Fagiano Okayama

Fagiano Okayama (ファジアーノ岡山, Fajiāno Okayama) is a Japanese football club based in Okayama, the capital of Okayama Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country.

Fagiano Okayama
ファジアーノ岡山

Full name	Fagiano Okayama
Nickname(s)	Fagi (ファジ)
Founded	2004; 21 years ago (2004)
Stadium	JFE Harenokuni Stadium Okayama, Okayama
Capacity	15,479 [1]
Chairman	Shinya Kitagawa
Manager	Takashi Kiyama
League	J1 League
2024	J2 League, 5th of 20 (promoted via play-offs)
Website	fagiano-okayama.com
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Name origin

Fagiano (Italian: fagiano, lit. 'pheasant') 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.

History

They were formed in 1975 after the old Kawasaki Steel Mizushima F.C. moved to Kobe, who are now Vissel Kobe.

The old boys of the club formed a new club which they called the "River Free Kickers" (RFK). For years thereafter the club played in the prefectural league. In 2003, they assumed the name Fagiano Okayama and began rising in the ranks.

In 2005, Fagiano Okayama were promoted into the Chugoku Regional 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 courtesy of winning the first place in the regional playoff games.

In 2008, they secured 4th place in the last JFL match week, thereby qualifying for J.League Division 2 promotion below Tochigi SC and Kataller Toyama. On 1 December 2008, promotion was made official by J.League and Okayama competed in J.League Division 2 for the first time in their history from 2009 season.

On 7 December 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 J2 League.

Their main sponsor is Okayama Gas and their back sponsor is the Sanyo Shinbun, a local newspaper in Okayama.^[2]

Stadiums

Their home stadium is JFE Harenokuni Stadium in Okayama City, though some home matches are played at Tsuyama Stadium, in Tsuyama.

Training grounds are Masada Soccer Stadium and Prefecture Kanzakiyama Park Athletics Stadium, both are in Okayama City.^[3]

League and cup record

Champions

Runners-up

Third place

Promoted

Relegated

League													J. League Cup	Emperor's Cup
Season	Div.	Teams	Pos.	P	W(PKW)	D	L(PKL)	F	A	GD	Pts	Attendance/G
2005	Chūgoku League	7	2nd	12	9(0)	0	2(1)	37	13	24	28		Not eligible	Did not qualify
2006		8	1st	14	11(1)	0	2	62	16	46	35
2007			1st	17	17	0	0	87	4	83	51
2008	JFL	18	4th	34	17	9	8	63	43	20	39	3,665		3rd round
2009	J2		18th	51	8	12	31	40	54	-44	60	6,164		2nd round
2010		19	17th	36	8	8	20	27	51	-24	32	7,161		2nd round
2011		20	13th	38	13	9	16	43	58	-15	48	7,258		3rd round
2012		22	8th	42	17	14	11	41	34	7	65	7,985		3rd round
2013			12th	42	13	17	12	52	48	4	56	8,574		3rd round
2014			8th	42	15	16	11	52	48	4	64	8,404		2nd round
2015			11th	42	12	18	12	40	35	5	54	8,412		1st round
2016			6th	42	17	14	11	58	44	14	65	10,017		3rd round
2017			13th	42	13	16	13	44	49	-5	55	9,471		3rd round
2018			15th	42	14	11	17	39	43	-4	53	8,599		2nd round
2019			9th	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 qualify
2021 †			11th	42	15	14	13	40	36	4	59	4,153		3rd round
2022			3rd	42	20	12	10	61	42	19	72	7,065		2nd round
2023			10th	42	13	19	10	49	49	0	58	8,495		3rd round
2024		20	5th	38	17	14	7	48	29	19	65	9,188	2nd Round	2nd round
2025	J1		TBD	38									1st round	2nd round

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
• Attendance/G = Average league home attendance
• † 2020 & 2021 seasons attendance reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
• Source: J.League Data Site

Honours

Fagiano Okayama honours

Honour	No.	Years
Okayama Football League 1	3	2001, 2003, 2004
Chugoku Football League	2	2006, 2007
Japanese Regional Leagues	1	2007
J2 League Promotion play-off winner	1	2024

Current squad

As of 2 August 2025^[update]. ^[4] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  JPN Yūgo Tatsuta 3 MF  JPN Kaito Fujii 4 DF  JPN Kaito Abe 5 DF  JPN Yasutaka Yanagi (vice-captain) 7 MF  JPN Ryō Takeuchi (captain) 8 MF  JPN Ataru Esaka (vice-captain) 13 GK  JPN Junki Kanayama 14 MF  JPN Ryo Tabei (vice-captain) 15 DF  JPN Kōta Kudō (on loan from Urawa Red Diamonds) 16 MF  JPN Yoko Iesaka 17 MF  JPN Rui Sueyoshi 18 DF  JPN Daichi Tagami 19 MF  JPN Hiroto Iwabuchi 21 GK  JPN Kohei Kawakami 22 FW  JPN Kazunari Ichimi 23 MF  JPN Riku Saga 24 MF  JPN Ibuki Fujita 26 MF  JPN Haruka Motoyama (on loan from Vissel Kobe)

No. Pos. Nation Player 27 MF  JPN Takaya Kimura 28 MF  JPN Masaya Matsumoto 30 FW  JPN Kanshiro Suemune Type 2 31 DF  JPN Ryo Senda Type 2 33 MF  JPN Yūta Kamiya 35 FW  JPN Aura Takahashi 39 MF  JPN Ryunosuke Sato (on loan from FC Tokyo) 41 MF  JPN Eiji Miyamoto (on loan from Albirex Niigata) 43 DF  JPN Yoshitake Suzuki 45 MF  JPN Noah Kenshin Browne 49 GK  GER Svend Brodersen 50 DF  JPN Hijiri Katō 77 GK  JPN Goro Kawanami 88 DF  JPN Takahiro Yanagi 98 FW  BRA Werik Popó (on loan from Red Bull Bragantino) 99 FW  BRA Lucão

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.

No. Pos. Nation Player 6 MF  JPN Yūji Wakasa (at Renofa Yamaguchi) 11 FW  JPN Ryunosuke Ota (at Tochigi SC) 20 DF  JPN Seiga Sumi (at Tampines Rovers) 29 FW  JPN Keita Saitō (at Tochigi City)

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  JPN Yota Fujii (at Kamatamare Sanuki) — MF  JPN Yūdai Tanaka (at Ventforet Kofu) — MF  JPN Koju Yoshio (at Kagoshima United)

Coaching officials

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

Managerial history

League games only

Manager	Nationality	Tenure		Managerial Record
		From	To	P	W	D	L	W%
Satoshi Tezuka	Japan	1 January 2007	31 January 2010	55	12	12	31	021.82
Masanaga Kageyama	Japan	1 February 2010	31 December 2014	200	66	64	70	033.00
Tetsu Nagasawa	Japan	1 February 2015	31 January 2019	168	56	59	53	033.33
Kenji Arima	Japan	1 February 2019	31 January 2022	126	45	39	42	035.71
Takashi Kiyama	Japan	1 February 2022	Current	0	0	0	0	!—

Key

• Source: J.League Data Site

Colour, sponsors and manufacturers

Season(s)	Main Shirt Sponsor	Collarbone Sponsor		Additional Sponsor(s)					Kit Manufacturer
2016	GROP	Before the ban is lifted		un.deux	Before the ban is lift	Okayama Shinkin	Sanyo Shimbun	Before the ban is lifted	Penalty
2017					Halows
2018		-	-
2019
2020								-
2021					Asahi HD
2022					Okanetsu			Bisho
2023
2024		Healthy Home	SERIO				Stocking
2025							Sanyo Shimbun

Kit evolution

Home Kit - 1st
2008 - 2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
2024	2025 -

Away Kit - 2nd
2008 - 2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
2024	2025 -