is a Japanese former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as a
defender. He played for the
Japan national team.
Club career
Ichikawa is a product of
Shimizu S-Pulse
is a Japanese professional association football, football club located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka (city), Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture. S-Pulse is going to compete in the J1 League for the 2025 Season, after winning promotio ...
s youth system. He played as right side-back and right midfielder. He made his
J1 League
The , the J.League or the for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Japan and the highest level of the Japanese football league system.
Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation ...
debut on March 21, 1998, against
Consadole Sapporo
is a Japanese professional football club based in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Sapporo, on the island of Hokkaido. They will play in the 2025 J2 League, the second tier league of Japanese football, after relegation from the J1 League at conclusion of th ...
. He scored his first league goal against on November 14, 1998, against
JEF United Ichihara. He was still a high school student at that time. He was instrumental in Shimizu winning the second stage of
1999 J1 League, the
1999–2000 Asian Cup Winners' Cup
The 1999–2000 Asian Cup Winners' Cup was the tenth edition of association football competition run by the Asian Football Confederation specifically for its members cup holders.
First round
West Asia
''1 Al Arabi withdrew''
East As ...
and the
2001 Emperor's Cup. The side attack from Ichikawa on the right and
Alessandro Santos on the left was Shimizu's main weapon during the period. He left the club end of 2010 season. Toward end of his career, he played for
Ventforet Kofu
is a Japanese professional football club from Kōfu in Yamanashi Prefecture. The team currently competes in the J2 League, Japanese second tier of professional football, hosting their home matches in the JIT Recycle Ink Stadium, located in Kōf ...
(2011),
Mito HollyHock
is a Japanese professional football (soccer) club located in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture. The team currently playing in the J2 League, Japanese second tier of professional football.
Name origin
Its nickname "HollyHock" derives from the family ...
(2012),
Fujieda MYFC
are a Japanese professional football club based in Fujieda, Shizuoka. They currently play in J2 League, the Japanese second tier of professional football. It was previously funded by online subscribers and was the first of its kind in Japan.
Th ...
(2013–14),
FC Imabari
FC Imabari (FC今治, ''Efu Shī Imabari'') is a Japanese football club based in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture. They currently play in the J2 League after promotion from J3 League in 2024, Japan's second tier of professional football.
History
The ...
(2015) and
Vanraure Hachinohe (2016). He retired end of 2016 season.
International career
Ichikawa represented
Japan national team at several underage levels. He made his first full international debut on April 1, 1998, against
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
when he was 17 year and 322 days old, which made him the youngest player who represented Japan. Ichikawa was short-listed for the
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the 16th FIFA World Cup, the Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 1 ...
, but national coach
Takeshi Okada
is a Japanese football manager and former player who played as a defender. He is currently the owner of FC Imabari
Club career
Okada was born in Osaka on August 25, 1956. After graduating from Waseda University, he joined Japan Soccer League ...
dropped him together with
Kazuyoshi Miura
, nicknamed King Kazu, is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Japan Football League club Atletico Suzuka, on loan from J1 League club Yokohama FC. He is the world's second oldest active player to play and oldest to s ...
and
Tsuyoshi Kitazawa at the final training camp in
Nyon
Nyon (; historically German language, German: or and Italian language, Italian: , ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in Nyon District in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located some 25 kilometer ...
, Switzerland.
In March 2002, he was elected Japan for the first time in four years by
. He was also chosen for the
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea/Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...
finals and played three games. Against
Tunisia
Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
in the group stage, his cross was met by
Hidetoshi Nakata
is a Japanese former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. Considered one of the best talents to come from an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) country in the early late 1990s and early 2000s, Nakata became ...
who headed home to score Japan's second goal. He was capped ten times without scoring between 1998 and 2002.
Career statistics
Club
International
References
External links
*
*
Japan National Football Team Database*
1980 births
Living people
Japanese men's footballers
Japan men's international footballers
J1 League players
J2 League players
J3 League players
Japan Football League players
Shimizu S-Pulse players
Ventforet Kofu players
Mito HollyHock players
Fujieda MYFC players
Vanraure Hachinohe players
Footballers at the 1998 Asian Games
2002 FIFA World Cup players
Men's association football defenders
Asian Games competitors for Japan
Association football people from Shizuoka (city)
21st-century Japanese sportsmen
{{Japan-footy-defender-1980s-stub