, commonly referred to as Tochigi SC (栃木SC, ''Tochigi Esushi'') is a Japanese football club based in

Utsunomiya is the capital and largest city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 513,584, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Utsunomiya is famous for its ''gyoza'' ...

Tochigi Prefecture is a landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,897,649 (1 June 2023) and has a geographic area of 6,408 Square kilometre, km2 (2,474 Square mile, sq mi ...

, Japan. They set to play in the

J3 League or simply J3 is the third division of . It was established in 2013 as the third-tier professional association football league in Japan under the organization of J.League. The league is known as the for sponsorship reasons. The third-tier nation ...

after relegation from J2 in 2024, Japan's third tier of professional football.

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 The , also known as simply the JFL, is the 4th tier of the Japanese association football league system, positioned beneath the three divisions of the J.League. The league features fully professional teams that hold J.League 100 Year Plan club sta ...

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 J.League and Tochigi had competed in J.League Division 2 from 2009. In 2015, Tochigi finished bottom and were relegated to

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 J3 League for second time after defeat from

Shimizu S-Pulse is a Japanese professional association football, football club located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka (city), Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture. S-Pulse is going to compete in the J1 League for the 2025 Season, after winning promotio ...

0-1 at home and ending seven years stint in second tier with two games left.

League and cup record

;Key

Honours

Players

Current squad

Out on loan

Coaching staff

Managerial history

Kit evolution

The team's colour is yellow.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Association football clubs established in 1953 J.League clubs Football clubs in Japan Sports clubs and teams in Tochigi Prefecture 1953 establishments in Japan Japan Football League clubs