is a Japanese football club based in Okayama, the capital of Okayama Prefecture. The club currently plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country.
History
Foundation and early development (1975–2008) The origins of the club trace back to 1975 with the establishment of Kawasaki Steel MizushimaFC, who then moved to Kobe and formed a new identity; that side is now known as Vissel Kobe. Former players still in Okayama formed a new club called the River Free Kickers (RFK).
As Fagiano Okayama Following structural changes within the club and the broader development of professional football in Japan, the team was reorganised in the early 2000s as part of efforts to establish a professional club representing Okayama Prefecture. In 2004, the club adopted the name Fagiano Okayama. The name Fagiano comes from the Italian word for pheasant, a bird associated with the folklore and symbolism of the Okayama region. The club continued its development through the regional league system and gained promotion to the Japan Football League, the highest amateur tier at the time. After strong performances and meeting the licensing requirements for professional football, Fagiano Okayama secured entry into the professional league structure.
In 2005, Fagiano Okayama were promoted into the Chūgoku Soccer League. In July 2007, Fagiano became the first club ever to attain the J.League Associate Membership while still playing in a division below the JFL. On 2 December 2007, Fagiano gained promotion to the JFL after winning first place in the regional playoff games.
Entry into J.League (2009) In 2008, Fagiano secured 4th place in the last JFL match week, thereby qualifying for J.League Division2 promotion below Tochigi SC and Kataller Toyama. On 1 December 2008, the promotion was made official by J.League, and Okayama competed in J.League Division2 for the first time in their history from 2009 season.
In 2009, Fagiano Okayama joined the J2League for the first time, marking the club’s debut in the professional divisions of the J.League. The step up to the national professional level proved challenging, and the club finished near the bottom of the table in its inaugural season.
Despite the early struggles, participation in the J2League represented a significant milestone for football in Okayama Prefecture, establishing the club as the region’s representative in the national professional league system.
Establishing stability in J2 (2010–2019) During the 2010s, Fagiano Okayama gradually established themselves as a competitive club in the J2League. The team improved its performances season by season and began to challenge for promotion places.
One of the club's most notable seasons came in 2016 when Fagiano finished in the top six of the J2 standings and qualified for the promotion play-offs for the first time in their history. Although they were unable to secure promotion to the J1League, the season marked a major step forward for the club.
Throughout the decade, Fagiano built a reputation for developing domestic players and maintaining strong support within Okayama Prefecture.
Continued growth and promotion ambitions (2020–present) In the early 2020s, Fagiano Okayama continued to compete in the J2League while pursuing their ambition of reaching the top division. The club remained competitive in the league and continued to strengthen its organisational structure and youth development programmes.
On 7December 2024, Fagiano Okayama secured promotion to the J1 League for the first time in their history after defeating Vegalta Sendai 2–0 in the promotion play-off final, ending their 16-year stay in the J2League. They placed 13th out of 20 in the 2025 season and 11th in the abbreviated J1 100 Year Vision League in early 2026.
Team image
Name origin Fagiano () is a reference to the pheasant that was a companion of local legend character Momotarō.
Their mascot Fagimaru is based on the specific species native to Japan, the green pheasant.
Rivalries
Setouchi Rivalry Fagiano Okayama also shares a local rivalry with Kamatamare Sanuki. The clubs are located on opposite sides of the Seto Inland Sea and have faced each other frequently in the J2 League and lower divisions.
The rivalry is driven largely by geographic proximity and regional pride, with supporters from both sides traveling across the Seto Inland Sea region to attend matches. Encounters between the clubs are often seen as important fixtures for fans in the surrounding areas.
Chūgoku Derby The main regional rivalry of Fagiano Okayama is with neighbouring club Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Matches between the two sides are often referred to as the Chūgoku Derby, reflecting the geographic rivalry within the Chūgoku region.
Although both clubs have spent much of their history in the different divisions of the J.League, encounters between them are particularly in cup competitions such as the Emperor's Cup which have attracted strong regional interest. The rivalry represents competition between the prefectures of Okayama Prefecture and Hiroshima Prefecture.
Stadium
JFE Harenokuni Stadium is the home ground of Fagiano Okayama. The stadium is located in Okayama City and has a seating capacity of approximately 15,479 spectators. Opened in 2003, the venue is a multi-purpose stadium primarily used for football and athletics. It serves as the main home venue for Fagiano Okayama’s matches in the J.League competitions, including the J2 League, as well as domestic cup tournaments such as the Emperor's Cup. Fagiano formerly played at the Tsuyama Stadium in Tsuyama before moving to the current JFE Harenokuni Stadium.
Training grounds are at the Masada Soccer Stadium and Prefecture Kanzakiyama Park Athletics Stadium, both are in Okayama City.
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors Fagiano's main sponsor is Okayama Gas, and their back sponsor is the Sanyo Shinbun, a local newspaper in Okayama.
Season +PeriodKit manufacturerMain sponsors2004–2009 Ozaki Okayama Gas2010–2011 Penalty2012–present GROP
Kit evolution Home kit Away kit
Players
Current squad .
DSP DSP
DSP
Out on loan
Management and staff Club staff for 2025 season
Position Name Manager Takashi Kiyama Assistant manager Masanori Kizawa Yuki Kosaka Hiromasa Suguri Goalkeeper coach Hiroshi Yoshioka Physical coach Jun Sato Assistant coach Kenji Yamamoto Chief trainer Takahiro Chiba Trainer Tetsuya Furuta Takuya Tsuji Interpreter (Portuguese) Fernando Aizawa Interpreter (English) & Enhancement coach Kosuke Maruyama Chief manager Atsuki Shimada General affairs Nao Inamoto Fumikazu Sato
Honours +TypeHonoursTitlesSeasonLeagueJ2 League Promotion play-off winner12024Okayama Football League 132001, 2003, 2004Chugoku Football League22006, 2007Japanese Regional Leagues12007 Bold is for those competition that are currently active.
Records and statistics As of 2 April 2026. +Top 10 all-time appearancesRankPlayerYearsClub appearance1 Kohei Kiyama2007–2011, 2017–20232772 Kenji Sekido2012–20222493 Tadashi Takeda2008–20172414 Masahiko Sawaguchi2009–20182405 Keita Goto2010–2014, 2018–20212156 Ryo Tadokoro2009–20152127 Hirotsugu Nakabayashi2012–20162088 Makoto Mimura2011–20211879 Takaya Kimura2021–present18310 Takanori Chiaki2010–2015178 +Top 10 all-time goalscorerRankPlayerClub appearanceTotal goals1 Yuki Oshitani146443 Kohei Kiyama9127 Lee Yong-jae 2774 Hayato Nakama79235 Tiago Alves64228 Yasutaka Kobayashi3920 Yuta Toyokawa79 Satoki Uejō8410 Kengo Kawamata4018 Shingo Akamine155
Biggest wins: 13–0 vs Hitachi Kasado SC (3 June 2007) Heaviest defeats: 1–7 vs Ehime FC (12 June 2024) Youngest ever debutant: Hikaru Maeda ~ 17 years 7 months 14 days old (On 6 March 2024 vs Tegevajaro Miyazaki) Oldest ever player: Akira Kaji ~ 36 years 9 months 1 days old (On 14 October 2017 vs Mito HollyHock) Youngest goal scorers: Kaito Abe ~ 18 years 5 months 14 days old (On 4 March 2018 vs Tochigi SC) Oldest goal scorers: Akira Kaji ~ 36 years 3 months 3 days old (On 16 April 2025 vs Thespakusatsu Gunma)
Award winners As of the end of the 2025 season.
J.League Best XI:
J2 League
Jordy Buijs (2022) Svend Brodersen (2024)
Managerial history League games only Manager Nationality Tenure Managerial RecordFrom To P W D L W%Satoshi Tezuka 1 January 2007 31 January 2010Masanaga Kageyama 1 February 2010 31 December 2014Tetsu Nagasawa 1 February 2015 31 January 2019Kenji Arima 1 February 2019 31 January 2022Takashi Kiyama 1 February 2022 Current Key Source: J.League Data Site
Season by season record ChampionsRunners-upThird placePromotedRelegated League J. League CupEmperor'sCupSeason Div. Teams Pos. P W(PKW) D L(PKL)F A GD Pts Attendance/G 2005ChūgokuLeague7 2nd 12 9(0) 0 2(1) 37 13 24 28 Not eligible Did not qualify20068 1st14 11(1)0 2 62 16 46 35 20071st 17 17 0 0 87 4 83 51 2008JFL18 4th 34 17 9 8 63 43 20 39 3,665 3rd round2009J2 18th 51 8 12 31 40 54 -44 60 6,164 2nd round 201019 17th 36 8 8 20 27 51 -24 32 7,161 2nd round 201120 13th 38 13 9 16 43 58 -15 48 7,258 3rd round201222 8th 42 17 14 11 41 34 7 65 7,985 3rd round201312th 42 13 17 12 52 48 4 56 8,574 3rd round20148th 42 15 16 11 52 48 4 64 8,404 2nd round201511th 42 12 18 12 40 35 5 54 8,412 1st round 20166th 42 17 14 11 58 44 14 65 10,017 3rd round201713th 42 13 16 13 44 49 -5 55 9,471 3rd round 201815th 42 14 11 17 39 43 -4 53 8,599 2nd round20199th 42 18 11 13 49 47 2 65 9,444 3rd round 2020 †17th 42 12 14 16 39 49 -10 50 3,072 Did not qualify2021 †11th 42 15 14 13 40 36 4 59 4,153 3rd round20223rd 42 20 12 10 61 42 19 72 7,065 2nd round202310th 42 13 19 10 49 49 0 58 8,495 3rd round202420 5th 38 17 14 7 48 29 19 65 9,188 2nd Round 2nd round2025J1 13th 38 12 9 17 34 43 -9 45 14,534 1st round 2nd round2026J1 10 TBD18 N/A N/A2026-2720 TBD 38 TBD TBD Key
References
External links
Okayama 2014 Squad