From the academy, through Meiji University, to the top team──. Another passionate man with blue and red blood has returned to Tokyo. Kouta Tokiwa, who grew both as a player and as a person in university after missing out on promotion to the top team during his time with FC Tokyo U-18. He evolved from an anchor type player to a box-to-box player, conscious of his senior Shuto ABE who followed a similar path, and has been working on his own updates. What is his determination as he challenges the professional world with a strong "Tokyo love" in his heart?
──Welcome back.
Thank you.
──Joined from FC Tokyo U-18 through Meiji University. What changes do you think you have experienced in the past 4 years?
First of all, I think I have changed a lot in terms of my human width before soccer. I used to be very particular about my play and had a certain way I wanted to play, especially until high school. However, such individual play was not enough to reach the professional level. When I entered Meiji University, I listened to the people around me and worked on having my own convictions, and also worked on being flexible. I learned from Coach Daisuke Kurita (Meiji University Athletic Soccer Club) to not overthink in any situation and to learn from the good qualities of others. Before, I used to create walls for myself and say "it's impossible for me". But instead of deciding that, I learned to remove those walls and think differently. I think this is also a part of my growth, being able to have the mindset of "it's not impossible".
What are the areas where you have grown on the playing field?
The area where I feel I have grown the most is the wide range. This includes both my movement and my vision. I entered the school thinking that my strength was my physicality, ball-winning ability, and ability to switch play, but Coach Kurita always gave me guidance on how to utilize these strengths in narrower areas and in box-to-box situations. I have always been conscious of my range of movement, whether in attack or defense.
──The trigger for such a change was missing out on promotion to the top team.
Yes, that's right. When I couldn't get promoted, I thought to myself, "I'm not that kind of player, so I can't make that kind of play." So when I couldn't get promoted, I realized that I needed to be able to do various plays and bring out my strengths more.
──Have you felt that you have been able to make use of the changes you have made while participating in the top team's camp before the opening, or while participating in training in Odaira?
I played in the J3 League at FC Tokyo U-23 when I was a second year high school student, but at that time, I was so busy that I couldn't really showcase my strengths. Through participating in camps and practices, I gained confidence in not only the "3 principles of the base" at Meiji University (movement, ball control, transition), but also in my ability to contribute in attack.
──The midfield in Tokyo is a highly competitive position. Have you considered any other options?
From my first year, when I wasn't playing in games, I had Kazunori YOSHIMOTO, the scout, come to see me. I had no other thoughts. I believed that playing in Tokyo, in a high-level environment, and playing in games there, was the only way to have value as a soccer player, so there were no other options for me.
──What do you want to achieve in your career from here as a professional?
I don't think college graduates are young anymore, and I think they were taken as immediate forces. I think the current team has a very thick layer of players in the midfield, and I think there are many high-level players. However, I want to aim for the opening lineup without hesitation and become a player who can lead Tokyo to win the league as the center of the team. I am originally a defensive player, and I think I am good at things like ball control, prediction, and recovering second balls from opponents. For those who know me from my academy days, I probably have an image of an anchor type, but I want to become a player who can contribute both defensively and offensively by moving around vigorously in the box-to-box. I think that taking the ball firmly in defense can also be a start for the attack. I want to be a player who can decide the game by playing strong defense and scoring goals. It's a bit greedy, but that's what I want.
──That's right, during his time at FC Tokyo U-18, he was a player who led the team with his voice and scored in crucial moments. Do you also have a desire to show such plays to the fans and supporters who have been supporting you since your academy days?
At Regista FC during elementary school, we were always told to focus on winning and never lose. Of course, there is a part where we want to enjoy playing soccer, but once we step onto the field, we have the mindset of never losing to our opponents and always scoring when it counts. I think that mentality has been instilled in me since my time at FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa and FC Tokyo U-18. I believe I have a strong sense of competitiveness and intuition, which I have been able to demonstrate since my time in the academy. I want to prove that I can do the same in the professional world.
──Do you aspire to follow in the footsteps of your senior Shuto ABE (currently playing for RWD Molenbeek), who also went from the academy to Meiji University and has a similar playing style? Do you want to succeed in Tokyo like he did and make a name for yourself in the world?
Yes, I have been constantly reminded by Coach Kurita at Meiji University, "If you were Abe, you would have done this, if you were Abe, you would have been like this." I have also been told, "If you were Abe, you would have played bigger." I have always been compared, so I am conscious of it. However, I am still myself, so I want to become a player who can represent Tokyo and go to the world while showing my own strengths, like Senior Abe.
──Does having players who played together during their academy days also contribute to ease of play?
Yes, that's right. Even when I went to camp, I was able to fit in quickly because there were many players I knew from my academy days and communication was easy. Taishi Brandon NOZAWA and I were roommates in the FC Tokyo U-18 dormitory. He was always training with the top team, while I would come back from school and go to the FC Tokyo U-18 practice. He was always someone who was ahead of me, so I definitely want to catch up and surpass him. He is a very important presence to me, and I am aware of that.
──Did you have any thoughts when player Nozawa was selected for the Japan national team for the AFC Asian Cup 2023?
I immediately contacted them and said "Congratulations". But in my heart, I thought "I will definitely not lose".
──FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa, where Soma ANZAI, who played together, has already made his debut. How did you see that?
I went to the professional world a year earlier than expected from university, but I didn't feel any pressure there. It's really stimulating to be a part of the team and have a lot of playing time, and I think I'm one of the top players on the team. There are a lot of people who are achieving great things and it's very motivating to see them, and it also fuels my determination to do my best.
──Many academy graduates who came through university are struggling in the top team, and I also understand that jumping into an environment where I don't know what will happen to my playing time requires a considerable determination.
I have seen Shuto OKANIWA and Tsubasa TERAYAMA go on loan and not even make it to the bench, and I know that there is a possibility that could happen to me as well. However, what to do when you can't play is something I learned at Meiji University, and there is also the option to play in the J2 and J3 leagues. But at 22 years old, I don't think my professional career will be very long. I have the ambition to challenge in the J1 league from the beginning and ultimately win. I am always thinking that I will succeed with determination.
──A player who we want to wear the captain's armband has returned to the blue and red team. In the changing team, there should be high expectations for academy graduates to make their presence felt.
Raised in FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa, joined FC Tokyo U-18, I believe I have more Tokyo love and blue-red spirit than other players. This season, we haven't had good results in the league and it may seem like a difficult situation. However, I believe that in Tokyo, we have the environment, players, and staff to reach the top. I want to show a strong presence and lead the team towards that top.
──Kazuto Kumatori and Yosuke Uchida, who are classmates at Meiji University, will wear green uniforms. If they end up playing against each other, it will surely be an intense match.
Both of them are very close, so I asked, "Are you really going?" (bitter laugh). Since I entered Fukagawa, I've always thought that I shouldn't wear anything green. I've been told the same thing by Takashi Hara and Masato Ota. So, I still don't wear anything green. I always have that kind of feeling, so I can't even imagine losing. I definitely want to win.
──I'm also looking forward to meeting people like Okuhara-san and those who took care of me during my academy days in the top team.
When I participated in camps and practices, I was always told "you still have a long way to go." Even when I joined in the summer, I was told "I'll test how much you've improved by stopping and kicking." Mr. Okuhara always guides me in a way that motivates me. I think there are also expectations included, so I want to live up to those expectations and become an even greater presence.
When talking to the academy staff, I really feel their love and expectations. How do you want to respond to the expectations of the coaches you have worked with?
It may be because it takes a lot of effort, but I'm grateful to be watched like this. I've been doing whatever I want in the academy. When I couldn't make it to the top team, I thought, "Then I won't go anymore." But if I hadn't joined Fukagawa, I wouldn't be who I am now. And if I hadn't been in the U-18 team, I don't think I would have become a professional. So I want to express my gratitude. Also, with my height and physical abilities not being the best, I hope to be an inspiration not only to the academy staff, but also to the players in the academy. I will work hard from here to become a representative player of the academy.
──Can you say a few words to the fans and supporters?
From FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa era, I think there is no other team that supports academy players as much as they do. That is also one of the factors that has greatly increased my "love for Tokyo". I am truly grateful and also have the desire to live up to the expectations of those who have supported me. I am determined to become a player who is even more supported, so I hope to be able to show my growth during my 4 years in university.
♢Tokiwakota (Tokiwakota) Profile
Date of Birth: April 9, 2002
Height/Weight: 173cm/70kg
Hometown: Katsushika, Tokyo
Career: FC Tokyo U-15 Fukagawa → FC Tokyo U-18 → Meiji University
Text by Kyohei Baba (Freelance Writer)
