Docomo Mirai Field FC Gifu Event Report: A Project for Children to Discover Dreams in Professional Environments

The "Docomo Mirai Field," with the full cooperation of FC Gifu, held a special event on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Gifu Memorial Center Nagaragawa Stadium to support children's dreams and futures through soccer. The "Docomo Mirai Field" is a project designed to create opportunities for children to experience various "professional worlds" and discover important lessons and dreams. It is part of the "Docomo Mirai Project," which connects individual potential to the future while walking alongside children. With the cooperation of numerous partners, including the National Museum of Nature and Science, J-League clubs, and the Ohashi Boxing Gym where Naoya Inoue belongs, the project has provided spaces to experience various genres of "professional worlds." On the day, 56 pairs (112 people), including elementary school students from 1st to 6th grade and their guardians, participated. The first program was the "Disaster Prevention Soccer Clinic" featuring former FC Gifu captain Tadatsugu Takeda. Children engaged seriously in the program, learning about disaster prevention while enjoying soccer. They started with a disaster prevention reaction game, learning how to "protect their heads" during earthquakes and "cover their mouths and noses" during fires through physical movement. Next, they wore AR goggles to experience kicking a soccer ball while viewing footage of water reaching their knees, feeling the difficulty of controlling the ball with only their feet in limited visibility. It was a valuable opportunity to deepen their understanding of disaster prevention through simulated experiences. The clinic concluded with a parent-child soccer match involving all 112 participants. On the natural grass pitch where professional players actually play, parents and children ran and chased the ball together. The heated battle between children wanting to beat their parents and parents not wanting to lose to their children brought great excitement to the venue. After the clinic, the children had thrilling special experiences, splitting into groups for "pitch-side tours" and "escort kids." During the pitch-side tour, they saw the sharp plays and serious expressions of FC Gifu players wrapped in pre-match tension from an area usually off-limits. In the escort kids program, children held hands with their favorite players and entered the pitch amidst cheers, feeling the stadium's heat with the players. Finally, they watched the match. About 5,800 spectators gathered, and the stadium was filled with excitement. Children cheered for FC Gifu with all their might. FC Gifu won 5-1, and the children were jumping with joy at every goal. It was a moving moment. Children who experienced the professional world of FC Gifu expressed their joy, saying, "I was happy to see my favorite FC Gifu players up close." This valuable experience will surely be a great stimulus for the children. We will continue to support children working hard toward their dreams!