Hikaru Kitagawa
.jpg) Kitagawa with BK Häcken in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Hikaru Kitagawa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | May 10, 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Defender | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Everton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2015 | JFA Academy Fukushima | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2018 | Urawa Reds | 43 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2023 | Albirex Niigata | 76 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | INAC Kobe Leonessa | 22 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | BK Häcken | 17 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Everton | 15 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Japan U-17 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Japan U-20 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017– | Japan | 31 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14:53, 19 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 07:26, 20 April 2026 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hikaru Kitagawa (北川 ひかる, Kitagawa Hikaru; Japanese: [kitaɡawa hikaɾɯ]; born May 10, 1997) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a defender for Women's Super League club Everton and the Japan national team.
Club career
Kitagawa was born in Kanazawa on May 10, 1997. After graduating from JFA Academy Fukushima, she joined Urawa Reds in 2015. She played as regular right side back from first season. However her opportunity to play decreased from 2017. In September 2018, she moved to Albirex Niigata.[1]
On 19 August 2024, Kitagawa was announced at BK Häcken, becoming the first Japanese player to play for the club.[2]
In July 2025, Kitagawa signed for Women's Super League club Everton.[3] On her debut for the club, she scored against Manchester City in the 82nd minute on 24 September 2025.[4]
International career
Kitagawa played for Japan U-17 national team at 2014 U-17 World Cup and Japan U-20 national team at 2016 U-20 World Cup. Japan won the championship in 2014 and took third place in 2016.[5] In 2017, she was selected by the Japan national team for the 2017 Algarve Cup. On March 1, she played against Spain. She played five games for Japan in 2017.
On 14 June 2024, Kitagawa was included in the Japan squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[6]
Kitagawa was part of the Japan squad that won the 2025 SheBelieves Cup.[7]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 16 May 2026[8]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Urawa Reds | 2015 | Nadeshiko League | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |
| 2016 | Nadeshiko League | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | — | 26 | 5 | ||
| 2017 | Nadeshiko League | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 16 | 1 | ||
| 2018 | Nadeshiko League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Total | 43 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 6 | ||
| Albirex Niigata | 2018 | Nadeshiko League | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | |
| 2019 | Nadeshiko League | 13 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 20 | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Nadeshiko League | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | WE League | 20 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 22 | 1 | |||
| 2022–23 | WE League | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 26 | 0 | ||
| Total | 76 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 4 | ||
| INAC Kobe Leonessa | 2023–24 | WE League | 22 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 31 | 8 | |
| BK Häcken | 2024 | Damallsvenskan | 7 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | 2[c] | 0 | 14 | 3 | |
| 2025 | Damallsvenskan | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | 10 | 1 | ||||
| 17 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 4 | |||
| Everton | 2025–26 | Women's Super League | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 20 | 2 | |
| Career total | 173 | 16 | 21 | 5 | 27 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 242 | 24 | ||
- ↑ Includes Empress's Cup, Svenska Cupen
- ↑ Includes Nadeshiko League Cup, WE League Cup
- ↑ Appearance(s) in UEFA Women's Champions League
International
- As of match played 18 April 2026[9]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 2017 | 5 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2025 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 31 | 2 | |
- Scores and results list Japan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kitagawa goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 July 2024 | Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France |  Nigeria |
3–1 | 3–1 | 2024 Summer Olympics |
| 2 | 26 October 2024 | Japan National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan |  South Korea |
1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
Honours
INAC Kobe Leonessa
U17 Japan
Japan U20
Japan
References
- ↑ Albirex Niigata(in Japanese)
- ↑ "Hikaru Kitagawa är klar för BK Häcken: "Väldigt glad"" [Hikaru Kitagawa is ready for BK Häcken: "Very happy"]. bkhacken.se (in Swedish).
- ↑ "Everton sign Japan defender Kitagawa from Hacken". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ↑ "Spirited Blues Fall To Defeat In League Cup". www.evertonfc.com.
- ↑ FIFA
- ↑ "Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team) squad & schedule - MS&AD Cup 2024: Noto Peninsula Earthquake Reconstruction Support Match "Ganbarou Noto" / Games of the XXXIII Olympiad (Paris 2024)". jfa.jp. Japan Football Association (JFA). 14 June 2024.
- ↑ "United States vs Japan: Japan wins SheBelieves Cup". BBC Sport. 27 February 2025. Archived from the original on 27 February 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ↑ "Japan - H. Kitagawa - Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
- ↑ "KITAGAWA Hikaru". Japan Football Association. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
- ↑ Rueter, Jeff; Linehan, Meg. "Japan unseats USWNT in SheBelieves Cup, ending 5-year tournament winning streak". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
External links
- Hikaru Kitagawa at Soccerway.com
- Hikaru Kitagawa at WorldFootball.net
- Hikaru Kitagawa at ESPN FC
- Hikaru Kitagawa at FBref.com
- Hikaru Kitagawa at Kicker (in German)
- Hikaru Kitagawa at Olympedia
- Hikaru Kitagawa – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Japan Football Association
Japan squads | |||||||||||||
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- 1997 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Kanazawa, Ishikawa
- Waseda University alumni
- Football people from Ishikawa Prefecture
- Japanese women's footballers
- Japan women's international footballers
- Nadeshiko League players
- Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies players
- Albirex Niigata Ladies players
- Women's association football defenders
- Footballers at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Olympic footballers for Japan
- 21st-century Japanese sportswomen
- 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup players
- Everton F.C. Women players
- Women's Super League players
- AFC Women's Asian Cup–winning players
- Japanese women's football biography stubs