Tochigi Soccer Club(栃木サッカークラブ, Tochigi Sakkākurabu), commonly referred to as Tochigi SC (栃木SC, Tochigi Esushi) is a Japanese professional football club based in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. They currently play in the J3 League, Japan's third tier of professional football, after being relegated from the J2 League in 2024.

History

Teachers in Tochigi Prefecture founded the club in 1953. They were initially called Tochigi Teachers' Soccer Club (栃木教員サッカー部 Tochigi Kyōin Sakkā Bu). They started to welcome players with other professions in 1994 and renamed themselves as Tochigi Soccer Club. In 1999, Tochigi won the Kanto Regional League and were promoted to the Japan Football League after finishing runners-up in the Regional League play-off. In March 2005, they announced that they would set up a task force to give a serious consideration to turn professional and try to gain J.League status. In January 2007, they achieved J.League Associate Membership status and in the 2008 season they secured qualification for promotion to professional status on 16 November 2008. On 1 December 2008, promotion was made official by the J.League and Tochigi had competed in J.League Division 2 from 2009.

In 2015, Tochigi finished bottom and were relegated to the J3 League for the first time in their history, the third and lowest professional level in the league system. After two seasons, they returned to J2 League from 2018 season who finished as runner-up in 2017. On 27 October 2024, Tochigi officially relegated to the J3 League for the second time after defeat from Shimizu S-Pulse 0-1 at home, ending seven-year stint in the second tier.

League and cup record

ChampionsRunners-upThird placePromotedRelegated
LeagueJ.League CupEmperor's Cup
SeasonDiv.TierTeamsPos.PWDLFAGDPtsAttendance/G
2007JFL3188th34141010432914524,457—3rd round
2008182nd341897653728635,0484th round
2009J221817th51813303877-39374,7062nd round
20101910th361481446424504,1573rd round
20112010th3815111244395564,9393rd round
20122211th421791650494603,8502nd round
2013229th4217121361556634,9223rd round
20142212th421510175258-6555,2942nd round
20152222nd42714213964-25355,1671st round
2016J33162nd301785382018594,917Did not qualify
2017172nd3216124442420605,147Did not qualify
2018J222217th421311183848-10505,6572nd round
20192220th42816183353-20405,1483rd round
2020 †2210th4215131441392582,522Did not qualify
2021 †2214th421015173751-14453,8613rd round
20222217th421116153240-8494,429Round of 16
20232219th421014183947-8445,834Round of 16
20242018th38713183357-24346,2381st round2nd round
2025J337th381771442366585,3932nd round2nd round
202610TBD18N/AN/A
2026-2720TBD38TBDTBD

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:

Honours

Tochigi SC honours
HonourNo.Years
Tochigi Prefecture Division 1101978, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998
Tochigi Prefectural Football Championship Emperor's Cup Tochigi Prefectural Qualifiers101998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2025
Kanto Soccer League11999

Players

Current squad

As of 5 September 2025.

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.NationPlayer
No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK JPN Shuhei Kawata 2 DF JPN Wataru Hiramatsu 3 DF JPN Hiroshi Omori (on loan from Fukushima United) 4 MF JPN Sho Sato 5 DF JPN Riita Mori (on loan from Albirex Niigata) 6 MF JPN Kosuke Kambe 7 FW JPN Akito Tanahashi (on loan from Tokushima Vortis) 8 DF JPN Kenta Fukumori 9 FW JPN Ryunosuke Sugawara (on loan from Vegalta Sendai) 10 MF JPN Taiyo Igarashi (on loan from Kawasaki Frontale) 11 MF JPN Taichi Aoshima 13 DF JPN Keisuke Saka 14 FW SEN Cheikh Diamanka (on loan from Fujieda MYFC) 18 FW JPN Rensuke Kawana 19 FW JPN Hogara Shoji 20 DF JPN Shintaro Ide 21 GK KOR Kim Min-jun 22 DF JPN Hidenori Takahashi (on loan from Renofa Yamaguchi) 23 FW JPN Soki HoshinoNo. Pos. Nation Player 25 MF JPN Hiroshi Iwasaki 27 GK JPN Kenta Tanno 29 FW JPN Kisho Yano 30 GK JPN Ryoga Makino Type 2 31 GK JPN Shuhei Shikano (on loan from Iwaki FC) 32 FW JPN Ryunosuke Ota (on loan from Fagiano Okayama) 37 DF JPN Yuto Kimura 39 MF JPN Kazuma Yagi 40 DF JPN Shuya Takashima 45 MF JPN Haruki Tsutsumi DSP 47 MF JPN Haruto Yoshino 61 FW JPN Sosuke Hatano Type 2 62 MF JPN Tasuku Yokohama Type 2 77 MF JPN Kensuke Fujiwara (on loan from Júbilo Iwata) 78 MF JPN Yota Horiuchi (on loan from Urawa Red Diamonds) 80 MF NGA Kenneth Otabor 81 MF JPN Katsuya Nakano 88 DF JPN Kohei Uchida
1GKJPNShuhei Kawata
2DFJPNWataru Hiramatsu
3DFJPNHiroshi Omori (on loan from Fukushima United)
4MFJPNSho Sato
5DFJPNRiita Mori (on loan from Albirex Niigata)
6MFJPNKosuke Kambe
7FWJPNAkito Tanahashi (on loan from Tokushima Vortis)
8DFJPNKenta Fukumori
9FWJPNRyunosuke Sugawara (on loan from Vegalta Sendai)
10MFJPNTaiyo Igarashi (on loan from Kawasaki Frontale)
11MFJPNTaichi Aoshima
13DFJPNKeisuke Saka
14FWSENCheikh Diamanka (on loan from Fujieda MYFC)
18FWJPNRensuke Kawana
19FWJPNHogara Shoji
20DFJPNShintaro Ide
21GKKORKim Min-jun
22DFJPNHidenori Takahashi (on loan from Renofa Yamaguchi)
23FWJPNSoki Hoshino
No.Pos.NationPlayer
25MFJPNHiroshi Iwasaki
27GKJPNKenta Tanno
29FWJPNKisho Yano
30GKJPNRyoga Makino Type 2
31GKJPNShuhei Shikano (on loan from Iwaki FC)
32FWJPNRyunosuke Ota (on loan from Fagiano Okayama)
37DFJPNYuto Kimura
39MFJPNKazuma Yagi
40DFJPNShuya Takashima
45MFJPNHaruki Tsutsumi DSP
47MFJPNHaruto Yoshino
61FWJPNSosuke Hatano Type 2
62MFJPNTasuku Yokohama Type 2
77MFJPNKensuke Fujiwara (on loan from Júbilo Iwata)
78MFJPNYota Horiuchi (on loan from Urawa Red Diamonds)
80MFNGAKenneth Otabor
81MFJPNKatsuya Nakano
88DFJPNKohei Uchida

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.NationPlayer
No. Pos. Nation Player 38 FW JPN Sora Kobori (at ReinMeer Aomori) 41 MF JPN Park Yong-ji (at ReinMeer Aomori) 44 MF JPN Rui Ageishi (at Maruyasu Okazaki)
38FWJPNSora Kobori (at ReinMeer Aomori)
41MFJPNPark Yong-ji (at ReinMeer Aomori)
44MFJPNRui Ageishi (at Maruyasu Okazaki)

Coaching staff

PositionName
ManagerJapan Shinji Kobayashi
Assistant ManagerJapan Hiroaki Nagashima
First-team coachJapan Takumi Motohashi
Goalkeeper coachJapan Tomoaki Ogami
AnalystJapan Shogo Manabe
Physical coachJapan Hirofumi Sakamoto
Chief trainerJapan Yuta Matsumoto
TrainerJapan Takahiro Watanabe Japan Atsuya Kaneko
InterpreterJapan Bruno Hideo Owada
Chief managerJapan Tatsuya Sakakibara Japan Yusuke Kenjo
Chief doctorJapan Mitsugi Shimoda
DoctorJapan Hitoshi Akutsu Japan Kei Ajisaka Japan Taro Kuramochi Japan Makoto Kuroda Japan Atsuto Hoshikawa Japan Yuichiro Yano Japan Yusuke Eda Japan Makoto Oe

Managerial history

ManagerNationalityTenure
StartFinish
Kōichi HashirataniJapanJanuary 1, 2007December 31, 2008
Hiroshi MatsudaJapanFebruary 1, 2009September 13, 2013
Ikuo MatsumotoJapanSeptember 13, 2013November 25, 2013
Yūji SakakuraJapanFebruary 1, 2014July 20, 2015
Yasuharu KurataJapanJuly 22, 2015December 31, 2015
Yūji YokoyamaJapanJanuary 1, 2016December 31, 2018
Kazuaki TasakaJapanFebruary 1, 2019January 31, 2022
Yū TokisakiJapanFebruary 1, 2022January 31, 2024
Makoto TanakaJapanFebruary 1, 2024May 14, 2024
Shinji KobayashiJapanMay 15, 2024current

Kit evolution

The team's colour is yellow.

Home kits – 1st
20082009201020112012
20132014201520162017
20182019202020212022
202320242025 -
Away kits – 2nd
20082009201020112012
20132014201520162017
20182019202020212022
202320242025 -

External links

  • (in Japanese)