1. Overview
Riki Harakawa, born on August 18, 1993, is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kashiwa Reysol. Throughout his career, he has played for several prominent Japanese clubs, including Kyoto Sanga FC, Ehime FC, Kawasaki Frontale, Sagan Tosu, Cerezo Osaka, and FC Tokyo. Harakawa is a former Japan youth international, most notably playing for the Japan U-23 national team and being part of the squad that won the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship and participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics. He is recognized for his decisive contributions in key matches, particularly his goal that secured Japan's Olympic qualification in 2016.
2. Early Life and Youth Career
Riki Harakawa was born on August 18, 1993, in Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. Standing at 69 in (175 cm) and weighing 159 lb (72 kg), he is primarily right-footed. His nickname is Riki. He began his football journey at Leone Yamaguchi (now Renofa Yamaguchi FC Academy), where he played from 1997 to 2008. During this period, he attended Yamaguchi Municipal Yoshiki Elementary School and Yamaguchi Municipal Konan Junior High School. At Konan Junior High, he was a classmate of fellow footballer Yuya Kubo, and they often trained together on the school grounds and at the adjacent Ishin Centenary Park.
In 2008, during his third year of junior high, Harakawa played a central role in Leone Yamaguchi reaching the semi-finals of the 20th Prince Takamado Trophy All Japan Youth (U-15) Football Championship. In the same year, he and Kubo represented Yamaguchi Prefecture in the football competition at the 63rd National Sports Festival in Oita. After graduating from Konan Junior High in 2009, Harakawa joined Kyoto Sanga FC U-18 and attended Ritsumeikan Uji Junior and Senior High School. During his childhood at Leone Yamaguchi, from the second to sixth grade, he was also a childhood friend and teammate of Yoko Tanaka, who later became a Japan U-20 Women's national team player. In 2011, Harakawa was registered as a Type-2 player for Kyoto Sanga FC, allowing him to train and play with the senior team while still part of the youth system.
3. Club Career
Riki Harakawa's club career has seen him move through several prominent Japanese football teams, making significant contributions and facing various challenges, from securing his professional debut to becoming a pivotal player and managing injuries.
3.1. Kyoto Sanga FC
Harakawa officially joined the first team of Kyoto Sanga FC in 2012, following his promotion from the youth system on December 6, 2011. He made his professional debut in the J2 League on July 22, 2012, when he came on as a substitute in the 78th minute against Ehime FC. He later became the first player from Kyoto Sanga's youth academy to wear the number 10 jersey. After a loan spell with Ehime FC, Harakawa returned to Kyoto Sanga in December 2014. During the 2015 season, he made 32 appearances across both the J2 League and the Emperor's Cup.
3.2. Ehime FC (loan)
To gain more playing opportunities, Harakawa was loaned to Ehime FC on January 8, 2014. He made his league debut for Ehime FC on March 2, 2014, against Yokohama FC. On July 26, 2014, he scored his first professional goal in the J2 League, finding the net in the 50th minute against Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo. Throughout his loan period, he played in 32 matches, contributing to the team's performance.
3.3. Kawasaki Frontale
On December 24, 2015, Harakawa completed a permanent transfer to Kawasaki Frontale. He made his league debut for the club on April 10, 2016, against Sagan Tosu. Despite expectations for him to make a significant impact, Harakawa struggled to secure a regular starting position due to the strong competition from established midfielders like Ryota Oshima and Eduardo Neto. He also faced challenges in adapting to the tactics of manager Yahiro Kazama, even attempting to play as a fullback to find opportunities. As a result, his appearances throughout the 2016 season were limited.
3.4. Sagan Tosu
Harakawa joined Sagan Tosu on a loan deal, which was announced on January 4, 2017. He quickly made an impact, scoring on his league debut for the club from a free-kick in the 38th minute against Kashiwa Reysol on February 25, 2017, in the opening match of the season. He followed this with a second consecutive free-kick goal at home against Sanfrecce Hiroshima on March 11, 2017. His consistent performances led to a permanent transfer to Sagan Tosu, which was announced on December 9, 2017. He wore the number 4 jersey for the club during his tenure there.
3.5. Cerezo Osaka
On December 27, 2020, Harakawa made a permanent move to Cerezo Osaka. His league debut for the club came on February 27, 2021, against Kashiwa Reysol. He scored his first goal for Cerezo Osaka on March 6, 2021, in the 57th minute against FC Tokyo. During his tenure, he unfortunately suffered from recurring injuries. In the 2023 season, his role as a defensive midfielder saw decreased playing time due to increased competition from players like Hiroaki Okuno and Tokuma Suzuki, the emergence of Shinji Kagawa in a new midfield role, and the growing opportunities for Yo Kida.
3.6. FC Tokyo
Harakawa joined FC Tokyo on a loan deal, which was announced on July 24, 2023. He made his league debut for the club on August 9, 2023, against Yokohama F. Marinos. He scored his first goal for FC Tokyo on October 1, 2023, in the 37th minute against Gamba Osaka, and subsequently established himself as a regular starter. His successful loan spell led to a permanent transfer to FC Tokyo, which was finalized on December 18, 2023, for the 2024 season.
3.7. Kashiwa Reysol
On January 6, 2025, it was announced that Riki Harakawa would be joining Kashiwa Reysol on a permanent transfer for the upcoming season. He will wear the number 40 jersey for his new club.
4. National Team Career
Riki Harakawa has represented Japan across various age-group national teams, playing a crucial role in securing significant achievements, including Olympic qualification.
4.1. Youth National Teams
Harakawa's international career began with call-ups to the U-16 and U-18 Japan national teams. He participated in the AFC U-19 Championship 2012 qualifiers with the U-18 squad and later represented the U-19 and U-20 Japan national teams, including participation in the 2013 East Asian Games.
In January 2014, he received an additional call-up to the U-21 Japan national team for the AFC U-22 Championship 2013 (held in Oman), where he played three matches. Notably, in the opening match against Iran, Harakawa scored the first goal for Manager Makoto Teguramori's Japan team, which was then aiming for qualification for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The match ended in a 3-3 draw. He also represented the U-21 team in the 2014 Asian Games.
Harakawa continued to be a key player for the U-23 Japan national team. He participated in the AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers and later the main tournament in Qatar, which served as the Olympic qualifier. In the semi-final against Iraq, with the score tied 1-1 in second half injury time, Harakawa collected a punched clearance from the Iraqi goalkeeper outside the penalty area and struck a powerful middle shot with his left foot into the goal. This decisive goal secured Japan's victory and their sixth consecutive qualification for the Olympic Games. He also played in the Toulon Tournament and Kirin Challenge Cup with the U-23 squad. In August 2016, Harakawa was selected for the 2016 Summer Olympics squad. He started in Japan's opening group stage match against Nigeria, but did not feature in the remaining two matches as the team was eliminated in the group stage.
4.2. Senior National Team
On March 18, 2021, Riki Harakawa received his first call-up to the senior Japan national football team for an international friendly against South Korea and the FIFA World Cup 2022 Asian Qualifiers match against Mongolia. However, he was forced to withdraw from the squad on March 21, 2021, due to an injury.
5. Statistics
Riki Harakawa's career statistics are detailed below, encompassing his appearances and goals for various clubs and national teams.
| Club | Season | League | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | Other1 | Continental2 | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Kyoto Sanga FC | 2012 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2013 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Ehime FC (loan) | 2014 | 32 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | 33 | 1 | |||
| Kyoto Sanga FC | 2015 | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | 32 | 0 | |||
| Kawasaki Frontale | 2016 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 7 | 0 | ||
| Sagan Tosu | 2017 | 33 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 36 | 7 | ||
| 2018 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 33 | 3 | |||
| 2019 | 31 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 36 | 5 | |||
| 2020 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 28 | 3 | ||||
| Cerezo Osaka | 2021 | 26 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 5 | 0 | 38 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 25 | 0 | |||
| FC Tokyo | 2023 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | 12 | 1 | |||
| 2024 | 25 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 31 | 3 | |||
| Kashiwa Reysol | 2025 | ||||||||||||
| Career total | 295 | 21 | 28 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 342 | 25 | |
1 Includes appearances in the J.League Under-22 Selection.
2 Includes appearances in the AFC Champions League.
6. Honours
Riki Harakawa has achieved the following international honour throughout his career:
- AFC U-23 Championship: 2016
7. Personal Life
Riki Harakawa married an ordinary woman from Osaka Prefecture on March 18, 2014. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, in August 2014. Their second child, a son, was born in May 2017. Harakawa's childhood friends include fellow footballer Yuya Kubo, whom he attended the same junior high school with and trained alongside. He also played with Yoko Tanaka, a future U-20 Women's national team player, during his youth at Leone Yamaguchi.