Shu Kurata facts for kids
![]() Kurata with Gamba Osaka in 2017
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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Shu Kurata | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | 26 November 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Attacking midfielder, winger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team
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Gamba Osaka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2001–2006 | Gamba Osaka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2007– | Gamba Osaka | 402 | (72) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2010 | → JEF United Chiba (loan) | 29 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2011 | → Cerezo Osaka (loan) | 33 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015–2017 | Japan | 9 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 November 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 December 2017 |
Shu Kurata (born November 26, 1988) is a talented Japanese football player. He plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger. This means he helps create goals and plays on the sides of the field. Shu Kurata currently plays for Gamba Osaka in Japan's top football league, the J1 League.
Contents
Shu Kurata's Club Journey
Starting with Gamba Osaka
Shu Kurata grew up in Osaka, Japan. He joined the youth team of Gamba Osaka and worked his way up. By the 2007 season, he was part of the main team. In his first year as a professional, he played 6 league games.
The next year, in 2008, he played 21 games. Gamba Osaka won two big titles that year: the 2008 AFC Champions League and the 2008 Emperor's Cup. In 2009, Gamba Osaka won the Emperor's Cup again. However, Shu Kurata only played 4 times that year. It was tough for him to get into the starting team because it had many famous players.
Loans and Return to Gamba
To get more playing time, Shu Kurata went on loan. In 2010, he played for JEF United Chiba in the J2 League, which is Japan's second-tier league. In 2011, he moved to Cerezo Osaka, another team from his city. He scored 10 goals in 33 league games for Cerezo.
His great performance helped him return to Gamba Osaka in 2012. But that year, Gamba Osaka finished 17th in the J1 League. This meant they were moved down to the J2 League for the first time ever.
Winning Titles with Gamba Osaka
In 2013, Shu Kurata scored 8 goals in 28 J2 games. Gamba Osaka quickly bounced back, winning the J2 League title. They earned 87 points from 42 games.
The 2014 was amazing for Gamba Osaka. They not only returned to the J1 League but also won three major titles! They lifted the J1 League title, the J.League Cup, and the Emperor's Cup. Shu Kurata scored 11 goals in 47 games that year, which was his best record for Gamba.
In 2015, Gamba Osaka added more trophies. They won the 2015 Japanese Super Cup and the 2015 Emperor's Cup. They beat Urawa Red Diamonds in both finals. They also reached the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League. Shu Kurata played 55 games and scored 8 goals that year.
Between 2016 and 2018, Gamba Osaka did not win any trophies. But Shu Kurata remained a very important player for the team. He missed only 4 league games during those three seasons and scored 14 goals. He continues to play for Gamba Osaka today.
Shu Kurata's International Career
Playing for Japan
On July 23, 2015, Shu Kurata was called up to play for the Japan national football team. Japan's coach, Vahid Halilhodžić, picked him for the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup. He played his first game for Japan on August 5, which was a 1–1 draw against China.
His next game for the national team was in March 2017. He came on as a substitute in Japan's 2–0 win against the United Arab Emirates. In June, he played in two more games for Japan, both ending in 1-1 draws against Syria and Iraq.
Scoring for His Country
October 2017 was a special time for Shu Kurata in his international career. He scored in two different games! On October 6, he scored in a 2–1 friendly win against New Zealand. Four days later, on October 10, he scored again in a 3–3 draw at home against Haiti.
He was also part of the squad for the 2017 EAFF E-1 Football Championship in December 2017. He started all three of Japan's games in that tournament. Japan won against North Korea and China. However, they lost 4–1 to South Korea in the final match. Japan finished as runners-up in the tournament.
Club Statistics
Shu Kurata's performance for his clubs.
Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other1 | Total | ||||||||
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Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
Japan | League | Emperor's Cup | League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||||||
2007 | Gamba Osaka | J1 League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 8 | 0 | ||
2008 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
2009 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | |||
Total | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 | ||
2010 | JEF United Chiba | J2 League | 29 | 8 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | 32 | 9 | |||
Total | 29 | 8 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | 32 | 9 | |||||
2011 | Cerezo Osaka | J1 League | 33 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | - | 47 | 11 | |
Total | 33 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | - | 47 | 11 | |||
2012 | Gamba Osaka | J1 League | 31 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | 40 | 9 | |
2013 | J2 League | 28 | 8 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 29 | 8 | ||||
2014 | J1 League | 30 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 2 | - | - | 47 | 11 | |||
2015 | 31 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 55 | 8 | ||
2016 | 34 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 2 | ||
2017 | 33 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | 42 | 8 | |||
2018 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | - | 38 | 4 | ||||
2019 | 31 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | - | - | 40 | 10 | ||||
2020 | 34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 38 | 4 | ||||
2021 | 37 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 3 | ||
2022 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 23 | 0 | ||||
2023 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 1 | ||||
2024 | 25 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 1 | ||||||
Total | 380 | 54 | 32 | 6 | 50 | 2 | 31 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 500 | 69 | ||
Career total | 464 | 72 | 43 | 7 | 55 | 5 | 44 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 614 | 89 |
1 includes FIFA Club World Cup appearances and 2 includes J. League Championship, Japanese Super Cup and Suruga Bank Championship appearances.
National Team Statistics
Here's a summary of Shu Kurata's games and goals for the Japan national team.
Japan national team | ||
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Year | Apps | Goals |
2015 | 1 | 0 |
2016 | 0 | 0 |
2017 | 8 | 2 |
Total | 9 | 2 |
International Goals
These are the goals Shu Kurata scored for Japan. Japan's score is always listed first.
No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
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1. | 6 October 2017 | Toyota Stadium, Toyota, Japan | ![]() |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2017 Kirin Challenge Cup |
2. | 10 October 2017 | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan | ![]() |
1–0 | 3–3 | 2017 Kirin Challenge Cup |
Shu Kurata's Achievements
Shu Kurata has won many important titles throughout his career.
- AFC Champions League - 2008
- Pan-Pacific Championship - 2008
- J. League Division 1 - 2014
- J. League Division 2 - 2013
- Emperor's Cup - 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015
- J. League Cup - 2007, 2014
- Japanese Super Cup - 2015
See also
In Spanish: Shū Kurata para niños