Iwaki FC

Iwaki
いわきFC
Full nameIwaki Football Club
Founded2012 (2012)
GroundHawaiians Stadium Iwaki
Iwaki, Fukushima
Capacity5,600
ChairmanSatoshi Okura
ManagerYuzo Tamura
LeagueJ2 League
2025J2 League, 9th of 20
Websiteiwakifc.com

Iwaki FC (いわきFC, Iwaki Efushi) is a professional football club based in Iwaki, a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The club competes in the J2 League, the second tier of the Japanese football league system.

History

Foundation

Iwaki FC was founded in 2012, before getting official recognition in 2013 with the creation of their homonymous corporation.[1][2] The club name got more attention when Under Armour decided to support them in climbing the Japanese football pyramid from the bottom.[3] The vision behind the club’s formation, was an intention of "making Iwaki the central football-city in Tohoku".[4] In service of this, a new training field opened in November 2016 and the club-house was just launched in May 2017: two central structures necessary to rise to the top of Japanese football.[5][6]

Fukushima Prefectural Football League (2013–2017)

Results during this period supported Iwaki FC’s rise, as they won several titles in the Fukushima Prefectural Football League, eventually joining the first division. Their next target was the Tohoku Soccer League. Meanwhile, the club achieved their first win at the 23rd National Club Team Football Championship Tournament (winning by 9–0).[7] Iwaki FC also debuted at the Emperor's Cup in 2017 edition. After defeating Norbritz Hokkaido in the first round, they surprisingly overcame Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo by 5–2 after extra-time.[8] They lost against Shimizu S-Pulse in the third round.

Tohoku Soccer League (2018–2019)

First advancing to the Tohoku Soccer League in 2018, Iwaki FC earned promotion to the following year's JFL for the first time in 2019. The club won the All Japan Regional Promotion Series.

Japan Football League (JFL) (2020–2021)

Joining the Japan Football League for the 2020 season, in the 2021 season, Iwaki FC finished in first position in the JFL competition, earning promotion to the following year's J3 League.

J. League (2022–)

In the 2022 season, their first year in the J3 League, Iwaki FC received a J2 League license on 28 October 2022, and become eligible for promotion.[9] On 6 November, they were crowned the J3 League champions, earning promotion to the following year's J2 League. They secured the league title in the 32nd round, following a 3–0 win against Kagoshima United. Iwaki FC ended their 2022 season with 78 points from 34 matches. On 26 September 2023, Iwaki FC was declared to have met the requirements to obtain a license up to the J1 League.[10]

Stadium

Iwaki FC played at J-Village Stadium in Hirono during the 2022 J3 season. However, following their promotion to the J2 League, they now use Hawaiians Stadium Iwaki, located in Iwaki.

On 25 September 2025, Iwaki FC announce new stadium name Iwaki Stadium Labo. Construction has been start from November 2027 and complete in 2031.[11]

League and cup record

Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
League J. League
Cup		 Emperor's
Cup		 Shakaijin
Cup
Season Division Tier Teams Pos. P W D L F A GD Pts Attendance/G
2013 Fukushima Prefectural
Football League (Div. 3 West)[12][13]		 8 6 2nd 10 5 3 2 30 13 17 18 Not eligible
2014 9 5 3rd 8 3 1 4 17 15 2 10
2015 Fukushima Prefectural
Football League (Div. 3 East)[14]		 6 1st 10 10 0 0 41 9 32 30
2016 Fukushima Prefectural
Football League (Div. 2)[15]		 8 6 1st 10 10 0 0 93 1 92 30 Did not qualify Quarter final
2017 Fukushima Prefectural
Football League (Div. 1)[16]		 7 6 1st 10 10 0 0 93 0 93 30 3rd round 2nd round
2018 Tohoku Soccer
League (Div. 2 South)		 6 10 1st 18 18 0 0 139 12 127 54 1st round 3rd
2019 Tohoku Soccer
League (Div. 1)		 5 10 1st 18 15 3 0 82 14 68 48 1st round 3rd
2020 Japan Football
League		 4 16 7th 15 6 3 6 24 24 0 21 1,125 2nd round Not eligible
2021 17 1st 32 21 8 3 65 28 37 71 1,130 1st round
2022 J3 League 3 18 1st 34 23 7 4 72 23 49 76 2,174 Did not qualify
2023 J2 League 2 22 18th 42 12 11 19 45 69 -24 47 3,490 2nd round
2024 20 9th 38 15 9 14 53 41 12 54 4,290 2nd round 3rd round
2025 20 9th 38 15 11 12 55 44 11 56 4,371 1st round 2nd round
2026 10 TBD 18 N/A
2026–27 20 TBD 38 TBD TBD
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

Honours

Iwaki FC Honours
Honour No. Years
Fukushima Prefectural Adult Soccer League Division 3 East Block 1 2015
National Club Team Football Championship Tournament 2 2016, 2017
Fukushima Prefecture Adult Soccer League Division 2 1 2016
Fukushima Prefecture Adult Soccer League Division 1 1 2017
Fukushima Prefectural Football Championship
Emperor's Cup Fukushima Prefectural Qualifiers 		4 2017, 2018,
2019, 2021
Tohoku Adult Soccer League Division 2 South 1 2018
Tohoku Adult Soccer League Division 1 1 2019
Japanese Regional Football Champions League 1 2019
Japan Football League JFL 1 2021
J3 League 1 2022

Current squad

As of 18 August 2025.[17]

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
1 GK  JPN Yuki Hayasaka (on loan from Kawasaki Frontale)
2 DF  JPN Yusuke Ishida
3 DF  JPN Ryo Endo (captain)
4 DF  JPN Kazuki Dohana
5 DF  JPN Haruki Shirai (on loan from V-Varen Nagasaki)
6 MF  JPN Kanta Sakagishi
7 MF  JPN Nelson Ishiwatari (on loan from Cerezo Osaka)
8 MF  JPN Sosuke Shibata (on loan from Shonan Bellmare)
11 FW  JPN Keita Buwanika
13 MF  JPN Haruto Murakami
14 MF  JPN Daiki Yamaguchi
15 MF  JPN Naoki Kase
16 FW  JPN Taisei Kato
17 DF  JPN Yuto Yamada
19 MF  JPN Yusuke Onishi
20 MF  JPN Yuma Kato
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 GK  JPN Ryota Matsumoto
22 DF  JPN Jin Ikoma
23 GK  JPN Masato Sasaki (on loan from Kashiwa Reysol)
24 MF  JPN Yuto Yamashita
25 MF  JPN Fumiya Unoki (on loan from Kashiwa Reysol)
26 FW  JPN Iori Sakamoto
27 MF  JPN Atsuki Yamanaka
28 FW  KOR Kim Hyun-woo (on loan from Oita Trinita)
30 MF  JPN Shota Kofie (on loan from Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
32 DF  JPN Sena Igarashi
33 DF  KOR Hyun Woo-bin
34 MF  JPN Ruon Hisanaga DSP
35 DF  JPN Soichiro Fukaminato (on loan from Machida Zelvia)
38 FW  JPN Naoki Kumata (on loan from FC Tokyo)
39 GK  KOR Joo Hyun-jin
41 FW  JPN Kanta Tanaka DSP

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
18 FW  JPN Keita Shirawachi (at Azul Claro Numazu)
37 DF  JPN Rintaro Yamauchi (at SC Sagamihara)
— GK  JPN Shuhei Shikano (at Tochigi SC)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF  JPN Yuma Tsujioka (at Giravanz Kitakyushu)
— FW  JPN Yoshihito Kondo (at Kagoshima United FC)

Club officials

Position Name
Manager Yuzo Tamura
Assistant manager Ryo Kobayashi
First-team coach Takumi Watanabe
Goalkeeper coach Jiro Takeda
Sprint coach Shingo Akimoto
Strenght and conditioning coach Tsubasa Hisanaga
Kazuhiko Tomooka
Athletic trainer Atsushi Hokari
Tsubasa Hisanaga
Analyst Yuta Murakami
Doctor Yoshifumi Fukushima
Yoshitomo Saita
Nanako Yamamoto
Medical officer Hidenori Izawa
Physiotherapist Daiki Iwadate
Trainer Kodai Harada
Shunichiro Saito
Interpreter Lim Seung-geon

Managerial history

As of 15 June 2023
Manager Nationality Tenure
Start Finish
Pieter Huistra  Netherlands 13 January 2016 31 December 2016
Yuzo Tamura  Japan 1 February 2017 31 January 2021
Hiromasa Suguri  Japan 1 February 2022 14 June 2023
Yuzo Tamura  Japan 15 June 2023 present

Kit evolution

References

  1. ^ "一般社団法人いわきスポーツクラブ　いわきFC代表　向山　聖也　さん – 福島県ホームページ". www.pref.fukushima.lg.jp. Archived from the original on 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
  2. ^ "元蘭代表ハウストラ氏が福島県2部で監督就任。現役時代は広島に在籍".
  3. ^ "ドーム、「いわきFC」を運営する会社「株式会社いわきスポーツクラブ」を設立". www.facebook.com.
  4. ^ "「サッカーを通じて、いわき市を東北一の都市にする」いわきFC発足!!第1期メンバー募集開始 – ゲキサカ". ゲキサカ.
  5. ^ "「いわきＦＣパーク」開所　国内初の商業施設複合型クラブハウス". Archived from the original on 2017-07-27. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
  6. ^ "「いわきＦＣフィールド」オープン　地域活性化の一翼に期待". Archived from the original on 2016-11-22. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
  7. ^ "第23回全国クラブチームサッカー選手権大会".
  8. ^ "注目急上昇！Ｊ１撃破「いわきＦＣ」　凱旋の勇姿に熱い視線". Archived from the original on 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
  9. ^ "[いわきFC OfficialSite] 2023年シーズン「J2クラブライセンス」交付のお知らせ". いわきFC OfficialSite (in Japanese). 25 October 2022. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  10. ^ "[いわきFC OfficialSite] 2024年シーズン「J1クラブライセンス」交付のお知らせ". いわきFC OfficialSite (in Japanese). 26 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  11. ^ "「いわきFC新スタジアム構想特設サイト」を公開". いわきFC OfficialSite (in Japanese). 25 September 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  12. ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2013". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  13. ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2014". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  14. ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2015". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  15. ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2016". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  16. ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2017". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  17. ^ "いわきFC OfficialSite". いわきFC OfficialSite (in Japanese). 15 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
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