Gunma Crane Thunders Clinch B.League Championship Berth for Second Consecutive Year!
Gunma Crane Thunders, owned by Open House Group, has officially secured its spot in the B.League Championship for the second year in a row, aiming for its first league title.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 26, 2026 at 04:36
- 🔍 Collected: April 25, 2026 at 20:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 25, 2026 at 21:08 (1h 6m after Collected)
Open House Group Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Ryosuke Fukuoka) has announced that the Gunma Crane Thunders, a B1 league team in the Japan Professional Basketball League (B.LEAGUE) owned by the group, has officially secured a spot in the B.League Championship. This marks the second consecutive year for the team, following their first-ever appearance last year. They will compete for their first league title in the upcoming 'Resona Group B.LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP 2025-26' next month.
The B.League Championship is limited to only eight clubs: the first and second-place clubs from each district in the B1 league, and the top four clubs among the remaining 22 teams. These eight clubs compete in a tournament format to determine the season's champion.
Following the results of the league games on Saturday, April 25, Gunma Crane Thunders secured a top-8 finish in the 'Resona Group B.LEAGUE 2025-26' B1 league season, confirming their advancement to the championship.
Since Open House Group began managing the club in June 2019, the Gunma Crane Thunders have steadily improved their performance. This second consecutive championship appearance follows their historic first appearance in the 2024-2025 season.
Under the slogan 'PLAY CRAZY,' Open House Group will continue to fully support the Gunma Crane Thunders as they strive for their long-awaited 'Victory,' turning their home arena, 'Open House Arena Ota,' into a whirlpool of excitement.
About Gunma Crane Thunders:
The Gunma Crane Thunders achieved their first championship appearance in the 2024-25 season. This season, they continue to fight for the title under Head Coach Kyle Milling with the slogan 'PLAY CRAZY.'
The team's home arena, 'Open House Arena Ota,' completed in April 2023, is a cutting-edge facility with a capacity of approximately 5,000. It features one of Japan's largest movable center visions, a world-class sound system, and suite rooms for spectators, embodying the 'B.Innovation'—the world's most unconventional live sports entertainment aimed for by the B.League. Since the 2023-24 season, the average attendance has exceeded 5,100. Along with increased ticket sales and fan club memberships, the club's revenue has grown to over 2 billion yen. From the 2026-27 season, the team will join the 'B.LEAGUE PREMIER,' the highest division of the new league system.
Details:
- Team: B1 League East District
- Started Activity: 2011
- Hometown: Ota City
- Home Arena: Open House Arena Ota
- Major Records:
- 2016-17: B2 East District Champion
- 2018-19: B2 East District Champion, Playoff Runner-up
- 2020-21: B2 East District Champion, Playoff Winner (Promoted to B1)
- 2023-24: B1 East District 4th (31-29)
- 2024-25: B1 East District 3rd (39-21), First Championship Berth
Regional Co-creation Business of Open House Group:
The Open House Group aims to actively contribute to the vitality of regional areas as part of its business vision. We work with various stakeholders, including local governments, to solve regional issues and create new value through 'Regional Co-creation' by utilizing regional resources and characteristics. By addressing issues in each region and taking measures to revitalize them, we aim to create human flow, generate employment, and achieve a sustainable society.
Current Major Initiatives:
- OPEN HOUSE ARENA OTA (Public-Private Partnership)
- Gunma Crane Thunders
- Minakami Onsen Town Revitalization
- Gunma Minakami Hodagi Ski/Camp Resort
- KIRINAN BASE (Utilization of former Kiryu Minami High School site)
- Open House Forest (Forest conservation activities)
Regional Co-creation Project URL: https://kyoso.openhouse-group.co.jp/
Open House Group Website: https://openhouse-group.co.jp/
Open House Website: https://oh.openhouse-group.com/
Company Overview:
- Name: Open House Group Inc.
- Headquarters: 2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
The B.League Championship is limited to only eight clubs: the first and second-place clubs from each district in the B1 league, and the top four clubs among the remaining 22 teams. These eight clubs compete in a tournament format to determine the season's champion.
Following the results of the league games on Saturday, April 25, Gunma Crane Thunders secured a top-8 finish in the 'Resona Group B.LEAGUE 2025-26' B1 league season, confirming their advancement to the championship.
Since Open House Group began managing the club in June 2019, the Gunma Crane Thunders have steadily improved their performance. This second consecutive championship appearance follows their historic first appearance in the 2024-2025 season.
Under the slogan 'PLAY CRAZY,' Open House Group will continue to fully support the Gunma Crane Thunders as they strive for their long-awaited 'Victory,' turning their home arena, 'Open House Arena Ota,' into a whirlpool of excitement.
About Gunma Crane Thunders:
The Gunma Crane Thunders achieved their first championship appearance in the 2024-25 season. This season, they continue to fight for the title under Head Coach Kyle Milling with the slogan 'PLAY CRAZY.'
The team's home arena, 'Open House Arena Ota,' completed in April 2023, is a cutting-edge facility with a capacity of approximately 5,000. It features one of Japan's largest movable center visions, a world-class sound system, and suite rooms for spectators, embodying the 'B.Innovation'—the world's most unconventional live sports entertainment aimed for by the B.League. Since the 2023-24 season, the average attendance has exceeded 5,100. Along with increased ticket sales and fan club memberships, the club's revenue has grown to over 2 billion yen. From the 2026-27 season, the team will join the 'B.LEAGUE PREMIER,' the highest division of the new league system.
Details:
- Team: B1 League East District
- Started Activity: 2011
- Hometown: Ota City
- Home Arena: Open House Arena Ota
- Major Records:
- 2016-17: B2 East District Champion
- 2018-19: B2 East District Champion, Playoff Runner-up
- 2020-21: B2 East District Champion, Playoff Winner (Promoted to B1)
- 2023-24: B1 East District 4th (31-29)
- 2024-25: B1 East District 3rd (39-21), First Championship Berth
Regional Co-creation Business of Open House Group:
The Open House Group aims to actively contribute to the vitality of regional areas as part of its business vision. We work with various stakeholders, including local governments, to solve regional issues and create new value through 'Regional Co-creation' by utilizing regional resources and characteristics. By addressing issues in each region and taking measures to revitalize them, we aim to create human flow, generate employment, and achieve a sustainable society.
Current Major Initiatives:
- OPEN HOUSE ARENA OTA (Public-Private Partnership)
- Gunma Crane Thunders
- Minakami Onsen Town Revitalization
- Gunma Minakami Hodagi Ski/Camp Resort
- KIRINAN BASE (Utilization of former Kiryu Minami High School site)
- Open House Forest (Forest conservation activities)
Regional Co-creation Project URL: https://kyoso.openhouse-group.co.jp/
Open House Group Website: https://openhouse-group.co.jp/
Open House Website: https://oh.openhouse-group.com/
Company Overview:
- Name: Open House Group Inc.
- Headquarters: 2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo