The keyword for the revamped Gamba Osaka under Head Coach JENS WISSING is “forward.”
Every player and staff member keeps those words in mind.
He is approaching football with a stronger forward-looking mindset, encompassing his playing style, his thinking, and even his life as a footballer.
This season’s WE ARE GAMBA OSAKA is about men who keep pushing forward,
This book shines a spotlight on “breakthrough” moments—experiences and encounters that significantly changed one’s career.
What kind of world did they discover beyond that point?

Now in his 20th year as a professional, when he looks back on his career, what comes to mind is not the joys and sorrows of matches, but the scenes of his daily training.

“Of course, for me, the most enjoyable thing about being a soccer player, both now and in the past, is playing matches. That’s an undeniable fact, yet for some reason, when I look back on the past, I surprisingly can’t remember much about the matches themselves. Instead, I remember regrets about how I spent my days, like, ‘I could have done more back then,’ or ‘I shouldn’t have been so discouraged.’ I think it’s because I’ve realized that daily training is the most important thing of all.”

That’s why Shu KURATA doesn’t waste a single minute or second of her daily training. She learned from her past self that nothing can begin without that accumulation of effort.

“When I was younger, I was tossed around by whether or not I would be used in matches, but it’s different now. First and foremost, I do what I can, which means working hard in daily practice, putting everything I have into each and every session. Whether or not I’m used in matches, I just keep building on those days. In soccer, it’s important to think while you play, but I believe that you can bring out your best by playing according to your instincts. That’s why, in my daily practice, I think a lot about how to create that instinct, I go through a lot of trial and error, and I focus on improving the quality of my play. When it comes to matches, I want to fight straight and instinctively with a body that has absorbed all of that.”

There were two “breakthrough” moments that led to the Kurata we see today. The first was when he joined Gamba Junior Youth in his first year of junior high school. Seeing his peers who were bigger than him and possessed overwhelming skill made him realize that “thinking he was the best was an illusion,” and this experience dramatically accelerated his growth curve.

Coach Koji Kamogawa thoroughly drilled my footwork skills into me through ball-passing drills like 3 vs 1, 4 vs 2, and 5 vs 3. Plus, I knew I couldn’t close the gap just by practicing with everyone else, so even after getting home, I would just keep touching the ball late into the night in complete darkness. At the time, I simply enjoyed it. But as I continued that every day, I felt like I was growing tremendously. That was the only time, before or since, that I’ve ever thought, “Wow, I’ve gotten so much better. This rate of improvement is insane!”

The second time around was in 2010, his fourth year with the top team, when he was loaned to JEF United Chiba, and then again in 2011 to Cerezo Osaka. Those two years, including his conversion from defensive midfielder to winger during his time at Chiba, became the “foundation” for him to survive as a professional.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that I’ve never experienced training as tough as that time in Chiba. I faced all sorts of running training. I did endless shuttle runs on the beach, and I sprinted up sand dunes countless times at the Tateyama training camp. I believe that the reason I’m still able to play at this age is because I built a body in Chiba for 10 years that can withstand the intensity of today’s training. Plus, the experience of playing alongside a special attacking force at Cerezo Osaka and pursuing Head Coach Levi Culpi’s ultra-offensive football while actually playing in matches has become an indispensable time when talking about myself at Gamba since 2012.”

Even at 37 years old, Kurata still holds onto the insights he gained through past experiences, and approaches soccer with unwavering dedication every day. This attitude has supported Kurata’s career, which spans over 20 years.

―

Text by Misa Takamura