1. Early Life and Education
Takumi Morikawa was born on July 11, 1977, in Hamakita (now Hamana-ku, Hamamatsu), Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. He pursued his football education at Shizuoka Gakuen High School, where he played as a defender.
During his third year at Shizuoka Gakuen High School, Morikawa participated in the 1995 National High School Football Championship. Alongside teammates such as Toshiya Ishii and Yuta Minami, he played a crucial role in the team's success. Shizuoka Gakuen advanced to the semi-finals, where they defeated Higashi Fukuoka High School in a penalty shootout. In the final match, they drew with Kagoshima Jitsugyo High School, resulting in both teams being declared co-champions. This marked Shizuoka Gakuen's first championship title in the tournament and was notably the last instance of a co-championship in the history of the National High School Football Championship, as future finals would be decided by penalty shootouts. In the second round of the same tournament, Morikawa faced Toshitaka Ohno from Maebashi Commercial High School, who would later become his teammate at Kashiwa Reysol in 1997.
2. Playing Career
Morikawa's professional football journey spanned over a decade, seeing him play for several clubs across Japan's top leagues.
2.1. Early Career with Kashiwa Reysol
After graduating from high school, Morikawa joined J1 League club Kashiwa Reysol in 1996, marking the start of his professional career. He made his J.League debut on August 28, 1996, in a match against Gamba Osaka at Hitachi Kashiwa Soccer Stadium, which Kashiwa Reysol won 1-0. In 1997, he did not make any official appearances for the club. During the offseason of 1997, Kashiwa Reysol sent Morikawa on a three-month loan to EC Juventude in Brazil, from December 10, 1997, to February 9, 1998, as part of his development as a young defender. Upon his return, he showed significant growth, playing in 20 league matches in 1998 as a left defender in a three-back defense and also as a defensive midfielder. However, his opportunities to play diminished significantly in 1999, and he did not feature in any matches for Kashiwa Reysol that season.
2.2. Move to Kawasaki Frontale
In April 1999, Morikawa moved to Kawasaki Frontale on a loan deal. The club had just been promoted to the J2 League and was undergoing a restructuring under new manager Ikuo Matsumoto. Morikawa quickly became a regular player, primarily operating as a left defender in a three-back defensive system. He made his J2 debut on May 9, 1999, in the 11th matchday against Montedio Yamagata. He went on to play every single one of the 26 J2 league matches that season. Morikawa, alongside teammates like Tetsuo Nakanishi and Hideki Sahara, was instrumental in stabilizing Kawasaki Frontale's defense. He also contributed offensively, scoring his first J.League goal on August 23, 1999, in the 23rd matchday against Montedio Yamagata. On October 23, 1999, in the 33rd matchday against Consadole Sapporo, he scored a decisive V-goal in extra time. His contributions helped Kawasaki Frontale win the J2 League championship in 1999, securing their promotion to J1 for the 2000 season.
His loan to Kawasaki Frontale was extended for the 2000 season. However, the team experienced internal instability, including two managerial changes during the season, which affected Morikawa's playing time. He saw reduced opportunities, particularly from May during the latter part of the 1st stage of the league. Morikawa eventually regained playing time in November, scoring his only J1 League goal on November 11, 2000, in a 4-3 victory against Cerezo Osaka. Despite his efforts, Kawasaki Frontale was relegated back to J2 after just one season in J1. Following the season, Kashiwa Reysol requested his return, and Morikawa departed Kawasaki Frontale.
2.3. Later Career and Retirement
In 2001, Morikawa was loaned to Consadole Sapporo, a club that had just been promoted to J1, effectively swapping places with Kawasaki Frontale. Although he often played as a reserve behind defenders like Hideaki Mori and Kensaku Omori, Consadole Sapporo successfully maintained their J1 status that season. In 2002, Morikawa returned to Kashiwa Reysol for his final season with the club. While he made some official appearances for Kashiwa for the first time in four seasons, he played very few matches. His eight-year contract with Kashiwa Reysol concluded at the end of the 2002 season.
For the 2003 season, Morikawa moved to J1 League club Vegalta Sendai. His playing time increased significantly during this period. Following Vegalta Sendai's relegation to J2 in 2004, Morikawa became a regular starter, excelling in a four-back defensive system, which was his preferred style of play. Despite his consistent performances, Vegalta Sendai finished 4th in the J2 League for two consecutive years (2004 and 2005), narrowly missing out on promotion back to J1. As a result of a major team restructuring at the end of the 2005 season, Morikawa was released by Vegalta Sendai.
In 2006, Morikawa joined Rosso Kumamoto, a club competing in the Japan Football League (JFL). He reunited with Tomoyoshi Iketani, who had been a coach during Morikawa's time at Kashiwa Reysol and was now serving as both manager and general manager at Rosso Kumamoto, aiming for J.League promotion. Morikawa played as a regular in 2006, but the team finished 5th in the JFL, failing to secure promotion. In 2007, his playing opportunities decreased due to injuries. Although Rosso Kumamoto finished 2nd in the JFL and achieved J.League promotion that season, Morikawa announced his retirement from professional football at the end of the 2007 season.
3. Club Statistics
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
| 1996 | Kashiwa Reysol | J1 League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1998 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 0 | ||
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1999 | Kawasaki Frontale | J2 League | 26 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 2 |
| 2000 | J1 League | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
| 2001 | Consadole Sapporo | J1 League | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 2002 | Kashiwa Reysol | J1 League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 2003 | Vegalta Sendai | J1 League | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 2004 | J2 League | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2005 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 26 | 0 | |||
| 2006 | Rosso Kumamoto | Football League | 26 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | 29 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 9 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 192 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 224 | 4 | ||
4. Post-retirement Career
After retiring as a player at the end of the 2007 season, Takumi Morikawa transitioned into a career in football coaching and management.
In 2008, he signed a new contract with Roasso Kumamoto, the club he had just retired from, which had successfully been promoted to the J.League. He took on a role as a strengthening staff member for the club. By the 2010 season, Morikawa was appointed as a top team coach for Roasso Kumamoto, a position he held until 2015. During this period, from February 2013 to 2015, he was also dispatched by Roasso Kumamoto to serve as a coach for Kyushu Sangyo University.
In 2016, Morikawa was announced as the manager for the U-15 team of Consadole Sapporo, marking his continued involvement in youth development within Japanese football.