[2025 Season Review] Kota TAWARATSUMIDA Interview | FC TOKYO FANZONE

The 2025 season was full of many stimuli and learning experiences, including my first selection to the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan national team). While experiencing standards and speeds different from those in the J.League, I faced my current position and strengthened my desire for further growth.
On the other hand, the league season was also a year that presented both a sense of accomplishment and challenges regarding results. Tawaratsumida takes all of this as nourishment and engraves in his heart the determination to compete at a higher level.

A sense of achievement, challenges, and beyond――.

Q. How do you look back on the 2025 season?
A. I think it was a season where I gained many opportunities and triggers for growth. Among them, the most significant event for me was being selected for the Japan national team in June, which was an invaluable experience above all.

Q. What specific experiences did you gain from your activities with the Japan national team?
A. I felt a level of play quality that I cannot experience in the regular J.League. This includes the high quality of the players also selected for the Japan national team, as well as the level of the opponents we faced. Experiencing the differences in play speed and decision-making compared to before became a strong motivation for me to want to grow even more from here. In particular, the quality of play from Takefusa KUBO and Hiromu KAMADA stood out even among the national team members, and I felt a clear difference in level in their ball touches and the quality of passes they provided.

Even outside of practice, while communicating mainly about soccer with several players, there was also talk about the ‘challenge of going overseas.’ However, I myself have not yet achieved significant results in Tokyo. At that time, my desire to firmly demonstrate results as a Tokyo player and to contribute to the team grew even stronger.

Q, There were memorable plays such as the goal against Gamba Osaka in Sec. 12, but I believe it was not a satisfying season for player Tawara Tsukida.
A, Looking back at the results against my goals, I achieved about 50 percent. Since my first year after being promoted to the top team, I have gradually gained confidence in dribbling breakthroughs and attacking moves against J1 League players, and this season I have also worked on improving my defensive positioning and intensity. While I was able to accomplish some of these to a certain extent, I set a goal of “5 goals and 5 assists,” so I am not at all satisfied with not being able to produce results or numbers as a forward player.

Q. Is there a match you played this season that left a strong impression on you?
A. Of course, the match against Gamba Osaka held at the Japan National Stadium was impactful as I was able to score following a dribble breakthrough. However, personally, the two matches that stand out are Sec. 18 against Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Sec. 27 against Kyoto Sanga F.C. What left a very strong impression was the frustration of the team losing by a large margin and my own inability to contribute at all with plays leading to goals. Regarding the Kyoto match, I felt a sense of confidence on the pitch in terms of vertical breakthroughs and attacking moves, so it was especially frustrating not to be able to contribute in the final moments.

Q. I think both the team and I personally went through a tough time in the first half of the season. How do you feel about your connection with your teammates?
A. Basically, I am the type of person who thinks internally about how to tackle problems, so I don’t often go to other players for advice repeatedly, but I did have various conversations about soccer with Takahiro KO. We talked about how I can receive the ball at the timing I want, and he also gave me advice on the timing to break behind defenders and the movements before receiving the ball.

Q. Earlier, you mentioned your achievement level was 50 percent. What do you think is lacking to raise that figure to 70 or 80 percent?
A. First, the accuracy of my crosses. I want to focus more on that. If I can break through on the side and deliver crosses that lead to goals, the number of assists will naturally increase. By overcoming this challenge, I believe my personal achievement level will also improve.

Also, it is about consistently maintaining high performance and good play in every match. I think this goal is the most difficult. Even on a global scale, there are very few players who can achieve this, and personally, I think only Lionel Messi comes close. In every match I play, I want to demand of myself to “continue good play on the pitch for even one more second.”

Q. I feel you have a strong desire to contribute by creating scoring opportunities.
A. Of course, scoring goals is necessary, but considering the role of my current position, I believe the team expects me to contribute more through assists rather than aggressively going for goals myself.

Q. We are looking forward to your further growth in the 2026 season.
A. I am currently in the rehabilitation period aiming to recover from injury, but I want to prepare thoroughly for the next season. I will do my best to express satisfying play on the pitch.