Kamatamare Sanuki (カマタマーレ讃岐、Kamatamāre Sanuki) is a professional football club based in Takamatsu, the capital city of Kagawa Prefecture of Japan. They currently play in the J3 League, the Japanese third tier of professional football.
The first part of their name was coined by combining the Japanese word Kamatama (a type of udon noodle bowl) and the Italian Mare ("Sea"). The second part is what Kagawa Prefecture used to be called. Their name, as well as their crest, that features a kamatama udon bowl, gained a significant interest and recognition, as the club instantly became one of the most-known non-league sides in Japan when their new name and crest was announced in October 2005.
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History
The club was founded in 1956 as Takasho OB (Old Boys) Soccer Club (高商OBサッカークラブ) by the former students of Takamatsu Commercial High School's soccer club. Since renaming themselves Kagawa Shiun Football Club (香川紫雲フットボールクラブ) in 1991, they have been the leading football club in Kagawa, winning the Shikoku League Championship twice. The club's name changed again in 2000 to Sun Life (サンライフ) Football Club, when a consumer loan company Sun Life signed a sponsorship deal that continued until the end of the 2004 season.
In October 2005, after briefly being called Takamatsu Football Club, the club officially announced their intention to rise to J.League status and changed their name to Kamatamare Sanuki. In 2010 they won the non-league treble by winning the Shikoku League, the Shakaijin Cup and the Regional League Promotion Series, and by virtue of the latter they were at last promoted to the Japan Football League.
They entered the J3 League ahead of the season 2014, after finishing as runners-up in the Japan Football League in the previous season, having won the J2–J3 promotion/relegation playoff by beating Gainare Tottori 2–1 on aggregate. In 2018, Kamatamare Sanuki got relegated to the J3 League from 2019. On 26 September 2023, Kamatamare Sanuki was declared to have met the requirements to obtain a license up to the J1 League level.
Stadium
The home stadium is Kagawa Prefectural Marugame Stadium in Marugame City (from September 1, 2015 ~ August 31, 2025, it was called 'Pikara Stadium' under naming rights; from January 1, 2026~ under naming rights, 'Shikoku Kasei' It is called 'MEGLIO Stadium' (with a fixed seating capacity of 22,338), and is the only stadium in Kagawa Prefecture that meets the standards of a J1 license or higher. On the other hand, Yashima Rexam Field in Takamatsu City (capacity about 6,000 people) meets J3 standards, and since 2024, J3 official matches have been held at the same venue irregularly.
During the JFL era, the Kagawa Prefectural Sports Park Soccer and Rugby Stadium and Marugame Stadium in Takamatsu City were also used as their home stadiums. During the Shikoku League era, the Kagawa Prefectural General Sports Park Soccer and Rugby Field and Marugame Stadium were also used as their home stadiums.
After a complete renovation in April 2017, Yashima Rexam Field has been using the main stadium as a training ground several times a month. In the pre-renovation plan, there was a proposal to design a stadium that would meet at least J2 standards (10,000 seats at the time) for promotion to the J.League for Kamatamare, but issues such as noise, impact on surrounding traffic, and a renovation plan focused on football were raised in the council. As a result, at the city council plenary session held on March 8, 2011, Takamatsu Mayor Hideto Onishi announced a policy to develop the stadium to meet J.League standards at the initial stage, but in the future, renovations such as the stands will enable it to accommodate J2-level matches. As a result, the renewal plan to meet J2 standards was cancelled. Currently, Yashima Rexam Field has 5,000 seats, meeting the J3 standard (generally 5,000 or more). Even after being relegated to J3 in 2019, all home matches were held in Marugame, but following the October 6, 2024 match against Gainare Tottori, the club has now hosted Yashima about once or twice a year.
League record
Key
Current squad
As of 1 August 2026.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Coaching staff
As of 15 April 2026
In pop culture
The Kamatamare players made cameo appearances in the 2006 film "UDON" directed by Katsuyuki Motohiro[1].