FK Tukums 2000 has made a notable addition to their squad with the signing of Japanese striker Atsushi Kurokawa, who joins on loan until the end of the season from Machida Zelvia, a club competing in Japan’s top division, the J1 League.
The 27-year-old brings with him significant experience from Japan, where he has spent his entire professional career up to this point. A product of Omiya Ardija’s youth academy, Kurokawa made his professional debut in the J1 League in 2017 at the age of 19, making three appearances for his boyhood club.
Over the next several seasons, Kurokawa established himself in Japan’s second tier, the J2 League, featuring for Mito HollyHock, Machida Zelvia, and returning spells with Omiya Ardija. Between 2019 and 2021, he consistently found the net, scoring at least seven goals in each of those three seasons. His most productive year came in 2021, with nine goals and two assists in 42 matches for Omiya. In total the striker has made 177 appearances in the J2 League, scoring 29 goals.
In the previous season, he was loaned again to Mito HollyHock, scoring twice in 15 appearances in the J2 League. Earlier this year, Kurokawa made the move to Europe, joining Spartak Varna in Bulgaria’s top division on loan, though he did not make any appearances there. Now, he begins a new chapter in Latvia, with FK Tukums 2000 becoming his first real test in European football.
FK Tukums 2000 has had previous success with Japanese players. In the 2019 season, when the club earned promotion to the Latvian top flight for the first time in history by winning the Latvian First League, it was Shuma Nagamatsu who played a pivotal role. The Japanese forward was the team’s top scorer with 20 goals and last season played in the Polish Ekstraklasa. Recently, Japanese player Jun Toba arrived to Tukums from Romania’s second division.
FK Tukums 2000 currently sits eighth in the Latvian Virslīga standings with 21 points from 24 matches. The team faces a tough challenge this coming Sunday, as they welcome league leaders Riga FC.
