On Monday, the 4th (a public holiday), a 20th-anniversary ceremony was held at "Reds Land," a multi-purpose sports facility operated by Urawa Reds.
Reds Land had its soft opening on July 17, 2005, and was created with the aim of fostering a regional sports culture, embodying the J.League's philosophy of "J.League 100-Year Vision - Towards a Happier Country Through Sports."
It is one of Urawa Reds' activity bases, and has been steadily progressing as a community-oriented space where diverse sports and people intersect, not just limited to soccer.
On the day of the event, blessed with fine weather, many visitors gathered at the venue, and various programs such as Kids Festa 2026 were held, creating a scene of people of all ages enjoying sports.
At the ceremony, guests included Saburo Kawabuchi, the first chairman of the J.League who also attended the opening event 20 years ago, and Motoaki Inukai (former representative of Urawa Reds), the creator of Reds Land, who spoke about the 20-year journey and their outlook for the future.



The ceremony began with an opening declaration by Kazunori Inomata, a director of Reds Land and chairman of Urawa Reds Supporters' Association. At the outset, he expressed his gratitude for the 20 years of working together with the community and called on attendees to "enjoy this day together with everyone who came."



Speaking as a guest, Hayato Shimizu Shimizu reflected on the early days of the facility, stating, "The first to realize the J.League's 100-Year Vision was Urawa Reds' Reds Land, led by then-CEO Inukai." He added that Reds Land was a pioneering initiative, the origin of Saitama City's goal of becoming "the city with the most smiles in Japan through sports," and a source of pride for its citizens, expressing his hope for continued collaboration.



Furthermore, Saitama City Council Chairman Ito shared an anecdote from his interactions with other cities, saying that "when the topic of soccer comes up, Saitama City is seen as a strong city because of the presence of Urawa Reds," highlighting how the presence of Urawa Reds contributes to Saitama City's pride and enhances the city's image.



In the following talk session, Part 1, "J.League Centennial Vision," Saburo Kawabuchi, the first chairman of the J.League, took the stage. Moderated by Natsumi Asai (Urawa Reds stadium MC), he spoke with soccer journalist Yoshiyuki Osumi about the significance of the creation of Reds Land.

Kawabuchi recalled that when he first visited the site after being contacted by Inukai, he was deeply moved, thinking, "My ideal of an environment where everyone can enjoy sports has been realized." He added, "I felt it was a facility comparable to the sports facility Duisburg (Sports School Wedau) in Germany." He further revealed that he "thought it was the best facility I could have hoped for, and I burst into tears when I said goodbye."
He also mentioned the flooding damage caused by the typhoon in 2019. "I thought it would be impossible to rebuild, but it was revived thanks to the efforts of the local people and volunteers," he said, expressing his gratitude for the strong feelings that went beyond mere "duty and compassion" that were behind it.




The host then asked Kawabuchi what he thought of the Kids Festa, to which he replied, "Seeing the children's smiles everywhere, I felt that Japan has changed." He then added that while such facilities and environments are important for children, they are not yet adequately provided.
In addition, while acknowledging that "Japan is by no means a world-class sporting nation," he emphasized the importance of an environment where children can freely move their bodies, jumping, running, and lying down on the grass. He stated that "it's not just about winning or losing, but it's important that a competitive spirit, a 'I won't be defeated' attitude, is naturally nurtured through play," reiterating the significance of places like Reds Land.
He also stated, "I hope that a new sport will be created at Redsland that everyone can enjoy, regardless of athletic ability," expressing his hope that the place will become a place where even people who are not good at sports or who dislike sports can find it "interesting" and enjoy it from day one, by thinking outside the box of existing sports. Later, when the topic turned to the creation of a new sport, he responded to the host's call by saying, "I will take the lead in taking on the challenge," and also smiled as he said, "I would love to come up with a name for the sport," and the venue was filled with a friendly atmosphere throughout.



In the second part of the talk session, "The Reds Land Concept," Motoaki Inukai, the founder of Reds Land, took the stage along with Sakiko Ikeda, who grew up in this place as a player for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies, and Tomoya UGAJIN, a graduate of Urawa Reds Academy and currently in charge of strengthening Urawa Reds U-21 team.





Inukai recalled the time when he made the immediate decision to "use this entire plot of land for Urawa Reds" after the contract for the Tokyo University of Agriculture grounds, the predecessor of Reds Land, expired. He said, "When you try to start something, there will be people who stand in your way, but if you don't let that bother you and just take on the challenge, you will gather many times more allies than those who oppose you," emphasizing the importance of taking action first.
When asked by the host how he felt about the Kids Festa, he began by saying, "That's what soccer is all about," and spoke of the culture he had seen in Europe where families and friends gather around grass fields and spend time kicking a ball around, saying, "We have finally been able to make such a scene a reality here," showing his satisfaction with the realization of what Redsland had been aiming for.
He then revealed the origin of his concept, saying, "I wanted to create a place in Japan where families and local people could naturally gather and enjoy sports," and reflected on the efforts he made to realize it in just four months.



Ikeda, who has played at Reds Land since his junior youth days, said, "It was a blessing to be able to practice on the grass field while watching top players beside me," and expressed his determination to pass on this value to his younger teammates.



Ugajin recalled the founding of Reds Land, saying, "It was created in the final year of the Reds Youth program," and shared his memories of that time, saying, "When I was in the junior youth program, we practiced at the Tokyo University of Agriculture grounds, and it was really special to be able to play on the beautiful grass of Reds Land on weekends." He revealed that he appreciated the value of the environment, saying, "I was so happy to be able to play on that grass. It was a luxurious environment."
He also mentioned the flooding caused by the typhoon in 2019, saying he was "very shocked" by the images from immediately after the disaster. He explained that he thought it would take time for the club to take action, so he decided to do what he could first, reaching out to players from the academy and launching his own crowdfunding campaign. While acknowledging that "there are limits to what I can do alone," he reflected that "because this place was created from the thoughts of many people, I wanted to gather those thoughts once again." He shared an anecdote about receiving support from rival clubs, and reflected that he "once again felt the immense power of soccer and sports." He also stated that "we must carry on the aspirations of Mr. Kawabuchi and Mr. Inukai," and touched upon the importance of "Reds Land" as "a place to learn what Urawa Reds is."



Finally, Makoto Taguchi, representative of Urawa Reds and representative director of Reds Land, gave the closing remarks.
Taguchi stated, "What was a groundbreaking concept at the time has become the identity of Urawa Reds 20 years later," and expressed his determination for the future, saying, "We will not only continue to create excitement in the stadium, but will also continue to walk together with the community through Reds Land."
They also introduced a new concept visual that was unveiled last July to coincide with the 20th anniversary.
The ceremony concluded with the statement that the slogan, "Sharing smiles with the community, forever," embodies the journey taken so far alongside the people of the community and the desire to continue supporting them in the future.





As Redsland celebrates its 20th anniversary, it will continue to walk hand in hand with the community as a place where people of all ages can connect and smiles are nurtured through sports and various activities.



[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]