With renewed determination, they will face the 2026/27 season, having earned their tenth star in this special season.
To experience once again the joy, excitement, and exhilaration of reaching the pinnacle,
What kind of evolution will the Gamba Warriors undergo to help the team achieve victory?
What kind of strength and resilience will they demonstrate on the pitch, and how will they bring joy to their fans and supporters?
This season's WE ARE GAMBA OSAKA is,
This session explores the "philosophy of evolution" that resides within each individual, revealing their determination for growth.

Since his first official match of the season, the EMPEROR'S CUP 2nd Leg match against Leylac Shiga FC, he has consistently delivered stable performances while being given a starting position.
"Just like when I was playing regularly for Gamba, even when I wasn't playing, I always focused on myself and prepared with all my might, but the eyes of those around me weren't so lenient. When it's your first match in six months, if your performance in the first game isn't good, people will probably think, "Ichimori's finished, he's not needed anymore." With that in mind, I went into the Shiga match with a new layer of tension on top of my usual nervousness."
The stability he demonstrated there continued into the J1 League, and his fierce saves to avert the team's crises were particularly impressive. He puts his heart and soul into every single play.
"Honestly, I don't like pressure, and I get really scared before matches. Sometimes when I see myself like that, I think, "That's not very veteran-like." But that's why I prepare as much as I can, concentrate to the fullest, and try to give it my all. Some players say they're relieved of the pressure once the match starts, but in my case, I'm constantly battling fear and pressure even during the match. Even if I make one good save, the next moment I'm thinking, "That's all it takes, I won't be able to stop the next one. It's only one save, I should be able to stop it," (laughs). Thanks to that, I never lose focus for the entire 90 minutes.
Behind that "fear" lies the "sense of responsibility that comes with being Gamba's goalkeeper." The people who support this club—the fans, supporters, and family. While he always feels reassured by their presence, Ichimori knows that being supported by others is never something to be taken for granted, and that's why he deliberately places that sense of responsibility heavily on his shoulders when he steps onto the pitch.
"During this special season, I spent a lot of time sitting in the stands watching matches for the first time in a while, and I was able to feel the passion that so many people put onto the pitch, and the feelings of the fans and supporters. I felt a lot of things, like "This is the kind of play that gets people excited" and "They look so sad when the team loses a match." Because I wasn't playing in the matches, I had many opportunities to see the families and friends of the players and staff, and I was struck by how gloomy everyone's faces were after matches where we didn't get the results we wanted. Moreover, beyond those fans, supporters, families, and people who cheer us on, there are even more friends and family. When I think about it that way, I realize that many times more people than I saw must be feeling the same emotions and expressions depending on Gamba's results. Feeling that again, my resolve to "face each and every effort and each and every play more than ever before in order to deliver a performance that saves the team" has grown even stronger." Thanks to that, no matter what the situation is... for example, even if there's a practice session that I don't want to do, I've come to think, "It's much easier to overcome this than to see everyone's suffering faces." In that sense, my desire to "do it for the people who are supporting me" is ultimately thanks to everyone's help, and that's why I feel I have a responsibility to give my all in the upcoming match.
He says that even now at 35, he still feels that he can improve his playing ability, and he lives each day with that feeling. That's why Ichimori continues to evolve.

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Interview and text by Misa Takamura

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