The use of the word derby in football seems to be more and more prevalent these days as the people behind club social media accounts think of interesting and creative ways to market fixtures whether it be based on personnel who have represented both sides, shirt colours (the orange/green/purple derby etc), similar sounding names (Kashiwa and Kashima), anagrams (Tokyo & Kyoto) or whatever. There really seems to be no end to it but there was no need for such tenuous links last Sunday (30th March) though as this fixture was actually related to good old-fashioned geography.
The combination of relegation for Tochigi SC from J2 and the promotion of Tochigi City FC from the Japan Football League (JFL) meant that the first ever Tochigi Derby took place in Utsunomiya. Going into this game the momentum was certainly with the latter who were joint top whilst the former were languishing in mid-table. In fairness, only five games had been played ahead of this derby clash so not too much can be read into their positions.
The Futbology ground-hopping app I use told me that this was the fifth time I’d seen Tochigi SC in action but other than witnessing their part on on the wrong end of a seven goal thriller in Yamaguchi last August I could barely remember any of the other occasions! I also didn’t realise that I had actually seen Tochigi City FC before. Not only that but I saw them at my local football ground in Akabane in the Kanto Soccer League (5th tier) in 2023 so they are certainly on a roll with back-to-back promotions.
It was a simple direct 85 minute train ride from Ikebukuro to Suzumenomiya on the Utsunomiya Line. A week earlier I had walked for about 45-50 minutes from the closest station to Miyagi Stadium for a Vegalta Sendai match, and a few dozen other people did likewise so I was expecting some people to do the same in Tochigi Prefecture. Far from it as I really was the only one!
Google maps said it was approximately 50 minutes on foot, and usually they’re unbelievably accurate but not on this occasion as I was outside the stadium in just over half that time.
The new stadium is in the background there!
The stadium is located in a huge sports park and only when I got there did I begin to see any life of fans going to this game. However when I arrived at the stadium it was a hive of activity with a few thousand people heading in to join the masses already in their seats.
Kanseki Stadium Tochigi is a pretty modern one having just been open for about five years. It was the main reason for me wanting to journey on up to this part of Tochigi Prefecture on a sunny Sunday afternoon so I took a bit of time to walk round the whole stadium to admire the $130 million bowl-shape architcture.
With a capacity of just over 25,000 it is sadly never going to be full for a J3 match, even one against local rivals. It was busy outside though as kick off was less than 30 minutes away. The food trucks were doing a roaring trade and the queues to get inside were fairly sizeable.
Unreserved seating in Japan is often a problem as people like to put bags and jackets on seats next to them to stop others sitting so close and to give them more space. I get that but it just can’t be done in some situations such as in the home supporter section behind the goal which seemed to be over-capacity as it was. There were a load of us standing at the back of the section and consequently the authorities had to open up a section in the second tier for a few hundred people.
The views from the upper stand were even better, and the ultras singing and chanting could still be heard from beneath.
That’s not the Tochigi SC home shirt!
This match could be seen as a clash between the use of British and American English in the team names with the soccer club (Tochigi SC) hosting the football club (Tochigi City FC). British friends will not be happy to hear how often I say the word soccer these days but that just comes from having lived in Japan for so long.
The away team were on the attack in the earlier stages of the half and I noticed after a while that they really do play a high line, and the goalkeeper was on the centre spot when his team had corners.
Note the keeper positioned on the halfway line
Playing the sweeper-keeper role inevitably proved costly on 36 minutes when a mis-hit backpass was pounced on by attacking midfielder Taiyo Igarashi who rounded the keeper about 40 metres from goal. The angle wasn’t easy but he finished it in a hugely impressive way without any need for a second touch.
I’m now immune to the sight of running tracks!
The second 45 minutes had a few half chances but seemed to be drifting towards a 1-0 win for the team in yellow.
It’s just like watching Brazil!
Just as Tochigi SC had nearly got across the finish line there was the inevitable sting in the tail on 90 minutes when the equaliser came via a wonderful bender into the top corner from Yuki Okaniwa. However many times I read his name I almost always produce Okinawa rather than Okaniwa!
Final Score: Tochigi SC 1-1 Tochigi City FC
My original aim was to just see Tochigi SC play a home game against anyone at this recently built stadium so it was a huge bonus to be able to mark my first appearance there by seeing Japan’s newest league derby. Hopefully, the two teams will actually spend some time in the same league for this derby to become a more regular fixture.
Click here to read ‘TF Top 10……Alternative Sights In Tochigi Prefecture’
Click here to read ‘A Day In Utsunomiya (Tochigi Prefecture)’
Click here to read ‘Tokyo Daytripper: A Tremendous Trio Of Temples In Tochigi’
Click here to read ‘On The Trail Of Shin Godzilla #7 – Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line & Utsunomiya’