Yokohama – The City of Soccer

In Japan, modernization began with the start of the Meiji era. The port town of Yokohama, which embraced Western culture ahead of other regions in the nation, is well known as the Japanese birthplace of many things of Western origin.
Soccer is one of those things.
As a matter of fact, however, opinion is still divided as to the Japanese birthplace of soccer. Some say it is Kobe, while some insist on Yokohama. What is indisputable is that Japan’s first soccer game was played in Yokohama in 1888. It was an inter-port game between the Yokohama Country and Athletic Club (YC&AC) and the Kobe Regatta and Athletic Club (KR&AC) that was held in a field near the place where the Yokohama Stadium is currently situated.
Over 100 years after that game, Yokohama is home to several professional soccer teams that have been around since the launch of the Japan Professional Football League (J. League).
What’s more, it was in Yokohama that the Japan’s national soccer team won its first victory at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The final game of this tournament was also played here.
A consistent driving force in the history of soccer in Japan, Yokohama now has three J. League clubs – Yokohama F-Marinos of Division 1, Yokohama FC of Division 2 and the Yokohama Sports & Culture Club (YSCC) of Division 3 established this year- marking a new milestone in the country’s history of the sport.

This feature article, titled “Yokohama – The City of Soccer,” brings you some hot topics on the situation of soccer in Yokohama, with the major focus on the local J. League clubs.

Information provided by: Yokohama Marinos, Ltd., Yokohama Fulie Sports Club Co., Ltd., Yokohama Sports & Culture Club, Yokohama Incorporated Football Association

Researched and written and photos provided by: Hiroyuki Yoshiyama (Yokohama Sports Association)

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