1. Early Life and Youth Career
Itsuki Urata was born on January 29, 1997, in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo. His early football development began with Valore SC during his elementary school years, while he attended Edogawa Ward Seishin Daiichi Elementary School. He then joined the youth organization of JEF United Chiba, playing for their U-15 team while attending Edogawa Ward Seishin Daiichi Junior High School from 2009 to 2011. He continued his progression within the JEF United Chiba U-18 team from 2012 to 2014, during which time he attended Chiba Keizai University Affiliated High School.
During his youth career, Urata consistently received call-ups to various Japanese youth national teams. His first major call-up was to the U-16 Japan national team for the 2013 Toyota International Youth Football Tournament. This marked the beginning of his continuous involvement in the national team setup across multiple age groups.
2. Professional Career
Urata's professional career began in Japan, and he has since played for clubs across multiple continents, including South America, Europe, and Asia.
2.1. Club Career
Urata's club career has seen him play for several teams in Japan before moving abroad to play in Brazil, Ukraine, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Uzbekistan.
2.1.1. Japanese Clubs
Urata officially joined JEF United Chiba in 2015, moving up from their youth ranks. He was promoted to the top team along with his youth teammate Kyoga Nakamura. He did not make any senior appearances for JEF United Chiba in 2015 or 2016. In January 2016, he was loaned to Brazilian club PSTC until May of the same year, after which he returned to JEF United Chiba. Later in 2016, specifically in September, he was again loaned out, this time to J3 League club FC Ryukyu, where he made 8 appearances without scoring a goal.
In January 2017, Urata moved on a loan spell to Giravanz Kitakyushu, another J3 League club. He made 13 appearances for them that season. Despite losing playing time after a significant defeat against Kagoshima United FC at home, he was called up to the U-20 Japan national team in November 2017. In January 2018, he made his move to Giravanz Kitakyushu permanent. During the 2018 season, he played in 26 matches and scored his first professional goal. His first J.League appearance came on March 15, 2015, in a J3 League match against SC Sagamihara at Sagamihara Asamizodai Park Stadium. His first J.League goal was scored on March 21, 2018, in a J3 League match against Fujieda MYFC at Fujieda Sports Park Soccer Stadium. At the end of the 2018 season, his contract with Giravanz Kitakyushu expired, and he departed the club. On December 12, 2018, he participated in the J.League Joint Tryout held at Fukuda Denshi Arena.
2.1.2. Overseas Clubs
Itsuki Urata's first overseas experience came in January 2016 when he was loaned to PSTC in Brazil. He spent approximately five months with the club, making two appearances.
In March 2019, Urata joined Ukrainian Premier League club FC Zorya Luhansk. He did not make any appearances for the club. His contract with Zorya Luhansk was terminated in January 2020. Following this, he had planned to join a third-division club in Spain, but the transfer was ultimately canceled due to complications with player registration.
On August 18, 2020, Urata moved to Croatia to join Prva HNL club NK Varaždin. He spent two seasons there, making 61 appearances and scoring two goals. After a brief departure, he rejoined NK Varaždin in February 2022.
Between his two stints at NK Varaždin, Urata briefly joined Slovakian Fortuna Liga club ŠKF Sereď on August 18, 2021, signing a one-year contract with an extension option. However, his time there was short-lived, with the contract being terminated after just three weeks.
On June 23, 2023, Urata signed a one-year deal with an option for an additional season with Slovenian PrvaLiga club NK Maribor on a free transfer. He played 18 matches for the club without scoring a goal.
On July 25, 2024, Urata signed with Uzbekistan Super League club FC Bunyodkor, which became his current club.
2.2. National Team Career
Itsuki Urata has been a consistent presence in various Japanese youth national teams throughout his developing career. He has represented Japan at the U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20, and U-21 (U-23) levels.
His notable involvements include:
- U-16 Japan national team: Participated in the Toyota International Youth Football Tournament in 2013.
- U-17 Japan national team: Competed in the Sanix Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament and the Niigata International Youth Soccer Tournament, both in 2014.
- U-18 Japan national team: Took part in the AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers in 2015.
- U-19 Japan national team: Played in the Panda Cup and the NTC Invitational Tournament, both held in 2016.
- U-20 Japan national team: Participated in the M-150 Cup in 2017, where he made two appearances. He was also called up to the U-20 national team in November 2017.
- U-21 Japan national team: Made one appearance at the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship.
3. Career Statistics
The following table summarizes Itsuki Urata's club career statistics as of January 21, 2025.
| Season | Club | League | National cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| 2015 | Chiba | J2 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2016 | → PSTC (loan) | Campeonato Paranaense | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2016 | → Ryukyu (loan) | J3 League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2017 | → Kitakyushu (loan) | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2018 | Kitakyushu | J3 League | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| 2019 | Zorya Luhansk | Ukrainian Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020-2023 | Varaždin | Prva HNL | 61 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 2 | |
| 2021 | Sereď | Fortuna Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023-2024 | Maribor | PrvaLiga | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2024- | Bunyodkor | Uzbekistan Super League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 128 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 128 | 3 | |||
Additionally, Urata played one match in the J3 League as part of the J-22 Selection in 2015, which contributed to his overall J.League appearance count.
4. Notable Events and Anecdotes
During his loan spell at PSTC in Brazil in 2016, Itsuki Urata shared a room with former Japan international player Alessandro Santos. Urata credits Santos's advice and mentorship during this period as a crucial turning point for his mental growth. At the time, Urata felt timid and self-conscious in the foreign environment, but Santos's guidance helped him to overcome these challenges and mature as a person and a player.