Tochigi City FC
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| Full name | Tochigi City Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1947 as Hitachi Tochigi Soccer Club | ||
| Stadium | City Football Station (Tochigi, Tochigi) | ||
| Capacity | 5,129 | ||
| Chairman | Takashi Ōkuri | ||
| Manager | Naoki Imaya | ||
| League | J2 League | ||
| 2025 | J3 League, 1st of 20 (champions, promoted) | ||
| Website | tochigi-city | ||
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Tochigi City Football Club (栃木シティフットボールクラブ, Tochigi Shitî Futtobōrukurabu), commonly known as Tochigi City (栃木シティ, Tochigi Shitî Efushi) is a Japanese professional football club based in Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture. The club is set to play in the J2 League from 2026–27, the second tier of the Japanese football league system, after promotion from the J3 League in 2025.
In 2025, Tochigi City has won their first major honours, by winning the J3 League in the 2025 season.
History
The club was formed in 1947 as Hitachi Tochigi Soccer Club, the works team of the local Hitachi, Ltd. affiliate. After finishing as a runners-up in the local Kanto Soccer League in 2009 season, they were promoted to the 2010 Japan Football League through the All Japan Regional Football Promotion League Series. Prior to their first season in the JFL, the club has dropped Hitachi prefix in its name and changed the reference to sport from "soccer" to "football". From the 2019 season, the club has adopted the new name as Tochigi City.[1][2]
Promotion to Japan Football League
In 2023, Tochigi City secured promotion to the Japan Football League after defeating Tsukuba by 4–0 in final day of the 2023 Japanese Regional Football Champions League. They became the champions of the Japanese Regional Football Champions League for the first time, due to finishing second in Kanto Soccer League.
Promotion to J. League
On 24 September 2024, Tochigi City announced that it was officially granted a J3 League club license.[3] On 17 November 2024, Tochigi City secured the 2024 Japan Football League championship and promotion to the J3 League for the first time in history after defeating Atletico Suzuka by 6–0, returning to the third tier after 11 years.[4][5][6] Tochigi City would also compete in the Tochigi Derby against Tochigi SC. On 25 September 2025, Tochigi City announced a J2 League club license.[7] On 23 November 2025, Tochigi City secured promotion to the J2 League for the first time in their history after defeating Nagano Parceiro by 3–0.[8]
Team image
Name origin
In 2006, Tochigi was adopted the moniker Uva (meaning "grape" in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish). Grapes are a specialty in the area of Ohira Town.[9]
Rivalries
Tochigi Derby
One of the main local rivalries of Tochigi City is with fellow prefectural club Tochigi SC. Both clubs are based in Tochigi Prefecture which is known as the Tochigi Derby and represent different cities within the region, which has created a developing local rivalry among supporters.
Matches between the two sides are often viewed as a contest for football prominence within Tochigi Prefecture. While Tochigi SC has historically been the more established club, having competed for many years in the professional divisions of the J.League, Tochigi City has emerged more recently with ambitions of reaching the professional leagues.
Stadium
Tochigi City plays its home matches at the City Football Station, located in the city of Tochigi. The stadium serves as the main home ground for the club and can hold up to 5,085 capacity.
Opened in the early 2020s, the stadium was designed primarily for football and is located within a modern training complex that includes practice pitches and club facilities. The venue provides a close viewing distance between the pitch and the stands, creating an intimate atmosphere for supporters during matches.
As Tochigi City has grown in ambition and competitiveness within Japan’s regional football structure, City Football Station has become the focal point for the club’s home matches, community events, and youth development activities. The stadium represents an important step in the club’s long-term goal of progressing through the Japanese football pyramid and eventually reaching the professional levels of the J.League.
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
Kit evolution
| Home kits 1st | ||||
          2019 |
     2020 |
  2021 |
  2022 |
    2023 |
    2024 |
     2025 - | |||
| Away kits 2nd | ||||
     2019 |
     2020 |
     2021 |
  2022 |
    2023 |
    2024 |
     2025 - | |||
Players
Current squad
- As of 7 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.
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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.
|
Management and staff
- As of February 2025
| Position | Staff[11] |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Naoki Imaya
|
| Assistant manager | Takuma Tsuda
|
| Assistant manager | Atsushi Izawa
|
| Goalkeeper coach | Yuki Takita
|
| Strengthening coach | Nobuaki Sekimura
|
| Analyst | Eishiro Hashiya Kazuki Yokoyama Kentaro Yoshihara
|
| Kitman | Masateru Hata
|
| Doctor | Hideyuki Sanuma Masataka Hasue Akinori Kimura Tsuneari Takahashi Takahiro Higashi Yasuhiro Higai Yuya Ogawa Taisuke Sato
|
Honours
| Honour | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Tochigi Prefecture Division 1 | 10 | 1967, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1983, 1999, 2002 |
| Tochigi Prefecture 2nd Division A | 2 | 1989, 1990 |
| Tochigi Prefecture Division 2 | 1 | 1991 |
| Tochigi Prefectural Football Championship Emperor's Cup Tochigi Prefectural Qualifiers |
11 | 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021 |
| Kantō Soccer League | 3 | 2018, 2020, 2022 |
| Japanese Regional Football Champions League | 1 | 2023 |
| Japan Football League | 1 | 2024 |
| J3 League | 1 | 2025 |
Season by season record
| Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Promoted | Relegated |
| League | Emperor's Cup |
J. League Cup | Shakaijin Cup | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Div. | Tier | Teams | Pos. | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||||
| Hitachi Tochigi Soccer Club | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Kanto Division 2 |
5 | 8 | 6th | 14 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 25 | 55 | -30 | 12 | Did not qualify | Not eligible | - | |
| 2004 | 4th | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 24 | 19 | 5 | 21 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2005 | 3rd | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 18 | 10 | 25 | 1st round | ||||||
| Hitachi Tochigi Uva SC | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Kanto Division 2 |
5 | 8 | 2nd | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 35 | 18 | 17 | 30 | Did not qualify | Not eligible | – | |
| 2007 | Kanto Division 1 |
4 | 8 | 2nd | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 33 | 17 | 16 | 27 | Did not qualify | |||
| 2008 | 2nd | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 24 | 19 | 5 | 26 | 3rd round | ||||||
| 2009 | 2nd | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 30 | 16 | 14 | 31 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| Tochigi Uva | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Japan Football League |
3 | 18 | 15th | 34 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 41 | 75 | -34 | 31 | 1st round | – | Ineligible | |
| 2011 | 17 | 10th | 33 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 40 | 43 | -3 | 45 | 2nd round | |||||
| 2012 | 17 | 17th | 32 | 4 | 10 | 18 | 36 | 70 | -34 | 22 | Did not qualify | |||||
| 2013 | 18 | 17th | 34 | 9 | 3 | 22 | 34 | 64 | -32 | 30 | 2nd round | |||||
| 2014 | 4 | 14 | 13th | 26 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 16 | 37 | -21 | 19 | 1st round | ||||
| 2015 | 16 | 16th | 30 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 29 | 61 | -32 | 19 | 1st round | |||||
| 2016 | 16 | 15th | 30 | 5 | 1 | 24 | 34 | 77 | -43 | 16 | 1st round | |||||
| 2017 | 16 | 16th | 30 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 22 | 56 | -34 | 24 | 2nd round | |||||
| 2018 | Kantō Soccer League Division 1 |
5 | 10 | 1st | 18 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 14 | 36 | 52 | Did not qualify | |||
| Tochigi City FC | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Kantō Soccer League Division 1 | 5 | 10 | 3rd | 18 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 32 | 1st round | – | 2nd round | |
| 2020 † | 10 | 1st | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 6 | 19 | 23 | 1st round | Competition cancelled | ||||
| 2021 | 12 | 4th | 22 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 45 | 26 | 19 | 46 | 2nd round | |||||
| 2022 | 10 | 1st | 18 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 33 | 14 | 19 | 37 | Did not qualify | Quarter final | ||||
| 2023 | 10 | 2nd | 18 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 54 | 24 | 30 | 36 | 2nd round | 1st round | ||||
| 2024 | Japan Football League | 4 | 16 | 1st | 30 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 66 | 35 | 31 | 64 | 2nd round | Ineligible | ||
| 2025 | J3 League | 3 | 20 | 1st | 38 | 23 | 8 | 7 | 69 | 37 | 32 | 77 | Did not qualify | 1st round | ||
| 2026 | J2 League | 2 | 10 | TBD | 18 | 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
- † Number of games played reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
References
- ^ mainichi.jp
- ^ sankei.com
- ^ "2025シーズン Ｊ３クラブライセンス交付のお知らせ" (Press release). 栃木シティFC. 2024-09-25. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ "Ｊリーグ入会（Ｊ３）について：Ｊリーグ公式サイト（J.LEAGUE.jp）". Ｊリーグ.jp（日本プロサッカーリーグ） (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-11-17.
- ^ "Ｊ３昇格決定のお知らせ" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-11-17.
- ^ "2025シーズン 年間対戦カード決定のお知らせ" (in Japanese). 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ^ "2026特別シーズン Ｊ２クラブライセンス交付のお知らせ". 栃木シティFC OfficialSite (in Japanese). 25 September 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
- ^ "栃木シティを応援いただくすべての皆さまへ". 栃木シティFC OfficialSite (in Japanese). 23 November 2025. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
- ^ "Grape picking in Ohira, Tochigi". visit-tochigi.com. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ "Tochigi City FC". Tochigi City FC. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
- ^ "Club staff 2025". tochigi-city.com. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
External links
- Official website (in Japanese)
- Tochigi Uva FC U-15 U-12 Football School (archived)