On Sunday, February 1st, just six days before the start of MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE the "REDS START 2026 Rally supported by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries" was held at the Civic Square in front of the East Exit of Urawa Station (in front of Urawa PARCO) to build excitement for the new season, with the support of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and PARCO, and co-hosted by Saitama City.
A total of approximately 3,000 people attended the event, which ranged from the soccer attractions where children could play to the stage where guests and players appeared, livening up the city of Urawa, the team's hometown.





Starting at 10:00 a.m., the "Reds Park, the Town of Soccer" event will begin, with attractions that children can enjoy, such as "Fluffy Penalty Kick" and "Dribbling Time Attack."





There was also a photo corner set up for the mosaic art, which will be displayed on the walls of Urawa PARCO at a later date.





Many visitors lined up at each corner right from the start, and cheers and applause could be heard all over the venue.
One of the most popular games was "Subsoccer," a Finnish game. Two people sit across from each other across a table with a transparent top that houses a small soccer field, and kick a miniature ball back and forth. Parents and children, siblings, and friends all enjoyed serious three-minute matches.



This time too, the event was held in front of Urawa Station, so a wide variety of people participated.
A father who visited Urawa PARCO to shop said, "It's good that my child can play safely. I haven't been to many Reds Trial, but I do pay attention to the results."
A couple with a baby who came from Tokorozawa said with a smile, "We were interested in coming last year, but couldn't because the baby was just about to be born. This year, we'd like to go to Trial as a family of five." They also said, "Saitama Stadium is a little far away, so we're grateful for events like this at Urawa Station."
With its convenient location in front of the station, the ease of participation being free, and content that both adults and children could enjoy, Reds Park livened up the venue in the morning.



At "Comunale" on the 10th floor of Urawa PARCO, a rest area called "Halftime Space" was opened for people to take a short break from the day-long event. In addition to enjoying coloring books and explosive games, the Okinawa camp version of "InsideREDS", which is currently being streamed on Urawa Reds official YouTube channel, was also screened.



Also on display was a booth for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies, who will be resuming the 2025/26 WE League on Sunday the 15th. They conveyed to visitors their determination to make a comeback and win the championship.



This time, the event was co-hosted with Saitama City, and a promotional booth for the Saitama Marathon 2026, which will be held on Sunday the 8th, was also exhibited.
Tournament merchandise was also on sale at the booth, and Sekiguchi Yusuke, assistant section chief of the Sports Events Division, Sports Department, Saitama City Sports and Culture Bureau, said, "The Saitama Marathon is on February 8th, the day after MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE kicks off, so we were given the opportunity to promote the event."



Entries for the race have already closed, but the Saitama Marathon Festival 2026, which is free for everyone to participate in, will be held at Keyaki Square next to Saitama Super Arena, the starting point, and Urawa Reds will also have a booth.
Additionally, Shinzo Koroki, Reds Youth Coach, and Mayu Sasaki, Reds Heart-full Club Coach, will compete in the Enjoyment Run Division (3km), and Tomoyuki Sakai, Reds Heart-full Club Coach, will compete in the Marathon Division. Stewards from the Reds Supporters Association are also scheduled to volunteer to help run the event.
Sekiguchi said, "The events in front of the station are exciting, and it really shows that the Reds have taken root in the city. With Saitama City's population growing, I think it will also be good PR for newcomers."
Coach Sakai also appeared on stage and said with a smile, "When I receive cheers while I'm running, it gives me strength. It's the same feeling I had when I was Trial."



After the marathon segment, a promotion event was held on stage for "REDS TV GGR," a Reds support program currently being broadcast on Saitama TV.
Moriwaki Ryota, who became the new MC in January this year, and Takahashi Haruka, who has continued to serve as an assistant since last year, appeared in the show's uniforms.



At the beginning, Moriwaki hesitantly asked the audience, "Does anyone have anything to say about my MCing?" A young boy enthusiastically raised his hand. While one might expect harsh criticism, he instead offered pure praise, saying, "You always say funny things, so I hope you'll keep up the good work." Moriwaki, who had been prepared for a public scolding, was delighted, exclaiming, "I'm so happy!" The next boy also offered similar support, and the entire venue was filled with warm, laughter. Assistant Takahashi also made his presence felt, reporting on the team's training camp in Okinawa and passionately highlighting the "breakaways behind the defense" and "scoring ability" of college graduate rookie Renji Hidano. Moriwaki couldn't help but exclaim, "You've noticed some good points!"
The segment concluded with the customary (or perhaps not so customary?) chant of "Positive!", which livened up the venue.



At 3pm, the "Become a Family! Reds Presentation Championship" began. In this event, members who love the J.League and Urawa Reds gave presentations under the guidance of Natsumi Asai, a familiar stadium MC at home games, in order to encourage even beginners to soccer to visit the stadium.

This time, the interviewer, representing a beginner soccer fan, is former Hinatazaka46 member and non-no model, Mirei Sasaki, who is currently an actress. Although she was a soccer club manager in high school, she doesn't have much experience watching soccer.



In order to win her attention, three presenters took to the microphone.
The first speaker was comedian Kakaroni Sugaya, who became a hot topic for his support at the 2018 Russia World Cup. He introduced the "magic phrase" that will help you become friends with supporters even if you don't have much knowledge, saying, "I don't really understand soccer..." before sharing his tactical insight that only experts would enjoy, as well as his secret tricks for tweeting about the perspectives of supporters.
Sasaki muttered exactly as he'd been taught, "When Gustafsson touches the ball, it looks like the opponent is in trouble, even though he's still far from the goal," which elicited laughter from the audience.







Next, J.League Honorary Women's Manager Rika Adachi took the stage.
Adachi says, "The J.League isn't just about Trial," and he focuses on the stadium gourmet and Saitama Stadium's grass field. He explains that the appeal of the stadium is that after playing in the park with your family and enjoying delicious food, you can enjoy Trial and then go home and think, "I had a great day today."






Adachi interrupted Sugaya, who was preparing a topic on "trips to watch away games," by saying, "That's what I want to say most!" He recommended a plan to stay the night before and enjoy hot springs and local cuisine. He also emphasized the "community contribution" aspect, in that having many Reds supporters rush to watch away games revitalizes the town and makes them feel welcomed by the locals. "When Reds supporters come, the town becomes lively. That's the value of the club," he said in his earnest presentation. Sugaya, who seemed to have had his story stolen from him, could only nod deeply and say, "That's true."



Finally, Moriwaki Ryota, who had been the MC up until this point, gave a passionate speech as the presenter. He spoke about the "gap between the pitch and everyday life" that only a player can understand, and above all, the "passion of the supporters."
Moriwaki described the booing directed at him as "love" and shared an experience where he was cheered on by supporters who drowned out the booing during a difficult time. He emphasized the warmth at the core of the supporters, who may appear strict at first glance.





After listening to three different presentations, Sasaki chose Moriwaki as the best presenter.
The reason for the selection was, of course, the content of the presentation, but also the warm atmosphere that permeated the venue.

Sasaki said, "I was moved by the warmth of the loving booing directed at Moriwaki," and added, "I could see from the stage that the corners of the fans and supporters' mouths were constantly turned up, and I thought it was really wonderful," revealing his charm in the atmosphere created by the entire Reds family.
After receiving the winning trophy, Moriwaki performed his signature "Moriwaki act." This "original" performance, which hadn't been seen in a long time, once again generated loving boos and big laughs, and the second part ended in a warm atmosphere.









Sugaya's presentation : https://x.com/REDSOFFICIAL/status/2017917922199650754?s=20

Adachi's presentation : https://x.com/REDSOFFICIAL/status/2017919397999091727?s=20

Moriwaki's presentation : https://x.com/REDSOFFICIAL/status/2017920979796914415?s=20

Results announcement : https://x.com/REDSOFFICIAL/status/2017923163179642986?s=20

At 4:10 PM, the long-awaited stage for the athletes begins.
First, it was announced for the first time at this event that Ryoma Watanabe had been chosen as this season's captain, which elicited surprised and understanding reactions from the audience.
Next up were Yuta Miyamoto, who returned from a temporary transfer, and Renji Hidano a rookie who joined from Toin Yokohama University.





Miyamoto, who was also announced as one of the vice-captains at the event, said, "During my two years in Kyoto, I also gained experience as a center back. I hope you will take note of that." Hidano declared with confidence, "I want to score some spectacular goals with my left foot, which is my strength. I will score the first goal."



In their messages to fans and supporters, Hidano said, "I want to contribute with my goals so that we can win the title," and Miyamoto said, "This is a time of change, but I hope you will support us until the end."



Next, Shusaku Nishikawa and Kenta Nemoto took the stage.



Nemoto said, "Communication has increased since the training camp and our team strength has improved," while Nishikawa said, "Nemoto and Miyamoto have been encouraging us with positive comments, which has been helpful. Nemoto's left-footed passes are also a weapon."



Finally, Nemoto vowed to the fans and supporters, "Urawa Reds is a club that should always continue to win titles. We will fight with all our might in every game," and Nishikawa made a strong comment, "I definitely want to return to the Asian stage. Beyond that there is the FIFA Club World Cup."





The "REDS START 2026 Rally" continued from 10:00 a.m. At the end, Natsumi Asai said, "I think this energy will be a great source of strength for the players. I would like to ask for your enthusiastic support this season as well," and the large crowd that filled the venue, along with the players and mascots, all chanted "We are REDS!" to conclude the pre-season event.







[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]