is a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese professional football (soccer)

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2

J. League Division 2

The or is the second division of and is the second-tier professional association football league in Japan. Currently, J. League Division 2 is the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The first tier is represented by J...

. The team is located in Tokushima

Tokushima, Tokushima

is the capital city of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island in Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city had an estimated population of 263,372, with 114,325 households, and a population density of 1,377.25 persons per km². Its total area is 191.23 km²....

, Tokushima Prefecture

Tokushima Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is the city of Tokushima.- Tokushima Prefecture and Myodo Prefecture :Long ago, Tokushima City belonged to a region known as Myōdō-gun...

. Their home stadium is Naruto Athletic Stadium

Naruto Athletic Stadium

Pocarisweat Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Naruto, Tokushima, Japan. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It serves as a home ground of Tokushima Vortis. The stadium holds 20,441 people.- External links :*...

, in Naruto, Tokushima

Naruto, Tokushima

is a city in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan.In the quinquennial census of 2010, the city had a population of 61,522 . With a total area of the population density is 454 persons per km².The city was founded on March 15, 1947....

.

The name, "Vortis" was named in 1997 (see below), and it was explained as a combination of Italian

Italian language

Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

 "Vortice" (meaning whirlpool

Whirlpool

A whirlpool is a swirling body of water usually produced by ocean tides. The vast majority of whirlpools are not very powerful. More powerful ones are more properly termed maelstroms. Vortex is the proper term for any whirlpool that has a downdraft...

, after the famous Naruto whirlpool

Naruto whirlpool

The are tidal whirlpools in the Naruto Strait, a channel between Naruto in Tokushima and Awaji Island in Hyōgo, Japan.The strait between Naruto and Awaji island has a width of about . The strait is one of the connections between the Pacific Ocean and the Inland Sea, a body of water separating...

 in Naruto Strait

Naruto Strait

is a strait between Awaji Island and Shikoku in Japan. It connects Harima nada, the eastern part of the Inland Sea and Kii Channel. A famous feature of the strait is the Naruto whirlpools. Ōnaruto Bridge, the southern part of Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge crosses over it....

) , with the initials of other provinces in Shikoku

Shikoku

is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...

 island, Tosa Province

Tosa Province

is the name of a former province of Japan in the area that is today Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku. Tosa was bordered by Iyo and Awa Provinces. It was sometimes called .-History:The ancient capital was near modern Nankoku...

 (now Kochi Prefecture

Kochi Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...

), Iyo Province

Iyo Province

was an old province of Japan in the area that is today Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku. Iyo bordered on Awa, Sanuki, and Tosa Provinces. It was sometimes called ....

 (now Ehime Prefecture

Ehime Prefecture

is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...

), and Sanuki Province

Sanuki Province

was an old province of Japan on the island of Shikoku, with the same boundaries as modern Kagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called .It faced the Inland Sea and bordered on Awa and Iyo Provinces. Across Naruto strait it bordered Awaji Province too. Administratively it was included as a part of...

 (now Kagawa Prefecture

Kagawa Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:...

). Ehime FC in Matsuyama, Ehime

Matsuyama, Ehime

is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture on the Shikoku island of Japan. It is located on the northeastern portion of the Dōgo Plain. Its name means "pine mountain." The city was founded on December 15, 1889....

 has since joined J.League, however, thereby nullifying Vortis' claim to represent all of Shikoku.

History

Founded in 1955 as Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co.

, abbreviated OPC, is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Tokyo, Osaka and Naruto, Japan. The company was established August 10, 1964, and currently has approximately 27,000 employees worldwide. The company focuses on pharmaceuticals related to nutrition...

, Ltd. Soccer Club, VORTIS joined the J-League in 2005. They are still sponsored by Otsuka's best-known brand, Pocari Sweat

Pocari Sweat

is a popular Japanese soft drink and sports drink, manufactured by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. It was launched in 1980 and is now also available in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East....

 sports drink

Sports drink

A sports drink beverage is designed to help athletes rehydrate when fluids are depleted after training or competition. Electrolyte replacement promotes proper rehydration, which is important in delaying the onset of fatigue during exercise...

.

They were first promoted to the old Japan Soccer League

Japan Soccer League

, or JSL, was the top flight soccer league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J. League. JSL was the second national league of a team sport in Japan after the professional Japanese Baseball League that was founded in 1936...

 Division 2 in 1989, but the company's reluctance to professionalize the team forced it to compete in the former JFL

Japan Football League (former)

The former was an association football league that existed from 1992 to 1998. Also known as the JFL, it was the 2nd tier of the Japanese football hierarchy following J...

 and current JFL

Japan Football League

The is the 3rd tier of the Japanese association football league system, following J. League Division 1 and J. League Division 2. Also known as the JFL, it is generally considered as the top amateur league in Japan although in reality it is a semi-professional league as many full-time footballers...

. In the 1997 old JFL season, they first sported a Vortis Tokushima name, but the lack of fan interest at the time forced them to go back to the corporate identity. They finally adopted the Tokushima Vortis name for good after winning the new JFL championship in 2004 and being promoted.

The first season in J2 was naturally a difficult one for Vortis, but they surprised many sceptics with their determination and quality of play. The team rose as high as fourth place, at one point, before slipping down the table later in the season to finish ninth. In 2006, the team was forced to rebuild, as the players who took the team into the J.League began to hit the ceiling of their abilities, and made way for younger replace, ments. As a result, despoite the encouragement of a local rivalry with Ehime FC, Tokushima drifted down-table, and they followed it up with a last-place finish in 2007 and 2008. Clearly, there is still a long ways to go before the team can compete effectively at this level. For the time being, the objective for Tokushima Vortis fans will be to establish themselves as a solid and competitive team with healthy finances. Until this task is completed, it is too soon to start thinking about the next step, and the possibility of one day earning promotion to the J1; until then, they remain the only former JSL member currently a member of the J. League which has never competed in the top tier of Japanese football.

Record as J. League member

Season	Div.	Tms.	Pos.	Attendance/G	J. League Cup J. League Cup J. League Cup is a Japanese football competition organized by J. League. It is also known as Yamazaki Nabisco Cup or Nabisco Cup because confectionery/bakery company Yamazaki Nabisco have sponsored the competition since its inception in 1992.It is generally regarded as the Japanese equivalent to...	Emperor's Cup Emperor's Cup , commonly known as or , is a Japanese association football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J. League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, Japan Soccer League...
2005 2005 J. League Division 2 The 2005 J. League Division 2 season is the 34th season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 7th season since the establishment of J2 League....	J2	12	9	4,366	-	4th Round
2006 2006 J. League Division 2 The 2006 J. League Division 2 season is the 35th season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 8th season since the establishment of J2 League....	J2	13	13	3,477	-	4th Round
2007 2007 J. League Division 2 The 2007 J. League Division 2 season is the 36th season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 9th season since the establishment of J2 League. The season began on March 3 and ended on December 1....	J2	13	13	3,289	-	4th Round
2008 2008 J. League Division 2 The 2008 J. League Division 2 season is the 37th season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 10th season since the establishment of J2 League. The season started on March 8 and ended on December 6....	J2	15	15	3,862	-	3rd Round
2009 2009 J. League Division 2 The 2009 J. League Division 2 season was the 38th season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 11th season since the establishment of J2 League. The season started on March 7 and ended on December 5....	J2	18	9	4,073	-	2nd Round
2010 2010 J. League Division 2 The 2010 J. League Division 2 season was the 39th season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 12th season since the establishment of J2 League. The season began on March 6 and ended on December 4....	J2	19	8	4,614	-	3rd Round

Key

• Tms. = Number of teams
• Pos. = Position in league
• Attendance/G = Average league attendance

Honours

• Japan Football League
  Japan Football League
  The is the 3rd tier of the Japanese association football league system, following J. League Division 1 and J. League Division 2. Also known as the JFL, it is generally considered as the top amateur league in Japan although in reality it is a semi-professional league as many full-time footballers...
  
  : 2

2003, 2004

• Shikoku Soccer League: 1

1989

Current players

As of July 22, 2010

Out on loan

Managers

Manager	Nat.	Tenure
Kunio Yamade		1988–1992
Hajime Ishii		1993–1995
Edinho		1996–1998
Shinji Tanaka		1999–2006
Yutaka Azuma		2006
Masataka Imai Masataka Imai Masataka Imai is a Japanese football coach and former player.-References:**-External links:* at FIFA.com...		2007
Naohiko Minobe		2008-

External links

Tokushima Vortis Official Web Site