Japan National Team's Ko Itakura, Selected for the North/Central America World Cup, Releases His First Book 'I'll Do It! ~The Growth Philosophy of Japan National Team's Ko Itakura~' from Shueisha on June 10th!

Ko Itakura, who will play for the Japan national soccer team in the North/Central America World Cup, will release his first book, 'I'll Do It! ~The Growth Philosophy of Japan National Team's Ko Itakura~', from Shueisha on Wednesday, June 10th.

The book reveals how he was able to grow to represent Japan and stand on the world stage. It uncovers 'hints for growth' through his own reflection on his life and testimonies from those around him. This is a must-read for all soccer fans, compiled from his serialized column 'I'll Do It!' in 'Weekly Playboy', which has been running for four years, with significant additions and revisions.

'My life has been a cycle of falling down, getting back up, and growing. Now, I know that after climbing out of rock bottom, a 'new self' is always waiting for me. That's why, even in pain, I can positively accept adversity.' (From the Foreword)

◆Table of Contents

[Foreword]

[Chapter 1]

'I Quit, Frontale' ~ A Soccer Life That Wasn't All Smooth Sailing ~

[Chapter 2]

'Until I Became a True Professional Soccer Player' ~ The High Wall of Professionalism ~

[Chapter 3]

'I Want to Go Back to Japan...' ~ Fighting on the World Stage ~

[Chapter 4]

'Ko Itakura's Sincerity' ~ A World-Class Mentality ~

[Chapter 5]

'The Resolve to Bear the Rising Sun' ~ My Journey as a Samurai Blue ~

[Afterword]

(c) Toru Kumagai / Shueisha (c) Toru Kumagai / Shueisha

Author Profile

Ko ITAKURA

Born January 27, 1997, in Kanagawa Prefecture. Position: Defender.

He grew up in the youth system of Kawasaki Frontale and made his professional debut with the top team in 2016. He then played for Vegalta Sendai, Manchester City FC (English Premier League), FC Groningen (Dutch Eredivisie), Schalke 04 (German 2. Bundesliga), and Borussia Mönchengladbach (German Bundesliga) before completing a permanent transfer to Ajax (Dutch Eredivisie) in August 2025. He has been active with the Japan national soccer team since May 2019. He has been called up as a member of SAMURAI BLUE for the North/Central America World Cup starting on June 11th, and high expectations are placed on his performance. Since 2022, he has also been leading a future creation project named after himself, the 'Ko creation project' (KCP).

Book Information

Title: 'I'll Do It! ~The Growth Philosophy of Japan National Team's Ko Itakura~'

Author: Ko Itakura

Editor: Shimon Takahashi

Release Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Price: 1,980 yen (including 10% tax)

Format: 46-size / 192 pages

ISBN Code: 978-4-08-790246-4

Publisher: Shueisha

https://www.shueisha.co.jp/books/items/contents.html?isbn=978-4-08-790246-4