Hiroki Itakura of the “Japan National Soccer Team,” Who Was Reported to Be Married to Haruna Kawaguchi: His “Off-Duty Self, Radiating Happiness” After Returning from the World Cup

He’s made his “9,000-kilometer long-distance relationship” a reality!

Saturday, July 18, just past 5:30 p.m. A tall man with a model-like physique stepped out of a car in the parking lot of a newly opened ultra-luxury hotel in central Tokyo. With his sharp, chiseled features and striking light brown hair, he was none other than Ko Itakura (29), captain of the Japan national soccer team.

On this day, Itakura took the stage at a special talk show celebrating the 460th anniversary of “Nishikawa,” a bedding manufacturer whose products he reportedly uses regularly. After the event, he returned to his hotel by hired car, received several paper bags from people who appeared to be associates, exchanged a few light words with them, and then entered the building.

Despite his hectic schedule since returning from the World Cup—including participating in an event in Fukuoka the previous week—it was striking to see him maintain a gentle smile throughout and exude an air of contentment.

At the North and Central American World Cup, which concluded with Spain’s magnificent second title, Itakura wore the captain’s armband in place of Wataru Endo (33), who had been sidelined due to injury.Although the Japanese national team lost to Brazil in the first round of the knockout stage, he fully demonstrated his leadership throughout the tournament—approaching players overcome with tears and expressing his gratitude to Japanese supporters with applause. He is a reliable captain on the pitch and is admired by his younger teammates as a man of integrity.

On the very day this magazine witnessed this man, who commands such immense trust, “Bunshun Online” broke the news of a romantic relationship between Itakura and actress Haruna Kawaguchi (31). With marriage also being rumored, the story has become a hot topic.

Speaking of Kawaguchi, it was revealed in late 2019 that she was in a passionate relationship with mixed martial artist Yusuke Yachi (36).She was frequently spotted shedding tears of joy at Yachi’s victories when she attended his matches, and the two were often seen enjoying cozy dates walking their dog together—it seemed their relationship was going smoothly, but… After putting an end to her romance with the mixed martial artist, a new encounter with a star of the Japanese soccer world awaited her.

“After dating Yachi for about five years, Kawaguchi broke up with him in early 2024, citing busy schedules that caused them to drift apart. A few months later, around June, she met Itakura at a drinking party, and their relationship reportedly blossomed.

“Kawaguchi traveled to the Netherlands, where he lives, and they were openly dating—dining together at a local yakiniku restaurant and strolling arm-in-arm through the streets of Amsterdam. Since she’s a super-popular actress at the top of the entertainment industry, it’s probably easier for her to be herself overseas without worrying about prying eyes,” said an acquaintance of Kawaguchi’s.

His Views on Marriage, as Revealed in the Past

Itakura, who made his long-distance relationship spanning approximately 9,000 km between the Netherlands and Japan a success and tied the knot after just one year of dating. However, the “rock-solid defender who competed on the world stage” was also a “superstar” whose personal life was never short of romantic gossip.

“Itakura was promoted to the first team of Kawasaki Frontale in 2015 and turned pro.The following year, after being selected for the Japanese national team for the ‘AFC U-19 Championship,’ he delivered strong performances in numerous matches and began challenging himself in overseas leagues starting in 2019. He currently plays for Amsterdam-based ‘Ajax Amsterdam.’

Although he moved overseas at the young age of 22, I’ve heard that he returns to Japan every off-season and goes out drinking almost every night.“With his wide circle of friends, his drinking parties always featured a large number of women—from actresses, models, and gravure idols to YouTubers and hostesses. It seems he would actively go out to meet girls he was interested in. He has a great personality, so he’s simply popular with women,” said a male acquaintance of Itakura.

On the other hand, when he appeared on Japanese national soccer team player Ritsu Doan’s (28) YouTube channel in August 2024 and was asked if he wanted to get married, Itakura replied, “I like kids, and I do want to get married.”For Itakura, who had already met Kawaguchi at the time of his conversation with Doan, this might have been the catalyst that shifted him into “marriage mode.”

“In past interviews, Itakura has revealed that his ‘ideal type of woman is someone who’s good at cooking and is home-oriented.’ Since he hardly ever cooks himself, his ideal partner is someone who’ll be waiting for him at home with a warm meal.

In that regard, Kawaguchi has demonstrated considerable culinary skill in her own YouTube series titled ‘Ha-chan Cooking,’ where she filets massive yellowtail and sea bream and prepares snacks to go with her favorite drinks. For Itakura, she is truly the ideal partner,” said a sports newspaper reporter.

Having just concluded his run on the grand stage of the World Cup and found a new partner in his personal life, he is truly at the peak of happiness.

From the August 7 & 14, 2026, combined issue of *FRIDAY*