Kashiwa Reysol

Kashiwa Reysol (柏レイソル, Kashiwa Reisoru) is a Japanese professional football club based in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The club currently plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier league in the country. Their home stadium is Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium, also known as "Hitachidai". Reysol is a portmanteau of the Spanish words Rey and Sol, meaning "Sun King". The name alludes to their parent company Hitachi, whose name means "rising sun" in Japanese.

The club was formed in 1940 and was a founding member ("Original Eight"^[a]) of the Japan Soccer League (JSL) in 1965. Since the league's inception, they have spent the majority of their existence in the top tier of Japanese football. They have managed to win 1 J1 League title, 2 J2 League title, 3 Emperor's Cups, 2 J.League Cup and 1 Japanese Super Cup. The club also won the J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship in 2014. Internationally, Kashiwa has made an appearance in the FIFA Club World Cup with their only appearance coming in the 2011 edition.

The club started in 1939 and was officially formed as the company team, Hitachi, Ltd. Soccer Club in 1940 in Kodaira, Tokyo. The club formed the Japan Soccer League (JSL) in 1965, along with today's Urawa Reds, JEF United Chiba, Cerezo Osaka, Sanfrecce Hiroshima and three other clubs ("Original Eight").^[1] They had some successes during the mid-1970s, winning Emperor's Cups and JSL titles and contributing several players to the Japanese national team.

The club relocated from Kodaira to Kashiwa in 1986, but it took a while to adapt to the new town, as they were relegated to the JSL Division 2 at end of the 1986.^[3] They made it back to the top flight in 1989–90, but dropped back in 1990–91 and returned again in 1991–92.^[1] As the J.League was formed while they were not strong enough, the club abandoned any attempt to once again be a founding member of the newly formed professional league. Instead, the club joined the Japan Football League Division 1 in 1992, the second tier of the Japanese football hierarchy at the time, below the J.League.

The club changed its name to Kashiwa Reysol in 1993. Reysol added Brazil national team player Careca to their squad in the autumn of this year with the aim of winning the JFL champion and winning promotion to the J1 League.^[1] The club struggled in the 1993 season. However, with the help of Careca and Brazilian manager Zé Sérgio, they secured the 2nd place in the JFL in 1994, earning promotion to the top league. Reysol debuted in the J1 League in 1995. In 1998, they welcomed Akira Nishino, the former manager of Japan's olympic team as their new manager, along with Bulgarian national team player Hristo Stoichkov.

In 1999, South Korean national team player, Hong Myung-bo was added to the squad. The team went on to win the J.League Cup in 1999 beating Kashima Antlers 5–4 on penalties to win their first ever major honours as Kashiwa Reysol.^[4]

However, their next manager, Englishman Steve Perryman, unsettled the team and the club struggled over the next several seasons. After finishing at the 16th place out of 18 clubs in 2005, the club lost the J.League promotion / relegation series against Ventforet Kofu, the 3rd placed team in the J2 League that year, and was relegated to the J2 League.^[5]

A new manager, Nobuhiro Ishizaki, led an almost entirely new squad in 2006 and the club secured automatic promotion to the J1 League in the last game of the season.^[6]

Kashiwa Reysol was relegated again at the end of the 2009 season after sitting in the relegation zone thus playing in the J2 League. However, in the 2010 season, Kashiwa Reysol won the J2 League led by Brazilian manager Nelsinho Baptista returned to the top flight after staying one season in the second division. Kashiwa Reysol then shockingly went on to win the J1 League on their first season back in the J1 League in the 2011 season with a squad stacked with talented footballers such as Hiroki Sakai, Junya Tanaka, Jorge Wagner and Leandro Domingues, and became the first Japanese club to win the second tier and the top tier back to back.^[b][7] Kashiwa Reysol then qualified for the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup as the host nation's league champion where they went on to defeat 2010–11 OFC Champions League winner Auckland City and 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League winner Monterrey before eventually losing to the 2011 Copa Libertadores winner Santos in the semi-final. The club then played their last match for third place against 2011 AFC Champions League winner Al Sadd but lost 5–3 on penalties.

In 2012, Kashiwa make their debut in the AFC Champions League where they were drawn in Group H alongside Thailand club Buriram United, Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande. Kashiwa went on to finished with 10 points alongside Guangzhou Evergrande but advanced to the round of 16 as runners-up due to their head to head record. In the round of 16, Kashiwa faced another Korean club Ulsan Hyundai but eventually lost 3–2 thus going out from the competition. However, Kashiwa continued their strong form in 2012 by winning the Emperor's Cup, defeating Gamba Osaka in the final with Hirofumi Watanabe scoring the only goal in the match to seal the victory for Kashiwa Reysol where the victory also qualified the club for the 2013 AFC Champions League. Kashiwa also went on to win the 2012 Japanese Super Cup.

In 2013, Kashiwa had a good run in the AFC Champions League where they were drawn in Group H alongside Chinese club Guizhou Renhe, Australian club Central Coast Mariners and Korean club Suwon Samsung Bluewings. The club went on to top the group with 14 points thus advancing to the round of 16 where they would face another Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors where Kashiwa went on to win 5–2 on aggregate to advance to the quarter-finals against Saudi Arabian club Al Shabab. However, both leg resulted in a 3–3 draw on aggregate but fortunately sees Kashiwa advance to the semi-finals due to the away goals rule. In the semi-finals, Kashiwa faced Guangzhou Evergrande but the club was thrashed 8–1 on aggregate thus knocking out from the tournament. Kashiwa then went on to win the season by winning the 2013 J.League Cup. Kashiwa then went on the win the Suruga Bank Championship in 2014.

In 2018, Kashiwa long stay in the top division came to an end when the club finished in the relegation zone in the 2018 season, resulting in relegation to the J2 League for the first time since 2010. Kashiwa responded strongly to relegation the following season. Under Brazilian manager Nelsinho Baptista, who returned to helms the club guided them to dominated the J2 League in the 2019 season. Kashiwa then won the league title and secured immediate promotion back to the J1 League.

The 2020 season marked the club’s return to the top flight, where they finished in the upper half of the table, demonstrating a successful rebuilding process. The team’s attacking style and reliance on young players helped establish stability following their promotion.

By the 2025 season, Kashiwa had re-emerged as one of the strongest sides in the league. Throughout the season, the club mounted a serious challenge for the league title and remained near the top of the standings for much of the campaign. The league titles race ultimately went down to the final matchday, with Kashiwa competing closely with Kashima Antlers. Although Kashiwa finished as runners-up after a narrow points difference, the season represented the club’s strongest league performance since their historic title victory in 2011 and signaled a return to the continental tournament where the club qualified to the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite.

Kashiwa Reysol's anthem is 'We Are Reysol', which is sung by anime singer Hironobu Kageyama. The song released in 1994, the same year Reysol got promoted to J1.

Historically, Kashiwa Reysol's fiercest rivals have been JEF United Chiba and the Urawa Reds, both close neighbors. The three were co-founders of the Japan Soccer League (JSL) in 1965, and spent most seasons in the top tier through the JSL era. Because of their former parent companies' headquarters all being based in Marunouchi, Tokyo, the three clubs were known as the Marunouchi Gosanke (丸の内御三家, "Marunouchi Big Three") and fixtures among them were known as the Marunouchi derbies.

Reysol and JEF United Chiba first met in 1941 in the ancient Kanto regional football league. The two clubs are both now based in Chiba Prefecture, and their rivalry is known as the Chiba derby. They play a pre-season friendly match every year, popularly known as the Chibagin Cup (i.e., Chiba Bank Cup) since 1995.

Reysol also has a rivalry with Kashima Antlers (commonly called Tonegawa clásico), FC Tokyo (commonly called Kanamachi derby) and Omiya Ardija (commonly called Nodasen derby).

Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium is the home ground of Kashiwa Reysol. Located in the city of Kashiwa, the stadium has served as the club’s primary venue since its opening in 1985. The stadium has a seating capacity of approximately 15,000 spectators and is known for its compact design, which places fans close to the pitch and creates an intense atmosphere during matches.

Originally opened as Hitachi Kashiwa Soccer Stadium, the venue was historically associated with the club’s parent company Hitachi, which founded the team. Over the years, the stadium underwent several renovations to modernize its facilities and meet professional football standards. In 2018, the stadium’s naming rights were acquired by Sankyo Frontier, leading to its current name.

The stadium is widely regarded as one of the most atmospheric venues in the J1 League due to its steep stands and proximity to the field. It has hosted numerous domestic league matches, cup fixtures, and continental games in the AFC Champions League.

Kashiwa Reysol's main colour is yellow, like sunshine that is based on the club's name "Sun King". The uniform is yellow-black (called Aurinegro in Spanish) reminiscent of Peñarol or Borussia Dortmund. Reysol is the only top division club in the country to wear yellow-black.

As of 27 February 2026.^[8]

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

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

As of 2026.

As both Hitachi SC (1939–1992) and Kashiwa Reysol (1993–present)

Key

• Division 1 (JSL): 1965–1971 (as Hitachi SC)
• Division 1 (JSL Div. 1): 1972 to 1986–87
• Division 2 (JSL Div. 2): 1987–88 to 1988–89
• Division 1 (JSL Div. 1): 1989–90
• Division 2 (JSL Div. 2): 1990–91
• Division 1 (JSL Div. 1): 1991–92
• Division 2 (former JFL Div. 1): 1992–1993
• Division 2 (former JFL): 1994 (as Kashiwa Reysol)
• Division 1 (J.League): 1995–1998
• Division 1 (J1): 1999–2005
• Division 2 (J2): 2006
• Division 1 (J1): 2007–2009
• Division 2 (J2): 2010
• Division 1 (J1): 2011–2018
• Division 2 (J2): 2019
• Division 1 (J1): 2020–present

• Official website (in Japanese)
• Official website (in English)
• Official website (in Spanish)
• Kashiwa Reysol at FIFA.com (archived 8 December 2011)