is a Japanese professional football club based in Kagoshima, Capital of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. That was formed from the merger of Volca Kagoshima and FC Kagoshima. Both clubs played in the Kyushu Soccer League before the merger. Their top team is set to play in the J3 League from 2025, Japanese third tier of professional league football after relegation from J2 in 2024. Their secondary team plays in the Kagoshima Prefectural League as Kagoshima United FC SECOND.
History
Origins (1959–2013) Volca Kagoshima was established in 1959 as Kagoshima Teachers' Soccer Club. The club was a founding member of the Kyushu Soccer League in 1973. Since the league's inception, the club had always played in this league and never be relegated to the Prefectural Leagues until the merge with FC Kagoshima in 2014. They advanced to the Regional League promotion series five times, but never succeeded to promote to the upper tier, Japan Football League, known as the highest level for amateur club football in the country. The club changed the name from Kagoshima Teachers to Volca Kagoshima in 1995.
FC Kagoshima was established in 1994 as an affiliated club of the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya. They were promoted to the Kyushu Soccer League as early as 2004 and changed the name to Osumi NIFS United FC.
Both of Volca and NIFS have been seeking the way to promote to the JFL separately. The idea of a merged club of Volca and FC Kagoshima (renamed from NIFS in 2010) had been discussed by the Kagoshima Prefectural Football Association as early as 2012, however, it was failed to reach an agreement at that time. Although Volca and FC Kagoshima had applied for J.League Associate Membership separately, both sides restarted their talk about the merger, then finally agreed with merging their clubs to aim promotion to the J.League, in response of the advisory by the J.League organization. As both clubs had advanced to the final round of the Regional League promotion series in 2013, the merged club earned the promotion to the JFL of 2014.
Kagoshima United (2014–) The two clubs, Volca Kagoshima and FC Kagoshima, were merged in 2014 to form Kagoshima United. In November 2015, after finishing promotion zone in 2015, they received J.League license to participate in the J3 League.
In 2018, Kagoshima United was promoted to the J2 League for the first time in history from 2019 after five years at the J3.
In 2019, Kagoshima United was instantly relegated back to the J3, after a 21st-place finish in their J3 debut season.
On 2 December 2023, Kagoshima United secure promotion to J2 League from 2024 after draw against Gainare Tottori 1–1 and back to second tier after 4 years since 2019.
On 27 October 2024, Kagoshima United officially relegated to J3 League after defeat from V-Varen Nagasaki 4-1 and ending one year in second tier.
Rivalries The traditional rival of Kagoshima United is Roasso Kumamoto, the prefectural neighbours and former Kyushu Soccer League fellows since 1983 until 2005, except 2001–2002. Matches between the two clubs are labelled Hisatsu derby (肥薩ダービー, "Kumamoto-Kagoshima derby") and generate a lot of interest in both prefectures.
League & cup record ChampionsRunners-upThird placePromotedRelegated LeagueJ. League CupEmperor's CupSeason Div. Teams Tier Pos. P W D L F A GD Pts Attendance/G As Kagoshima United2014JFL 14 43rd 26 18 3 5 45 19 26 57 1,825 Not eligible 2nd round201516 3rd 30 18 6 6 46 25 21 60 2,624 1st round2016J3 16 35th 30 15 5 10 39 29 10 50 3,665 1st round201717 4th 32 17 4 11 49 37 12 55 3,508 2nd round201817 2nd 32 16 9 7 46 35 11 57 4,040 2nd round2019J2 22 221st 42 11 7 24 41 73 -32 40 5,783 2nd round2020 †J3 18 34th 34 18 4 12 55 43 12 58 2,214 Did not qualify2021 †15 7th 28 11 7 10 34 35 -1 40 3,737 2nd round202218 3rd 34 21 3 10 55 39 16 66 4,740 2nd round202320 2nd 38 18 8 12 58 41 17 62 5,567 1st round2024J2 2 19th 38 7 9 22 35 59 -24 30 6,596 2nd round 2nd round2025J3 3 5th 38 18 12 8 69 44 25 66 6,860 1st round 2nd round202610 TBD 18 N/A N/A2026-2720 TBD 38 TBD TBD
Key
Honours Volca Kagoshima (1959–2013) FC Kagoshima (1994–2013) Kagoshima United (2014–)
+Kagoshima United FC honoursHonour No. YearsKyushu Soccer League41974, 1986, 2012, 2013Kagoshima Prefectural Football Championship and Emperor's Cup Kagoshima Prefectural Qualifiers92014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018,2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
League history Regional (Kyushu): 1973–2013 Division 4 (JFL): 2014–2015 Division 3 (J3): 2016–2018 Division 2 (J2): 2019 Division 3 (J3): 2020–2023 Division 2 (J2): 2024 Division 3 (J3): 2025–
Current squad .
Out on loan
Coaching staff KUFC Coaching staff for 2025. Position Name Manager Naoki Soma Coaches Naotsugu Obata Daisuke Asahi Naoaki Morinaga Goalkeeper coach Masataka Sasaki Physical coach Yuki Shimizu Chief trainer Tomoaki Mikiya Trainer Ryuki Takee Sota Watanabe Interpreter & Chief manager Tsuyoshi Tame General manager Sena Abematsu Suguru Shibahara
Managerial history Manager Nationality Tenure Start Finish Takeshi Okubo 1 February 2014 31 January 2015Tetsuya Asano 1 January 2015 31 December 2016Yasutoshi Miura 1 January 2017 31 January 2019Kim Jong-song 1 February 2019 31 January 2021Arthur Papas 1 February 2021 28 May 2021Yasuaki Ōshima 28 May 2021 3 July 2021Nobuhiro Ueno 4 July 2021 31 January 2022Naoto Otake 1 February 2022 22 August 2023Yasuaki Oshima 23 August 2023 26 May 2024Tetsuya Asano 28 May 2024 present
Crest and colours The club crest has the illustrations of Sakurajima and Kagoshima Bay, both symbolize Kagoshima Prefecture, on its background design, with red colour, which represents Volca, and light blue colour, represents FC Kagoshima.
Kit evolution Kagoshima United's club colours are white and navy. Home kit – 1st
Away kit – 2nd
References
External links