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Kamakura International FC

Kamakura International FC is a soccer club based in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan.

History
Kentaro Yomo, the current club chairman, saw the potential for international connections and the creation of new values using football after his “"Sekkai Ishu no Tabi“ journey which took him to all 32 participating nations in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Around that time, the J.League began its "Asia Strategy”, Yomo opened the ""Asian Soccer Research Institute"" and began supporting various J.League clubs’ Asian strategies.

After noticing that only a few clubs were serious about working in and expanding in Southeast Asian countries, which were only enjoying early economic growth, Yomo decided to create his own club instead. In June 2017, he started a project with the vision of "creating a football club in Kamakura that is thoroughly internationalised” and consequently in January 2018, the club was officially established and began operating.

This may be the first soccer club in Japan to be born from the PowerPoint documents. The club was founded from scratch, and the first practice started with only one player. Friends who resonated with the vision of the club called for other friends, and it gradually grew into a soccer team. Despite being a newly joined club in the third division of the Kanagawa Prefecture League, from the very first year the club made an overseas tour (Singapore and Johor Bahru in the first year, Bangkok in the second year), creating a buzz and gradually attracted former J-League players and coaches. And in its first season, the team participated in the promotion tournament to the second division, and won three consecutive games and got the promotion.

In its second year, the team failed to make a strong start and was in danger of relegation, but was able to remain in the second division thanks to Shota Aizawa( → Rosso Kumamoto(J3)→ Nankatsu SC) who played an active role in the team. Meanwhile, a newly established second team joined the third division of the Kanagawa Prefecture League, and the team was promoted to the second division n their first season.

In the third year, the season was shortened by the influence of the COVID pandemic, the team was able to participated in the first division promotion game by winning the last league game in miracle 11-0 game. However, the team was defeated 1-3 and missed the promotion. Meanwhile, at the end of the year, the club finally accelerated its long-sought-after project to build its own soccer field. They held a press conference in Kamakura and succeeded in raising funds completely privately through crowdfunding and other means, such as the "one-square-meter stadium lawn owner" campaign that became a hot topic.

In its fourth year, the club invited Kazuma Kawauchi, who obtained CONMEBOL (The South American Football Confederation) coaching license to join from Argentina. He was appointed as the team manager and CBO (Chief Branding Officer). The club underwent a re-branding and announced the renewal of its "Vision" and “Club Crest”. The club's vision, "CLUB WITHOUT BORDERS" means that the club will remove borders in all aspects, including those that separate Japan from the rest of the world. The main motif of the new club crest, "EVOLVING MARBLE” is a natural, streamlined pattern that looks as if two colors of paint have been poured into a circle. The pattern is drawn in a circle, which expresses the club's existence to create unique new colors while including various people and cultures.

While realizing projects such as re-branding and the construction of its own stadium, the club is also engaging its local community in Kamakura and as well as people from outside the city through internet. It also uniquely utilizes crowdfunding and tokens, to not only uniting the club but also including the fans in a co-creating and co-prospering community.

Currently, Kamakura International FC participates in Kanagawa Prefecture Football League Division 2, and is competing for promotion to Division 1. The club has teams in four categories and operates a football school for children with approximately 300 players and staff. A number of the club’s players and staff have international playing or working experiences. Players, coaches, and staff have also taken on new challenges overseas through this club.

CLUB WITHOUT BORDERS
This club is a soccer club without borders that separates Japan from the rest of the world, or any other "border" (boundary) like race, religion, gender, age, field.

We believe that our vision of “CLUB WITHOUT BORDERS” will become a hub, where Japan and the world, soccer and society, or others will mix, and a brand new value will be produced.

Club Crest
The main motif of the logo, "EVOLVING MARBLE," represents the club's vision of "CLUB WITHOUT BORDERS" and the club's commitment to creating unique and new colors while involving various people and cultures.

The motif of the "EVOLVING MARBLE" is the Kamakura Nanaguchi, seven cut-through paths built in the Kamakura period as important paths connecting Kamakura to the outside world. The design also incorporates motifs like the earth, ripples on the sea, and annual rings on trees, which represents Kamakura's rich natural surroundings.

Club Organization
・Top Team - Kamakura International FC (Kanagawa Prefecture Second Division League): 30 players

・Second Team - Kamakura International SC (Kanagawa Prefecture Second Division League): 30 players

・Third Team - Kamakura International FC Classic (Kanagawa Prefecture Third Division League): 25 players

・Lifelong Sports Team - Kamakura International City (Not in a league): 50 players

・Kamakura Inter Junior School (soccer school for elementary and junior high school students): 150 students

・Staff (full time & part time): 30 staff

History
2018 Jan. - Club established

2018 May - Kamakura International FC(Top team) entered the Kanagawa Prefecture Soccer League 3rd Division

2018 Dec. - Kamakura International FC was promoted to Kanagawa Prefecture Soccer League 2nd Division

2019 May - Kamakura International FC City(Second team) was established, and entered to Kanagawa Prefecture Soccer League 3rd Division

2019 Dec. - Kamakura International FC remained in Kanagawa Prefecture Soccer League 2nd Division. Kamakura International FC City was promoted to Kanagawa Prefecture Soccer League 2nd Division

2020 Apr. - Second team’s name was changed to Kamakura International FC Satellite

2021 Oct. - Hato Stadium opened

2022 Feb. - Second team’s name was changed to Kamakura International SC(Sport Club). Kamakura International FC Classic(Third team) was established and entered Kanagawa Prefecture Soccer League 3rd Division

Minna no Hato Stadium
Minnano Hato Sable Stadium is an international standard size full-pitch artificial turf soccer field, located right in front of Shonan Fukasawa Station on the Shonan Monorail. It is only a "10 steps” to Shonan Fukasawa Station, and it is one of the closest soccer field from the public station. The artificial turf field area can be used for various purposes other than soccer, snd also there is a multi-usage plaza next to the soccer field, where kitchen cars and temporary stores are opened during events.

The stadium is open to public and can be reserved 1-2 months in advance via official stadium website. (Prices differ for members and visitors.)

The name of the stadium was chosen by Toshimaya Corporation which obtained the naming rights for the stadium. The company is well known for its famous Kamakura confectionary "Hato Sable”.

1st Team (Men's) Results / Previous Coaches
・2018 season Manager - Ryujiro Matsumura/Jun Uruno Result - Kanagawa Prefecture 3rd Division League, Best 4

・2019 season Manager - Jun Uruno Result - Kanagawa Prefecture 2nd Division League, 8th place

・2020 season Manager - Kohei Takeda Result - Kanagawa Prefecture 2nd Division League, 1st place in block, lost in promotion playoff

・2021 season Manager - Kazuma Kawauchi Result - Kanagawa Prefecture 2nd Division League, 2nd place

・2022 season Manager - Kazuma Kawauchi

Former Players
Yusuke Murayama (ex. Shonan Bellmare, Omiya Ardija, Oita Trinita) Tomoki Muramatsu (ex. Kataller Toyama) Shota Aizawa (ex. Roasso Kumamoto) Yuta Kawachi (ex. Giravanz Kitakyushu)

Present
Masao Tsuji (ex. YSCC Yokohama, Gainare Tottori, Zweigen Kanazawa, Thespakusatsu Gunma) Yohei Naito (ex. Kyoto Sanga, Giravanz Kitakyushu) Atsuki Shimizu (ex. Iwate Grulla Morioka) Hiroki Kotani (ex. Iwate Grulla Morioka, Blaublitz Akita)

2018
Koki Fujita

2019
Masayuki Hagiwara Kanta Asami

2020
Yuta Takahashi

2022
Shunta Uchiyama Takuya Kakui Hiromasa Yamakawa Rei Ishida

2018
Kamakura City League Cup Winner

2021
The 1st FiNANCiE Cup Winner

Comprehensive Community Sports Club
Kamakura Inter is not only a soccer club, but also a comprehensive regional sports club, Kamakura International Sports Club, which has the aspect of enjoying sports with multiple generations, multi genre, and multi orientations. The club is characterized by the fact that people who love various sports, from children to the elderly, can participate in the club in accordance with their own preferences and levels, from beginners to top-level players, and aims to be a sports club managed voluntarily and proactively by local residents, and to create an environment where local residents can easily play sports at any time, and endeavor to "develop people" and "develop community" through sports.

Kamakura International Foundation for Children & Future
Kamakura Inter Foundation For Children's Future was established to create a respectable future for children of Kamakura, and to develop human resources who play active roles in the world.

The money raised by this fund is used to enhance sports education, international education, and environmental education for children and teachers in Kamakura.

Support Achievements
・Production of Kamakura Nadeshiko uniforms

・Subsidy for the use of the Hato Stadium for the 2021 Kamakura City Junior High School Newcomer's Soccer Tournament Finals

・Opening the grounds of Hato Stadium to kindergarten and nursery school children

・Holding events for young children

How to Participate
・Drink Support Kamakura Inter Support Vending Machine (powered by Rita Japan)

・Kamakura Inter Energy Support (powered by Shonan Ryoyu)

・Hometown Tax Payment

・Post Admission

・Kamakura Digital Collection (NFT)

Kamakura Inter Token
The club token "Kamakura Inter Token" is issued using the FiNANCiE app, a next-generation crowdfunding 2.0 service. Initial funding started in July 2021, and about 23 million yen of funding was realized in about a month and a half. A community has been formed on the smartphone app among the token holders and other members, with over 1,600 registered members.

Within the community, the club and fans work together to create goods such as original beer and create support messages for the players by using the voting project and bulletin board function, in accordance with the number of tokens the member hold. The club's management staff and players also participate in the community, providing a place for the club and fans to interact online and generate ideas. And on match day, the community chat page is lively active together with the online live streaming channel on YouTube.

Also, "throwing tokens," as opposed to "throwing money," are being used in response to comments made by players, allowing fans to give their support directly to the players and creating communications among fans.

Kamakura Digital Collection NFTs
Kamakura Digital Collection is a digital art collection that uses blockchain NFT to combine the landmarks and historic figures of Kamakura, the birthplace of Japan's first shogunate government, with the graphic design of Kamakura Inter's vision 'Club Without Borders' and its logo motif 'Evolving Marble'. The collection is a digital art collection that combines the graphic design of Kamakura International's vision 'Club Without Borders' and the crest 'Evolving Marble'.

Part of the proceeds from the initial and subsequent sales of the collection is donated to the city of Kamakura, temples and shrines, the locations where the collection was taken and the authors, and is also used to enhance sports education, international education and environmental education for children and leaders in Kamakura through the 'Kamakura International Foundation for Children & Future'.

'Bench-side sunakaburi (sand-covered) seats' Ticket NFT Tickets were sold for the first time at the Kanagawa Prefecture Working Men's Football League Division 2, Block A, No. 4 (vs Kamakura International SC) on Sunday 29 May, inviting NFT holders to the opening home game of the season when the team is promoted to the J-League in the future.

Fan Club
In April 2022, the official fan club "Kamakura Inter Friends Club" was launched. By paying an annual membership fee, members will receive a membership card with a membership number, a newsletter, the right to monthly gifts, and various other privileges. Applications can be made at the club's official website or at Hato Stadium.

Related Publications
・How to Create a Visionary Soccer Club ・Kamakura Inter, Fighting Against Second Year Jinx ・The Story of the Soccer Club that Built a "Stadium for Everyone" in the Ancient City of Kamakura