is a Japanese professional football team based in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture. They are set to play in Japan Football League from 2026 to 2027, the fourth tier of Japanese football after relegation from J3 League in 2025.
History Azul Claro Numazu was established in 1977 as Numazu Arsenal and slowly progressed through the tiers of Shizuoka prefectural leagues. In 2006 the club began the process of transformation into a professional organisation with the ultimate goal of joining the J.League. The same year the club adopted its current name, Azul Claro (Meaning "light blue" in Portuguese and Spanish).
In 2012 Azul Claro won promotion to Tōkai Adult Soccer League and quickly progressed through its ranks, spending only a season in each of its divisions. Though they have finished only fourth in 2013 Tōkai League, they were considered as serious contenders for admission to the newly created J3 League. On September 17, 2013, the club has been granted the J. League Associate Membership and passed all stages of licensing and inspection by the league. However, they were only the 3rd choice club for the only Regional League spot in J3 so eventually, they had to give way to Iwate Grulla Morioka. The club has won the promotion anyway though—they were selected by the Japan Football League board as one of the teams to play in the 2014 season.
After a 3rd-place finish in the 2016 season, they were invited to play professional football from 2017 and onward, as they'll be the 14th original club in the J3 League.
On 24 October 2023, Azul Claro Numazu announced that the club was officially granted a J2 license after a decision by the J.League's Club Licensing Board.
On 14 December 2025, Azul Claro Numazu were relegated to the Japan Football League after a 1–1 draw with Reilac Shiga FC in the second leg, losing 4–3 on aggregate. This brought an end to their eight-year stay in the third tier and marked their return to the fourth tier.
League & cup record ChampionsRunners-upThird placePromotedRelegated League J. LeagueCup Emperor'sCupSeason Division Tier Pos. P W L D F A GD Pts Attendance/GNumazu Arsenal2004Shizuoka PrefecturalLeague (Div. 2) 7 4th 11 6 0 5 33 24 9 18 - Not eligibleDid not qualify20051st 11 9 2 0 54 26 28 29 -Azul Claro Numazu2006Shizuoka PrefecturalLeague (Div. 1) 6 9th 11 3 2 6 14 25 -11 11 - Not eligible Did not qualify200711th 11 3 1 7 11 27 -16 10 -20088th 11 2 4 5 20 27 -7 10 -20092nd 11 6 2 3 32 30 2 20 -20103rd 11 6 3 2 27 18 9 21 -20112nd 11 9 0 2 50 23 27 27 -2012Tokai FootballLeague (Div. 2) 5 2nd 14 8 2 4 22 15 7 26 -2013Tokai FootballLeague (Div. 1) 4 4th 14 8 1 5 20 21 –1 25 -2014JFL 8th 26 8 8 10 26 35 –9 32 1,777 20155th 30 16 6 8 36 28 8 54 2,198 20163rd 30 18 5 7 47 24 23 59 2,332 2017J3 3 3rd 32 16 11 5 60 27 33 59 3,029 3rd round20184th 32 14 10 8 40 29 11 52 2,857 Did not qualify 201912th34 11 6 17 35 43 –8 39 2,470 2020 †12th 34 12 5 17 36 40 –4 41 925 2021 †14th 28 7 6 15 32 44 –12 27 1,482202215th 34 8 7 19 27 46 -19 31 1,684202313th 38 15 6 17 48 48 0 51 1,961 1st round202410th 38 15 7 16 53 46 7 52 2,633 2nd round 1st round202520th 38 6 10 22 40 57 -17 28 3,417 1st round Did not qualify2026–27JFL 4 TBD 30 Not eligible TBD Key
Honours +Azul Claro Numazu HonoursHonour No. YearsShizuoka Prefectural League (Div. 2)12005Shizuoka Prefectural Football Championship (and Emperor's Cup Shizuoka Prefectural Qualifiers)32017, 2023 & 2024
Players Current squad
Out on loan
Club officials Position Name Head coach Masashi Nakayama Assistant coach Hideto Suzuki Daiki Tajiri Transition coach Keita Goto Coach and interpreter Landow Takai Goalkeeper coach Yukio Takeda Physical coach Yoshiki Hirano Doctor Shunsuke Mukoyama Trainer Takuya Kawasaki Kentaro Taki Takashi Tanaka Manager Daiki Ito
Managerial history Manager Nationality Tenure Start Finish Kazuhito Mochizuki Japan 1 February 201431 January 2015Ken Yoshida Japan 1 February 201531 January 2020Masataka Imai Japan 1 February 202023 August 2022Kazuhito Mochizuki Japan 24 August 202231 January 2023Masashi Nakayama Japan 1 February 202314 September 2025Hideto Suzuki Japan 14 September 2025
Kit evolution Home kit - 1st Away kit - 2nd Other kit - 3rd
Colour, sponsors and manufacturers
Season(s)Main Shirt SponsorCollarbone SponsorAdditional Sponsor(s)Kit Manufacturer2013SURUGA bank – – – – NNH – Puma2014USUiMEIDEN雄大2015USUiSURUGA Bank – MEIDEN2016MEIDEN –20172018Kawata Construction (Left)Kawata Construction (Right)20192020MEIDEN (Left)MEIDEN (Right)Kawata Construction
References
External links