is a Japanese

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club based in

Okayama is the prefectural capital, capital Cities of Japan, city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The Okayama metropolitan area, centered around the city, has the largest urban employment zone in the Chugoku region of western J ...

, the capital of

Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,826,059 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefecture ...

. The club plays in the

J1 League The , the J.League or the for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Japan and the highest level of the Japanese football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation ...

, which is the top tier of football in the country.

Name origin

''Fagiano'' () is a reference to the pheasant that was a companion of local legend character

Momotarō is a Folk hero, popular hero of Japanese folklore. His name is often translated as ''Peach Boy'', but is directly translated as ''Peach + Tarō (given name), Tarō'', a common Japanese given name. ''Momotarō'' is also the title of various books, ...

. Their mascot ''Fagimaru'' is based on the specific species native to Japan, the

green pheasant The green pheasant (''Phasianus versicolor''), also known as the Japanese green pheasant, is an omnivorous bird native to the Japanese archipelago, to which it is endemic. Some taxonomic authorities consider it a subspecies of the common pheas ...

History

They were formed in 1975 after the old Kawasaki Steel Mizushima F.C. moved to

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

, who are now

Vissel Kobe is a Japanese professional football club based in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. They are currently the J1 League champions. The club's home stadium is Noevir Stad ...

. 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 , commonly referred to as Tochigi SC (栃木SC, ''Tochigi Esushi'') is a Japanese football club based in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. They set to play in the J3 League after relegation from J2 in 2024, Japan's third tier of profession ...

and

Kataller Toyama is a football club based in Toyama, Capital of Toyama Prefecture. The club currently play in J2 League after promotion from J3 in 2024, Japanese second tier of professional football. History The idea of a merged club had been discussed by t ...

. 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

for the first time in their history after defeating

Vegalta Sendai is a Japanese professional association football, football club based in Sendai, Miyagi, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. They currently play in J2 League, the Japanese second tier of professional football. History Founded in 1988 as ''Tohoku Elect ...

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 A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

in Okayama.

Stadiums

Their home stadium is

JFE Harenokuni Stadium The , known from 2010 to February 2015 as , as well as from 2016 to 2024, and before that as is a multi-purpose stadium in Okayama, Japan. It is currently used mostly for football (soccer), football matches and Athletics (sport), athletics even ...

Okayama City is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The Okayama metropolitan area, centered around the city, has the largest urban employment zone in the Chugoku region of western Japan. The city was founded on June 1, ...

, though some home matches are played at

Tsuyama Stadium is an athletic stadium in Tsuyama, Okayama, Japan. It was one of the home stadiums of football club Fagiano Okayama is a Japanese football club based in Okayama, the capital of Okayama Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is ...

, in

Tsuyama is a city in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. In February 2023, the city had an estimated population of 97,507 in 45,653 households and a population density of 190 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Tsuyama is located in nort ...

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

League and cup record

;Key

Honours

Current squad

''.''

Out on loan

Coaching officials

Club staff for 2025 season

Managerial history

League games only ;Key *Source
J.League Data Site

Colour, sponsors and manufacturers

Kit evolution

References

External links

*

{{Japanese Club Football, group=clubs Football clubs in Japan J.League clubs Association football clubs established in 2004 Sport in Okayama Sports clubs and teams in Okayama Prefecture 2004 establishments in Japan Japan Football League clubs