Sagan Tosu

Sagan Tosu are a community-built club from Tosu in Saga Prefecture, founded in 1997 from the wreckage of Tosu Futures by around 5,000 local football fans who refused to let their city lose its J-League connection. Their story is one of grassroots resilience, working their way up through Japanese football to reach the J1 League and deliver top-five finishes that earned admiration well beyond Kyushu.

Founded in 1997, Sagan Tosu are based in Tosu, Saga Prefecture, competing at Best Amenity Stadium. They were promoted to J1 after the 2011 season and achieved their best-ever J1 finish of fifth place in both 2012 and 2014. They also reached the Emperor's Cup semi-final in 2013.

New Balance have supplied Sagan Tosu since 2015, producing kits in the club's navy blue and red colours. Earlier manufacturers including Nike and Umbro dressed the squad across their first decade in the J-League. The strips have always featured local sponsors prominently, celebrating the community of Tosu and the Saga Prefecture that gave this club its life. Few shirts in Japanese football carry as much grassroots meaning as Sagan Tosu's navy blue.