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FC Tokyo on Tuesday announced that the club will begin donning the “&TOKYO” logo on their kits this season. Established by the Tokyo metropolitan government in 2015, “&TOKYO” was created to promote Tokyo as a globally-recognised brand ahead of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The MEIJI YASUDA J1 League side will p…

Sagan Tosu will officially announce the club’s new players in a ceremony at Best Amenity Stadium on January 24, the club announced on Tuesday. Fans will have an opportunity to take photos with the players at the event, which will also feature players making traditional mochi (Japanese rice cakes) and a first look at the club’s new uniform for…

The match schedule for the 2016 AFC Champions League has been finalised, with as many as four Japanese clubs set to compete for continental glory. 2015 MEIJI YASUDA J.League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima will be joined by Emperor’s Cup winners Gamba Osaka and First Stage winners Urawa Reds in the group stage. Meanwhile, FC Tokyo can qualify for …

Japan’s “Young Samurai” entered the knockout tournament of the AFC Under-23 Championship in good form on Monday with a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in the third and final group stage game. With a first-place group finish already in hand, head coach Makoto Teguramori fielded an experimental lineup with 10 changes from Japan’s 4-0 win …

Kashiwa Reysol on Friday announced the departure of Daisuke Suzuki, with the defender citing the need for a new challenge. The 25-year-old Tokyo native spent three years with the club, scoring three goals in 34 MEIJI YASUDA J1 League appearances last season. “I came to this decision as a result of a strong desire to challenge myself in a new env…

Ahead of the January 28th release of the complete 2016 MEIJI YASUDA J1 League fixture schedule, the J.League has announced its calendar of key dates for the upcoming campaign. The league announced last week that the first stage of the J1 will take place between February 27 and June 25, with the second stage beginning on July 2 and concluding on the Novem…

Midfielder Mu Kanazaki is hopeful of playing for Kashima Antlers again one day, after returning to his parent club of Portimonense SC on Monday. The 26-year-old spent a season and a half at the Portuguese second-division club, scoring 16 goals in 47 appearances before being loaned to Antlers in early 2015.  Kanazaki quickly re-established himself…

Kashiwa Reysol striker Masato Kudo will join Major League Soccer side Vancouver Whitecaps pending a medical, the club have confirmed. The 25-year-old spent his entire career at the club, rising from Reysol’s Under-12 side to the first team, where he spent seven seasons and became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer with 56 goals from 162 M…

Coaching staff from FC Tokyo arrived in Indonesia this week to work with players at Pertamina Soccer School. The coaches will work with Under-18 and Under-16 players in Jakarta until January 17, before returning again in February and March. The event was co-sponsored by the J.League and the Japan Foundation, who have partnered with the Japan Football …

Coaching staff from Yokohama F. Marinos flew to Thailand last week to work with players from club partner Suphanburi FC’s youth academy. The event was co-sponsored by the J.League and the Japan Foundation, who have partnered with the Japan Football Association to help raise the level of play and coaching in Southeast Asia. These activities fall …

Yokohama FC fans can look forward to Southeast Asian talent with the arrival of Vietnamese midfielder Nguyen Tuan Anh, who is “honoured” to play in Japan. The 20-year-old’s one-year loan was announced by the club in December as part of their newly-formed relationship with V-League side HAGL FC. Anh, who has represented Vietnam at und…

The signing of Vietnamese striker Nguyen Cong Phuong to Mito Hollyhock could be the beginning of a shift towards a new model for J.League clubs looking to expand into Southeast Asia.  The 20-year-old known as the “Vietnamese Messi” will join the MEIJI YASUDA J2 League side on a one-season loan from HAGL FC. His arrival is the latest deve…

Vissel Kobe have added some international experience to their backline in South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, who is “overflowing with excitement” about the move. The 25-year-old, who arrives on a full transfer from K-League side Ulsan Hyundai, has 17 caps for his nation and participated in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Vissel opted to intro…

Kashiwa Reysol confirmed the return of promising goalkeeper Kosuke Nakamura following the end of his one-year loan spell at Avispa Fukuoka. The 20-year-old played 20 games for the Kyushu side in their J1 Promotion Playoff-winning campaign, which will see them return to the top flight this season for the first time since 2011. “I want to work har…

Kyoto Sanga goalkeeper Takanori Sugeno wants promotion and then a title charge from his new club, after arriving from Kashiwa Reysol on a full transfer. The 31-year-old spent eight seasons between the posts in Kashiwa, helping his old club win the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League, Emperor’s Cup and Yamasaki Nabisco Cup during his stint there. And Sugeno h…

Kashima Antlers on Tuesday announced the arrival of goalkeeper Masatoshi Kushibiki on a one-year loan from Shimizu S-Pulse. The 22-year-old, who made 10 appearances in the 2015 MEIJI YASUDA J1 League during S-Pulse’s ill-fated campaign, was recently selected for Japan’s AFC Under-23 Championship squad. “It’s an honour to play a…

New Shonan Bellmare midfielder Paulinho is ambitiously after AFC Champions League qualification after arriving on a one-year loan from JEF United Chiba. The 26-year-old has previously played for Kawasaki Frontale as well as Tochigi SC, first setting foot on Japanese soil with the latter in 2010. Paulinho scored twice in 36 second tier appearances last…

Urawa Reds have agreed to terms with Slovenian defender Branko Ilic, the club announced on Wednesday. The 32-year-old, who has 64 caps for his country’s national team, most recently played for 2015-16 UEFA Champions League participants Astana. Mihailo Petrovic is eager to strengthen the Reds’ backline after witnessing more collapses this t…

Cristiano has vowed to return to Kashiwa Reysol one day, after the club concluded the forward’s loan from Ventforet Kofu on Tuesday. The Brazilian was explosive at Kashiwa Stadium this season, scoring 14 goals in 34 MEIJI YASUDA J1 League matches. Cristiano was pivotal as well in the side’s cup clashes, with his hat-trick in the Emperor&rs…

Japanese champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima have announced the transfer of striker Takumi Miyayoshi from Kyoto Sanga. The 23-year-old scored four goals from 33 appearances in Sanga’s 2015 MEIJI YASUDA J2 League campaign. Miyayoshi also added to his overall tally with two goals in two Emperor’s Cup fixtures as well, and will now add options to a…