“It was simply a feeling of relief and happiness, thinking ‘I’m glad we made it this far.’ I had been wondering all along, ‘Can we really do this...?’ so above all, I felt a great sense of relief.”
Koki Hirano looks back with a hint of nostalgia on his candid feelings just after a “special day” for the club FC Tokyo had ended. April 19, 2025. The day the Prince Takamado Trophy Premier League was held for the first time at Ajinomoto Stadium. Behind that day were the hopes of many people wishing to provide the best stage for the young players who carry the blue and red future.
The idea itself had always been lingering in the back of his mind. Hirano belongs to the "Operations Headquarters, Football Promotion Department, Academy Office." Having closely observed the U-18 activities on a regular basis, and knowing their steady efforts and pure passion for soccer, he had long been thinking about whether it would be possible to hold Premier League matches at Ajinomoto Stadium.
The trigger was the passion of the coach leading the U-18 team.
“While listening to Yuki (Yukihiko SATO), who was the coach until 2025, and his passionate feelings toward the players, my desire to make it happen grew stronger.”
Through repeated conversations with former U-18 coach Yukihiko SATO, Hirano’s enthusiasm for holding the Premier League at Ajinomoto steadily increased.
That said, the hurdles to achieve this were certainly not low. The biggest concern was whether we could secure the stadium itself. After all, it is a venue used by both FC Tokyo and Tokyo Verdy for J.League matches, and various events are frequently held there, so the availability of the stadium had to perfectly align with the Premier League schedule.
Furthermore, if the event is held at Ajinomoto, the preparation and operation cannot be handled solely by the academy staff. As a club, how much resource could be allocated to that one match was also a crucial point that could not be ignored, but Hirano recalled the presence of two key figures working toward the realization of the 'Premier Ajinomoto event.'
“The operations staff who are always involved with the top team’s matches guided me step by step. Since I only go to Ajinomoto two or three times a year, I hardly knew where anything was or how to properly admit the spectators, but they handled everything necessary for the match, including schedule adjustments.”
“And of course, Satoru ASARI (Academy Director). He has been with the club for a long time and has been deeply involved with the academy for many years, so by conveying his strong desire to somehow make it happen at Ajinomoto, the idea spread among the club staff that ‘If ASARI says so’ and ‘If the academy players care so much about Tokyo,’ and as a result, they cooperated in so many ways, very, very much.”
With one cooperation after another from the staff involved with Tokyo, nearly three months had passed since the full-scale plan began to take shape, and at the end of February, the match date for the 'Premier Ajinomoto Hosting' was set for April 19. Hirano continued to feel the unity of the club both leading up to that point and toward the day itself.
“Everyone was already saying things like, ‘This is how we should arrange the flow for fans and supporters,’ or ‘In that case, wouldn’t it be better to offer gourmet food?’ and ‘Shouldn’t we include the team’s YouTube channel too?’ ‘Then we have to invite the school students as well,’ and it felt like they could have done it even without me (laughs). It was really reassuring how proactively everyone got involved.”
The significance of the club’s first-ever 'Premier Ajinomoto Stadium Hosting' was clearly understood by the players as well.
“I heard that the club staff really put in a lot of effort, and I felt that they truly value academy players like us. On top of that, since it’s the home stadium of the top team, my motivation to ‘definitely have to win’ increased,” said Kio TANAKA.
"I had heard that the Premier League had never been held at Ajinomoto before, so I was surprised that it was going to be held for the first time. But I also understood that this was not an opportunity that could be realized with ordinary cooperation, and since playing matches at Ajinomoto was everyone's goal, I was honestly really happy that we could do it in the Premier League." (Yuuki TOMOMATSU)
The feelings of the club staff who support Tokyo behind the scenes, the feelings of the U-18 players standing on the pitch, and the feelings of the supporters who have always warmly watched over the academy players. Amidst the intersection of various commitments, that day finally arrives.
April 19, 2025. The 'PREMIST Ajinomoto Event' welcoming Ichiritsu Funabashi High School got off to a turbulent start. After conceding the opening goal in the 8th minute, Tokyo fell behind by two goals as another was scored against them in the 28th minute.
"I thought, 'This is bad,' but honestly, I didn’t really feel like we were going to lose. I thought we could definitely score back given how things were going, and if that happened, it would probably get even more exciting," said Tanaka.
The next goal was scored by the home team. At the 35th minute, Yuuki TOMOMATSU sliced through the center with a dribble, and Yuya TAKAHASHI struck a superb long-range shot. "In some article, it was written, ‘It hit the opponent, and Takahashi...’ but that was definitely my assist (laughs)," said TOMOMATSU. The match went into halftime with a one-goal difference.
58 minutes. Tokyo catches up. Takahashi, receiving a pass from Tomomatsu on the left side, delivers an accurate cross. Tanaka, running into the center, shoots and shakes the goal net. "It felt special. The murmur from the stands and the way the sound echoed were different from usual, and it was really exciting, so I was happy," said Tanaka. 2-2. The atmosphere in the stands strongly supports the players on the pitch from behind.
69 minutes. Tokyo turns the score around. Yuta SUGAWARA crosses from the right side. Tomomatsu reacts to the defender’s clearance with a header to keep the ball, and Tanaka reliably and carefully kicks the ball into the goal. "Well, it was a bit of a tap-in goal (laughs), but it was even more exciting than the equalizer, and I felt really pumped up. The atmosphere in the stadium when I scored was something I don’t usually experience on the pitch," said Tanaka.
Tomomatsu, who recorded a valuable assist, said he felt something beyond reason in this comeback goal.
“That goal wasn’t just the strength of the 18 players, including those on the bench, but also thanks to the fans and supporters cheering us on, as well as the players from U-15 Musashi and U-15 Fukagawa who came to support us. I believe it was because of all their power combined that we scored those three goals.”
The whistle signaling time-up was swallowed by the blue sky spreading above Ajinomoto. 3-2. A tenacious come-from-behind victory. Then, in Hirano’s line of sight from the pitch side, the figure of "that person" came rushing over.
“Right after the final whistle blew, Yuki-san came over to me and gave me a warm embrace, and that really hit me. After that, the players came one after another. It was my first experience, with various hurdles and difficulties, but I felt, ‘I’m really glad we did this,’ and it was the most impactful and deeply memorable experience since I joined Tokyo.”
The first-ever "Premier Ajinomoto Hosting," which was achieved through everyone's cooperation and where the players seized a dramatic victory, was also an unforgettable and greatest experience in Hirano's life.
The second "Premier Ajinomoto Hosting" is approaching this weekend, June 29. The opponent is Kashima Antlers Youth, who won the Premier last season. Having overcome many obstacles to prepare this stage again, Hirano shares the impact brought by the club's accumulated experience with these words.
"This time as well, starting with the operations department, more departments than last year cooperated with us. I felt that everyone had the mindset of 'This is good for the academy players, so let's do our best.'"
"Probably from that one match last year, business staff from other departments also became more familiar with the academy, or rather, it became an opportunity for them to recognize 'So this is what the U-18 team is doing.' Of course, the academy has always been a part of the club, but I feel that more people have become aware of the academy."
This time, positioned as an event for the entire academy, various initiatives have been increased compared to last year. In particular, the U-15 Fukagawa and U-15 Musashino players will not only serve as ball persons on the match day but also take on the role of introducing visitors to the Premier League pamphlet sales and the system called 'FC TOKYO ACADEMY PARTNER・SUPPORTER,' which supports academy players.
Within this is the club’s strong wish for the middle school students who will carry the future of the blue and red to raise their motivation for the future even higher.
“I want the U-15 players to have a stronger sense of belonging as members of Tokyo, and since many fans will come, I hope they understand that 'Tokyo exists because these people support us,' and by interacting with many business staff, deepen their understanding that 'there are this many people working at the club.' I want this to be a day that holds various meanings not only for the players on the pitch but for the entire academy,” said Hirano.
Tanaka, who stole the spotlight at last year’s 'Ajinomoto Premier' and has been playing with the top team since this season, looks back on those irreplaceable memories and shares his hopes for the younger players.
“Playing a match at Ajinomoto in an official game with such a real sense of competition increased my desire to be promoted to the top team, and it was truly a valuable experience.”
“I want them to play with the mindset that ‘we absolutely must not lose at Ajinomoto,’ while imagining themselves when they move up to the top team. Especially Tomomatsu, who has been playing alongside me since last year and is the type to perform well on big stages—I hope he scores about two goals like I did (laughs) and leads the team to victory.”
TOMOMATSU, who was involved in all three goals during last year’s 'Premier Ajinomoto event' and now serves as the captain of the U-18 team this season, understands more than enough what they need to do.
“When I was in elementary school and watched a match at Ajinomoto, the backs of the professional players looked so cool that it made me want to stand on that pitch someday. Now, it’s our turn to show that. I don’t want to just play beautiful soccer; even if it’s gritty and physical, I want to play in a way that makes the younger academy players think, ‘I want to become a player like that.’”
"Last year in the Premier League, we lost twice to the Antlers, and the venue was also Ajinomoto, so all the elements for not losing are in place. We have no choice but to win now. Last year, Kiwa, who wore the number 10, scored two goals, so as this year's number 10, I want to achieve better results than Kiwa."
The continuous history is passed down steadily by those with strong passion. The Premier League held at Ajinomoto Stadium. As a new page is being etched into the blue and red club’s history, we earnestly hope that once again, as many football lovers as possible will gather in the stands for this special match.
Text by Takashi Tsuchiya (Football Writer)
