Oita Trinita

Ōita Trinita
大分トリニータ
Full nameŌita Trinita
NicknamesAzzurro (Sky Blue)
Camenaccio (カメナチオ, Kamenachio)
Founded1994 (1994) as Ōita Trinity
StadiumCrasus Dome Ōita
(Ōita)
Capacity40,000 [1]
ChairmanMasakaze Ozawa
ManagerShuhei Yomoda
LeagueJ2 League
2025J2 League, 16th of 20
Websiteoita-trinita.co.jp

Ōita Trinita (大分トリニータ, Ōita Torinīta) is a Japanese football club located in Ōita, Capital of Ōita Prefecture. They currently play in J2 League, Japanese second tier of professional football.

The club have won 1 J2 League title, 1 J3 League title and 1 J.League Cup in their history.

History

Foundation and early years (1994–2002)

The club was formed as Ōita Trinity in 1994 and advanced through the Ōita Prefectural League and the Kyushu League before finishing as the runner-up of the 1996 National League, resulting in promotion to the JFL. The club was created as part of a regional effort to establish a professional football team that could eventually compete in the national league system.

In 1999, the club changed its name to Trinita due to copyright infringement concerns. The same year, the club joined J.League Division 2, the second-highest flight in Japanese football (renamed to its current name of J2 League in 2015) and placed third. The club also placed third in 2000, and despite being in contention for promotion until the final game of the season in 2001, finished sixth. The following year, the club won J.League Division 2 and finally earned promotion to the top-flight Division 1.

Promotion to J1 and top-flight years (2003–2009)

Under the helms of Dutch manager Han Berger, Ōita Trinita achieved promotion to the J1 League in 2002 after finishing near the top of the J2 League standings.

In 2008, Ōita Trinita won the J.League Cup after defeating Shimizu S-Pulse 2–0 in the final which become the first major title won by a Kyūshū club since Yawata Steel SC shared the 1964 Emperor's Cup.[2]

In the 2009 season, Ōita suffered their worst-ever results in their seven-year history in the topflight, including 14 straight losses in league matches, which is the current worst record in the J.League since the golden goal system was eliminated. Ōita even fired cup-winning manager Pericles Chamusca in mid-July.[3] On October 25, the club's relegation was confirmed after being held to a 1–1 draw by ten-man Kyoto Sanga, although the club would have faced relegation anyway as they had outstanding loans from the JFL's emergency fund and league rules prohibit clubs with such loans from participating in the top tier.[4]

Financial crisis and rebuilding (2010–2018)

During the 2012 J.League Division 2 season, Ōita finished in sixth place, qualifying for the promotion playoffs in the first year of its introduction in Japan's second flight as the club had also paid back all its emergency loans that October. Despite being the lowest seed, Ōita defeated Kyoto Sanga 4–0 in the semi-final and JEF United Chiba 1–0 in the final, earning promotion to 2013 J.League Division 1, returning to the top tier after a 5-year absence[5] This time, however, their top tier stay lasted only one season. In 2015 they were further relegated to J3 League after losing in the promotion playoffs to Machida Zelvia on December 6,[6] becoming the first major trophy winner to be relegated to the third tier. The club immediately gained promotion back to J2 League by winning the J3 League title in 2016. In 2018, after finishing as runner's up in the J2 League in 2018, Ōita Trinita gained promotion back to J1. After finishing 18th in 2021, Trinita would be relegated back to J2 League, but in the background of that, the club made a Cinderella run to the Emperor's Cup Final. Just 1 week after the confirmation to be relegated, they defeated defending Emperor's Cup champion Kawasaki Frontale in stunning fashion in the semis; after the game was tied 1 all, Trinita won 4–5 on penalty kicks. They ended up losing to Urawa Red Diamonds in the final, giving the Reds their eighth Emperor's Cup title.

Return to the top flight and recent seasons (2019–present)

Ōita Trinita returned to the J1 League in 2019 and surprised many observers by finishing in ninth place in their first season back in the top division.

The club continued competing in J1 for several seasons, focusing on tactical organisation and youth development. However, inconsistent results eventually led to relegation back to the J2 League in the early 2020s.

Ōita Trinita will play its second consecutive season at the J2 League in the 2023 season.

Team image

Name origin

The club's name, Trinita, is the Italian translation of the word trinity (trinità), which was the club's original name before being changed in 1999, and Ōita, the club's home town.[7] The combined word expresses the will of the local citizens, companies, and government to support the team. Another connection to the Italian culture can be found in the city nickname Azzurro ("light blue" in Italian).

Rivalries

Kyushu Derby

One of the most notable rivalries is with Avispa Fukuoka. Matches between the two sides are often regarded as a 'Kyushu Derby', representing competition between clubs from different parts of Kyushu. These fixtures are frequently intense due to regional pride and the relatively close geographical distance between the cities of Ōita and Fukuoka.

Ōita Trinita also maintains competitive rivalries with other Kyushu-based clubs such as Sagan Tosu and V-Varen Nagasaki. Encounters with these teams often attract strong interest from supporters and are viewed as key regional matches within the Japanese league system.

Stadium

Crasas Dome Ōita

The club's home ground is Crasas Dome Ōita, also known as the "Big Eye", a striking multi-purpose stadium in Ōita City, Japan. The stadium can hold around 40,000 spectators after modifications to its seating. The venue is owned by Ōita Prefecture and operated by Resonac Holdings, serving not only as the home of Ōita Trinita but also as a stage for major international events. Most notably, it hosted matches during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, cementing its place in Japanese football history.

The club practices at its adjacent football and rugby field, and Ōita City Public Ground. The stadium continues to be a centerpiece of Kyushu’s sporting culture, blending architectural innovation with community pride

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

Sponsors

Year Kit manufacturer Main sponsor
1995 Japan Asics Japan Trinity
1996–1997 Japan Mizuno
1998 Germany Puma No main sponsors
1999–2004 Japan Pentakun
2005–2006 Japan Maruham
2007–2011 No main sponsors
2012–present Japan Daihatsu

Kit evolution

Home kit - 1st
1999
2000 - 2001
2002 - 2003
2004
2005 - 2006
2007
2008
2009
2010 - 2011
2012 - 2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025 -
Away kit - 2nd
1999 - 2001
2002 - 2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012 - 2013
2014
2015
2016
2017 - 2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025 -
Special kits - 3rd
2020
Limited
2021
Limited
2022
Limited

Affiliated club

  • Macau Seifuku SC (2024–present)[8]
  • Taiwan Taichung Futuro (2025–present)[9]

Players

First-team squad

As of 2 April 2026.[10]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  JPN Yuya Tanaka
2 DF  JPN Takuya Okamoto
5 MF  JPN Hiroto Nakagawa
6 DF  JPN Yuto Misao
7 DF  JPN Manato Yoshida
8 MF  JPN Keigo Sakakibara
9 FW  JPN Kotaro Arima
13 FW  JPN Kohei Isa
14 FW  JPN Shinya Utsumoto
15 FW  JPN Yūsei Yashiki
16 MF  JPN Taira Shige
17 FW  KOR Kim Hyun-woo
18 MF  JPN Junya Nodake
19 MF  JPN Arata Kozakai
20 FW  JPN Taiga Kimoto
21 FW  JPN Shuto Udo
22 GK  KOR Mun Kyung-gun
No. Pos. Nation Player
23 DF  JPN Shunsuke Ono
24 GK  JPN Shun Sato
25 MF  JPN Taishin Yamazaki
27 DF  JPN Yūsuke Matsuo
28 MF  JPN Hiroshi Kiyotake
29 FW  JPN Yuto Sakurai
30 DF  JPN Issei Tone
31 DF  BRA Pereira
32 DF  JPN Riku Sakata
33 DF  JPN Ayuki Miyakawa
34 MF  JPN Keishin Yoshikawa
35 MF  JPN Josei Sato
36 MF  JPN Hayato Matsuoka
37 FW  JPN Manato Kimoto
40 GK  JPN Hiroto Kono
72 MF  JPN Takumi Yamaguchi
88 MF  BRA Patrick Verhon (on loan from Kawasaki Frontale)

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  JPN Kenshin Yasuda (at Belgium K.R.C. Genk)
— DF  JPN Atsuki Satsukawa (at Tochigi City)

Management and staff

For 2025 season

Position Staff
Manager Japan Shuhei Yomoda
First-team coaches Japan Satoshi Yasui
Japan Kenji Baba
Goalkeeper coach Japan Keisuke Yoshisaka
Physical coach Japan Ryo Yano
Strength coach Japan Hitoshi Otomo
Cheef Trainer Japan Shota Harada
Trainer Japan Kiyohisa Shibata
Japan Tsutomu Okabayashi
Japan Tomoki Iwasa
Competent Japan Hikaru Kikuzumi
Deputy officer Japan Keishiro Seto
Japan Akito Shimoyama
Interpreter Argentina Alejandro Masafumi Matsumura

Honours

Type Honours Titles Season
League J2 League 1 2002
J3 League 1 2016
Kyushu Soccer League 1 1995
Cup J.League Cup 1 2008

Bold is for those competition that are currently active.

Records and statistics

As of 13 April 2026.

Top 10 all-time appearances
Rank Player Years Club appearance
1 Japan Daiki Takamatsu 2000–2016 401
2 Japan Kohei Isa 2014–present 336
3 Japan Rei Matsumoto 2013–2022 266
4 Japan Takashi Umeda 1998–2010 260
5 Japan Takashi Miki 2000–2007 248
6 Japan Yoshinori Suzuki 2014–2021 230
7 Japan Kazushi Mitsuhira 2015–2021 219
8 Japan Takayuki Yoshida 2000–2005 207
9 Japan Teppei Nishiyama 2002–2009 187
10 Japan Yuki Fukaya 2005–2009, 2013 182
Top 10 all-time goalscorer
Rank Player Club appearance Total goals
1 Japan Daiki Takamatsu 401 87
2 Japan Kazushi Mitsuhira 219 56
3 Japan Yusuke Goto 181 54
4 Japan Takayuki Yoshida 207 48
5 Japan Yasuhito Morishima 171 45
6 Brazil Will 81 42
7 Japan Kohei Isa 336 38
8 Brazil Magno Alves 74 34
9 Brazil Edi Andradina 69 29
10 Japan Daisuke Takahashi 127 27
  • Biggest wins: 10–0 vs ALO's Hokuriku (5 December 1999)
  • Heaviest defeats: 1–7 vs Kawasaki Frontale (26 October 1997)
  • Youngest ever debutant: Kenshin Yasuda ~ 16 years 5 months 13 days old (On 18 August 2021 vs Thespa Gunma)
  • Oldest ever player: Tsukasa Umesaki ~ 37 years 8 months 11 days old (On 3 November 2024 vs Thespa Gunma)
  • Youngest goal scorers: Daisuke Sakai ~ 17 years 5 months 25 days old (On 13 July 2014 vs Verspah Oita)
  • Oldest goal scorers: Tsukasa Umesaki ~ 37 years 2 months 5 days old (On 28 April 2024 vs Roasso Kumamoto)

Award winners

As of the end of the 2025 season.

  • J.League Manager of the Year:
  • Individual Fair Play Award:
    • Japan Yuichi Nemoto (2006)

Managerial history

Manager Period Honours
South Korea Moon Jung-sik 1 February 1994–31 January 1997 – 1995 Kyushu Soccer League
Japan Nobuhiro Ishizaki 1 February 1999–30 April 2001
Japan Shinji Kobayashi 1 May 2001–31 January 2004 – 2002 J2 League
Netherlands Han Berger 1 February 2004–31 January 2005
South Korea Hwangbo Kwan 1 February 2005–28 August 2005
Netherlands Arie Schans 1 September 2005–8 September 2005
Brazil Pericles Chamusca 9 September 2005–13 July 2009 – 2008 J.League Cup
Serbia Ranko Popović 1 August 2009–31 December 2009
South Korea Hwangbo Kwan (2) 1 February 2010–31 January 2011
Japan Kazuaki Tasaka 1 February 2011–2 June 2015
Japan Nobuaki Yanagida 1 June 2015–3 January 2016
Japan Tomohiro Katanosaka 1 February 2016–31 January 2022 – 2016 J3 League
Japan Takahiro Shimotaira 1 February 2022–10 November 2023
Japan Tomohiro Katanosaka (2) 30 November 2023–18 August 2025 [11]
Japan Minoru Takenaka [12] 18 August 2025–12 January 2026
Japan Shuhei Yomoda 12 January 2026–present

Club captains

  • Japan Cui Daewoo (1999)
  • Japan Tomohiro Katanosaka (2000)
  • Japan Tetsuro Uki (2002–2003)
  • Brazil Sandro (2004)
  • Japan Takayuki Yoshida (2005)
  • Japan Takashi Miki (2006–2007)
  • Japan Daiki Takamatsu (2008–2010)
  • Japan Masashi Miyazawa (2011–2013)
  • Japan Kazumichi Takagi (2014)
  • Brazil Daniel (2015)
  • Japan Satoru Yamagishi (2016–2017)
  • Japan Akira Takeuchi (January – August 2018)
  • Japan Kenji Baba (August – December 2018)
  • Japan Yoshinori Suzuki (2019–2020)
  • Japan Shun Takagi (2021)
  • Japan Hokuto Shimoda (2022)
  • Japan Tsukasa Umesaki (2023)
  • Japan Arata Watanabe (2024)
  • Japan Minoru Takenaka (2025)

Season by season record

Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
Season Div. Teams Pos. P W (OTW) D L (OTL) F A GD Pts Attendance/G J.League Cup Emperor's Cup
1999 J2 10 3rd 36 18 (3) 3 8 (4) 62 42 20 63 3,886 2nd round 3rd round
2000 11 3rd 40 26 (0) 3 8 (3) 80 38 42 81 4,818 1st round 3rd round
2001 12 6th 44 24 (1) 4 9 (6) 75 52 23 78 6,638 2nd round 3rd round
2002 12 1st 44 28 10 6 67 34 33 94 12,349 Not eligible 4th round
2003 J1 16 14th 30 5 11 14 27 37 -10 26 21,373 Group stage 3rd round
2004 16 13th 30 8 6 16 35 56 -21 30 21,889 Group stage 5th round
2005 18 11th 34 12 7 15 44 43 1 43 22,080 Group stage 5th round
2006 18 8th 34 13 8 13 47 45 2 47 20,350 Group stage 5th round
2007 18 14th 34 12 5 17 42 60 -18 41 19,759 Group stage 5th round
2008 18 4th 34 16 8 10 33 24 9 56 20,322 Winners 4th round
2009 18 17th 34 8 6 20 26 45 -19 30 18,428 Group stage 3rd round
2010 J2 19 15th 36 10 11 15 39 49 -10 41 10,463 Not eligible 3rd round
2011 20 12th 38 12 14 12 42 45 -3 50 8,779 2nd round
2012 22 6th 42 21 8 13 59 40 19 71 9,721 2nd round
2013 J1 18 18th 34 2 8 24 31 67 -36 14 11,915 Group stage Quarter finals
2014 J2 22 7th 42 17 12 13 52 55 -3 63 8,422 Not eligible 3rd round
2015 22 21st 42 8 14 20 41 51 -10 38 7,533 3rd round
2016 J3 16 1st 30 19 4 7 50 24 26 61 7,771 3rd round
2017 J2 22 9th 42 17 13 12 58 50 8 64 8,063 3rd round
2018 22 2nd 42 23 7 12 76 51 25 76 8,907 2nd round
2019 J1 18 9th 34 12 11 11 35 35 0 47 15,347 Group stage Quarter finals
2020 † 18 11th 34 11 10 13 36 45 -9 43 5,147 Group stage Did not qualify
2021 † 20 18th 38 9 8 21 31 55 -24 35 6,722 Group stage Runners-up
2022 J2 22 5th 42 17 15 10 62 52 10 66 6,618 Group stage 3rd round
2023 22 9th 42 17 11 14 54 56 -2 62 9,143 Not eligible 2nd round
2024 20 16th 38 10 13 15 33 47 -14 43 10,360 1st round Round of 16
2025 16th 38 8 14 16 27 44 -17 38 10,402 1st round 3rd round
2026 10 TBD 18 N/A N/A
2026-27 20 TBD 38 TBD TBD
Key
  • Pos. = Position in league; P = Games played; W = Games won; D = Games drawn; L = Games lost; F = Goals scored; A = Goals conceded; GD = Goals difference; Pts = Points gained
  • OTW = Overtime wins - 1999, 2000, 2001 & 2002 Overtime wins only
  • OTL = Overtime losses - 1999, 2000 & 2001 Overtime losses only
  • 3 points for a win; 2 points for an overtime win (OTW), 1 point for a drawn game.
  • Attendance/G = Average home league attendance
  • † 2020 & 2021 seasons attendances reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
  • Note: The 2011 season changed temporarily because of Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, clubs in the affected area could not play, therefore the Division 2 North & Division 2 South merged into one group and the clubs only played once each. No promotion to Division 1 in that season.
  • Source: J.League Data Site

References

  1. ^ "Listing in Stadium DB". stadiumdb.com/. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  2. ^ "J.League News No.40" (PDF). J.League. November 24, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 January 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  3. ^ Andrew Mckirdy (July 9, 2009). "Indecision over Chamusca can only worsen Oita's plight". Japan Times. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  4. ^ "A yellow card for J.League". Japan Times. December 12, 2009. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  5. ^ Andrew Mckirdy (November 24, 2012). "Trinita slip past JEF United to earn promotion to first division". Japan Times. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  6. ^ "Machida promoted to J2". J. League. December 8, 2015. Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  7. ^ "クラブ・選手名鑑 大分トリニータ" [Club · Player's Directory Oita Trinita] (in Japanese). J.League. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  8. ^ TOSテレビ大分 ニュース【公式】 (2024-03-11). トリニータ　マカオのサッカークラブと業務提携　Jリーグのクラブで初　大分. Retrieved 2026-04-06 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ TOSテレビ大分 ニュース【公式】 (2025-03-14). 大分トリニータ　台湾1部リーグ「台中FUTURO」と業務提携　アジア戦略強化へ. Retrieved 2026-04-06 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "Team list 2025". www.oita-trinita.co.jp. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  11. ^ "Manager sacked". oita-trinita.co.jp. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  12. ^ "Managerial appointment". www.oita-trinita.co.jp. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
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