ˌɪkɪkˈɑːwə wʌz ʃˈɔːɹtlˈɪstᵻd fɚðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti ˈeɪt fˈiːfə wˈɜːld kˈʌp, bˌʌt nˈæʃənəl kˈoʊtʃ tˈeɪkʃi ɑːkˈɑːdə dɹˈɑːpt hˌɪm təɡˌɛðɚ wɪð kˌæzaɪˈoʊʃi mˈɪjuːɹə ænd tsuːjˈoʊʃi kˌɪɾɐzˈɑːwə æt ðə fˈaɪnəl tɹˈeɪnɪŋ kˈæmp ɪn nˈaɪɑːn, swˈɪtsɚlənd.
Ichikawa was short-listed for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, but national coach Takeshi Okada dropped him together with Kazuyoshi Miura and Tsuyoshi Kitazawa at the final training camp in Nyon, Switzerland.