—was also an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime, best experience for Hirano.
The second 'Premier Ajinomoto Hosting' is approaching this weekend. June 29th. The opponent is Kashima Antlers Youth, who won the Premier last season. Once again, after overcoming several obstacles to prepare this stage, Hirano shares the impact that the club's accumulated experience has brought with these words.
"This time as well, starting with the operations department, more departments than last year cooperated with us. I felt that everyone had the mindset of 'This is good for the academy players, so let's do our best.'"
"Probably through that one match last year, business staff from other departments also became more familiar with the Academy, or rather, it became an opportunity for them to recognize, 'So this is what the U-18 team is doing.' Of course, the Academy had been a part of the club until now, but I feel that more people have become aware of the Academy."
This time, positioned as an event for the entire academy, various initiatives have been increased compared to last year. In particular, the U-15 Fukagawa and U-15 Musashino players will not only serve as ball persons on the match day but will also take on the role of introducing visitors to the Premier League pamphlet sales and the system called 'FC TOKYO ACADEMY PARTNER・SUPPORTER,' which supports academy players.
Within this is the club's strong wish for the middle school students, who may carry the future of the blue and red, to further raise their motivation toward the future.
“I want the U-15 players to have a stronger sense of belonging, feeling that they ‘belong to Tokyo.’ Since many fans will come, I hope they understand that ‘Tokyo exists because these people support us,’ and by interacting with many business staff members, I want them to deepen their understanding that ‘there are this many people working at the club.’ I want this to be a meaningful day not only for the players on the pitch but for the entire academy as well,” said Hirano.
Tanaka, who stole the spotlight at last year’s 'Ajinomoto Premier' and has been playing for the top team since this season, looks back on those irreplaceable memories while expressing his expectations for the younger players.
"Playing a match at Ajinomoto in an official game with such realism increased my desire to be promoted to our top team, and it was truly a valuable experience."
“I want them to play with the mindset of ‘We absolutely must not lose at Ajinomoto,’ while imagining themselves when they move up to the top team. Especially Tomomatsu, who has been playing alongside me since last year and is the type to perform well on big stages—I hope he scores about two goals like I did (laughs) and leads the team to victory.”
Tomomatsu, who was involved in all three goals during last year’s 'Premier Ajinomoto event' and is serving as the U-18 team captain this season, also understands more than well what they need to do.
"When I was in elementary school and watched a match at Ajinomoto, the backs of the professional players looked so cool that I thought, 'I want to stand on that pitch someday.' Now, it's our turn to show that. I don't want to just play beautiful soccer; even if it's gritty, I want to put my body on the line and make it a game that inspires the younger academy players to think, 'I want to become a player like that.'"
"Last year in the Premier League, we faced the Antlers, who had beaten us twice, and the venue was also Ajinomoto, so all the elements were in place where we absolutely could not lose. We have no choice but to win now. Last year, Kiwa, who wore the number 10, scored two goals, so as this year's number 10, I want to achieve better results than Kiwa."
The continuous history is passed down steadily by those with strong passion. The Premier League held at Ajinomoto Stadium. As a new page is being etched into the blue and red club’s history, we earnestly hope that once again, as many football lovers as possible will gather in the stands for this special match.
Text by Masashi Tsuchiya (Football Writer)
