Iris Ohyama Increases Stake in Vegalta Sendai to Become Top Shareholder, Eyeing Future Group Integration
Iris Ohyama announced it will increase its investment ratio in the professional soccer club Vegalta Sendai, becoming the top shareholder with over one-third of the voting rights. The company aims for complete group integration in the future to stabilize club management and contribute to regional development.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 3, 2026 at 20:02
- 🔍 Collected: April 3, 2026 at 11:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 03:49 (424h 18m after Collected)
Iris Ohyama Inc. (Headquarters: Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture; President: Akihiro Ohyama) will increase its investment ratio in Vegalta Sendai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture; President: Hideki Itabashi; hereinafter, Vegalta Sendai). At the Vegalta Sendai Board of Directors meeting held today, a resolution of approval was passed, and our company's voting rights ratio is expected to exceed 1/3, making us the top shareholder. Furthermore, upon the conclusion of a share transfer agreement by April 22, 2026, Vegalta Sendai is scheduled to become an affiliated company of Iris Ohyama.
Aiming to revitalize local communities through sports, our company is engaged in promoting regional sports in various fields, mainly in Miyagi Prefecture. This includes founding and operating a rowing club, as well as sponsoring professional baseball teams, professional basketball teams, and youth soccer leagues. Also, starting in 2025, moving beyond traditional sponsorship activities, we will launch a new program to directly support retired athletes and active athletes looking toward their second careers, working to create an environment where local children can safely aspire to become professional athletes.
Vegalta Sendai is deeply loved by many citizens as a community-based professional soccer club with the entire Miyagi Prefecture as its hometown, developing as a symbol of Tohoku's sports culture. To strengthen initiatives closely aligned with the community beyond just regional promotion through soccer, they formed the "Vegalta Sendai Hometown Cheering Squad." They participate in regional events, visit schools to create an environment where children can grow with dreams, and run soccer caravans to popularize the sport. Furthermore, they conduct a wide range of social contribution activities year-round, such as actively engaging in disaster prevention and mitigation activities to support the reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Our company has continuously served as Vegalta Sendai's uniform partner since 2000, building a partnership over many years. Deeply resonating with the community-based activities promoted by the club as a sports team representing Miyagi Prefecture, we decided to increase our investment ratio. Moving forward, we will strengthen our relationship into a structure where we can jointly drive core areas such as club management and training environment development. We will further contribute to building a sustainable future city, including revitalizing local communities through sports and creating environments where children bearing the future can grow with dreams. Additionally, in the future, we aim to secure a majority of voting rights, bringing Vegalta Sendai in as a member of the Iris Group to realize an even stronger collaborative framework.
Through sports support, our company will continue to contribute to the further revitalization of local communities.
■ Specific Partnership Vision
1. Financial Stabilization
To ensure the sustainability of club management, we will strengthen the financial foundation from a medium- to long-term management perspective.
2. Improvement of Training Environments Centered on the Top Team
In addition to past support in facilities and equipment, such as installing artificial turf grounds and renovating the clubhouse, we will build upon this foundation to support the creation of an environment where players can maximize their performance.
3. Enhancement of Stadium and Viewing Experience
To develop the stadium as a regional hub for interaction, we will promote initiatives aimed at improving the viewing experience and expanding the number of visitors.
4. Fan Expansion and Revenue Model Strengthening through Digital Utilization and Regional Collaboration
Aiming to expand the club's fan base and create ripple effects in the local economy, we will combine digital technology and regional collaboration for marketing
Aiming to revitalize local communities through sports, our company is engaged in promoting regional sports in various fields, mainly in Miyagi Prefecture. This includes founding and operating a rowing club, as well as sponsoring professional baseball teams, professional basketball teams, and youth soccer leagues. Also, starting in 2025, moving beyond traditional sponsorship activities, we will launch a new program to directly support retired athletes and active athletes looking toward their second careers, working to create an environment where local children can safely aspire to become professional athletes.
Vegalta Sendai is deeply loved by many citizens as a community-based professional soccer club with the entire Miyagi Prefecture as its hometown, developing as a symbol of Tohoku's sports culture. To strengthen initiatives closely aligned with the community beyond just regional promotion through soccer, they formed the "Vegalta Sendai Hometown Cheering Squad." They participate in regional events, visit schools to create an environment where children can grow with dreams, and run soccer caravans to popularize the sport. Furthermore, they conduct a wide range of social contribution activities year-round, such as actively engaging in disaster prevention and mitigation activities to support the reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Our company has continuously served as Vegalta Sendai's uniform partner since 2000, building a partnership over many years. Deeply resonating with the community-based activities promoted by the club as a sports team representing Miyagi Prefecture, we decided to increase our investment ratio. Moving forward, we will strengthen our relationship into a structure where we can jointly drive core areas such as club management and training environment development. We will further contribute to building a sustainable future city, including revitalizing local communities through sports and creating environments where children bearing the future can grow with dreams. Additionally, in the future, we aim to secure a majority of voting rights, bringing Vegalta Sendai in as a member of the Iris Group to realize an even stronger collaborative framework.
Through sports support, our company will continue to contribute to the further revitalization of local communities.
■ Specific Partnership Vision
1. Financial Stabilization
To ensure the sustainability of club management, we will strengthen the financial foundation from a medium- to long-term management perspective.
2. Improvement of Training Environments Centered on the Top Team
In addition to past support in facilities and equipment, such as installing artificial turf grounds and renovating the clubhouse, we will build upon this foundation to support the creation of an environment where players can maximize their performance.
3. Enhancement of Stadium and Viewing Experience
To develop the stadium as a regional hub for interaction, we will promote initiatives aimed at improving the viewing experience and expanding the number of visitors.
4. Fan Expansion and Revenue Model Strengthening through Digital Utilization and Regional Collaboration
Aiming to expand the club's fan base and create ripple effects in the local economy, we will combine digital technology and regional collaboration for marketing