[Aomori Prefecture] Aiming to realize the Aomori Derby in Aomori, Hachinohe, and Hirosaki [Introducing professional sports in the six Tohoku prefectures]

As of April 11, 2023, there are two professional sports teams in Aomori Prefecture: "Aomori Watts" in basketball (B League) and "Vanrare Hachinohe" in soccer (J League).

Aomori Watts is doing well in the 2022-23 season, and as of April 11th, they are in 5th place (26 wins, 30 losses) in the B2 East region, one game behind third place, which can advance to the playoffs.

In addition, Vanrare Hachinohe has made a strong start, ranking 9th in the 2023 season since the start of the season.

Aomori Watts (Basketball: B.LEAGUE)

As the first professional sports team in Aomori Prefecture, we have conveyed the joy of watching professional sports to the citizens of the prefecture.

Since joining the B2 East region in 2016, we have been aiming to advance to B1 without falling to B3.

The official mascot character is Quickie Detch, a squirrel born and raised in Aomori's Aomori Forest, and if you go to the team's official website, it will tell you about recommended sightseeing spots in Aomori Prefecture.

What does Watts mean? What is the team color?

In the Aomori dialect, ``very hot'' is expressed as ``waa attsu,'' and words such as ``wattsu, watsudo'' and ``watsuri'' are also used to express strength and speed.

Let's play a hot, powerful, and speedy game where players and boosters work together to get their minds and bodies hot! ! The team name reflects this wish.

The team color is apple red, which represents the blue flame of a dignified burning passion and the brightness of a hot boost, and the topography of Aomori Prefecture is depicted in the blue flame of the logo, expressing the passionate feelings within the people of Aomori Prefecture. It represents.

Aomori Watts’ journey so far

Before 2010, the ``Aomori Professional Basketball Team Establishment Preparation Office'' was established with Chairman Nakamura of Hachinohe Kosei Gakuin, and plans were made to launch a professional team, but activities were suspended due to lack of sponsors. Ta.

However, they decided to make the entire Aomori Prefecture their home base, successfully raised funds from sponsors, and announced themselves as a professional team.

• July 2012: It was decided to join the BJ League and Aomori Sports Creation was established.
• 2014: Advance to the playoffs in the 2013-14 season, the first time the team participated in the BJ League.
• 2016: It has been decided that the newly launched "B.LEAGUE" will enter the second division (B2) East region from the 2016-17 season.
• April 2023: Stay strong in the 2022-23 season! Aim to advance to the playoffs

Where is Aomori Watts' home arena?

The home arena is Maeda Arena in Shin-Aomori Prefectural Sports Park, but home games are also held at the Aomori Budokan in Aomori City, as well as at the following facilities in Aomori Prefecture.

• Goshogawara Citizen Gymnasium
• Hachinohe City East Gymnasium
• Misawa City International Exchange Sports Center
• Mutsu Maeda Arena

INFORMATION

• Team name: Aomori Watts
• Office address: Aomori Port Passenger Ship Terminal Building, 1-4-1 Yanagawa, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture
• Phone number: 017-763-0551 (Weekdays 10:00-17:00)
• URL: Aomori Watts official website

• Home stadium name: Maeda Arena
• Location: Shin-Aomori Sports Park, 22-2 Miyata Takase, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture
• Phone number: 017-737-0601
• URL: Shin-Aomori Sports Park official website

GOOGLE MAP

Vanrare Hachinohe (Soccer: Meiji Yasuda Life J League)

Their hometown is the Sanya Kamikita region, which includes Hachinohe City, on the eastern side of Aomori Prefecture, and will be a member of the J3 League for the 2023 season.

This season started off well, with a decent record of 2 wins, 1 loss, and 3 draws as of April 9th.

Let's support this Tohoku team so that they can continue to climb into the top ranks and advance to the J2 League along with Iwate Gruja Morioka, who is also doing well!

What does Vanrare mean? What is the team color?

Vanraure is a coined word that combines the Italian words "Derivante", meaning "origin", and "Australe", meaning "southern town".

The origin of the team is Nango, Hachinohe City, where the management company is located.The team emblem depicts Hachinohe's specialty squid and Nango soba, and the team colors are the blue of Hachinohe's sea and the green of Nango's mountains.

The team mascot, Vanta, is a kind-hearted and strong green squid.

Vanrare Hachinohe’s journey so far

The parent teams that were established in 2006 were Hachinohe Kogyo SC and Nango FC.

When J3 was launched in 2014, ``We applied for membership, but the Takamoriyama Sports Park Stadium, which was our home base at the time, could not meet the stadium requirements, so we started as JFL.

After that, in 2016, Hachinohe City Taga Multipurpose Stadium, which was their home base, cleared the J3 participation requirements and obtained a J3 license, but they did not reach the grades necessary for promotion to J3, and the JFL era continued.

In the 2018 season, the team ranked 3rd in the JFL and was approved to participate in J3 on November 20th.

What is Vanrare Hachinohe's hometown?

A total of 16 municipalities in the Kamikita region, centered around Hachinohe City and Misawa City in eastern Aomori Prefecture.

The home stadium is ``Pry Foods Stadium (Hachinohe City Taga Multipurpose Stadium)'' in Hachinohe City, which is a stadium that has been maintained for Vanrare to meet J3 standards.

In addition, the team is asking the local government in its hometown to renovate several stadiums, including Higashi Sports Park Athletic Stadium in Hachinohe City, to J3 standards.

INFORMATION

• Team name: Vanrare Hachinohe
• Office address: 35 Nozawa, Nango-Oaza, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture
• Phone number: 0178-82-2925 (Secretariat: 0178-38-6644)
• URL: Vanrare Hachinohe official website

• Home stadium name: Pry Foods Stadium
• Location: 55-1 Ichikawago, Ichikawa-cho, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture
• Phone number: 0178-80-7597
• URL: Hachinohe City Taga Multipurpose Sports Ground Official Website

GOOGLE MAP

summary

In Aomori Prefecture, two teams belonging to the JFL soccer team, Rheinmeer Aomori FC and Brandieu Hirosaki FC, are aiming to join the J League.

In the near future, the J.League will have three teams: Hachinohe, Aomori, and Hirosaki, and expectations are high for a three-way "Aomori Derby" to be held, and basketball may also have more fun with the addition of professional teams.

Additionally, in Aomori, the Tohoku Free Blaze team, which participates in the professional ice hockey league Asia League, is based in Hachinohe City (double franchise with Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture).

Although they are not yet a fully professional team, they have achieved good results as a strong team in the Asia League.