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Press Release

May. 20, 2021

TOYO TIRES joins you in supporting the Japan National Football Teams Signs agreement with the JFA as a supporting company

Toyo Tire Corporation (“TOYO TIRES”; Headquarters: Itami City, Hyogo Prefecture; President & CEO: Takashi Shimizu) is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with the Japan Football Association (JFA; location: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; President: Kohzo Tashima) to become a supporting company for the Japan National Football Teams.

TOYO TIRES will continue to support all categories of Japan National Football Teams: the Japan National Football Team, nicknamed SAMURAI BLUE; the Japan Women’s National Football Team, known as Nadeshiko Japan; national teams by age group; the Japan Futsal national team; the Japan Beach Soccer National Team; and the Japan eNational Team as a supporting company.

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In 2019, TOYO TIRES formulated the brand statement: “Open Roads Await,” expressing the frontier spirit of the Toyo Tire Group to have the courage to pave new roads where none previously existed, to serve as a company that leverages a spirit of challenge and creativity to bring about surprise and elation to the world. The blue color used for the TOYO TIRES brand logo is our corporate color, and we have been developing branding that look at the meaning of the color, blue. Since 2020, TOYO TIRES has been delivering the brand message, “Ignite your BLUE” that prompts challenge, together with our brand statement both internally and externally, conveying our support for people who strive to make challenges.

The identity formulated by the JFA for the Japan National Football Teams is to “be proud to compete as representatives of Japan and to unite as one to win” and “be grateful for all associations, turn the support that they receive from throughout the country into power as they continue to take on the world.” Such a spirit overlaps our own philosophy for the image that we envision in our business and the BLUE color that represents the national football team uniforms is also our corporate color, which led to a decision to offer our support as a company for the teams who maintain energetic activities toward their dream.

SAMURAI BLUE has set out in its challenge as it aims to compete at the International tournament. TOYO TIRES will embrace the key message: “AOKU, ATSUKU, HASHIRE” * as it unites with Japanese supporters and cheers on the team.

*  “AOKU” means “Stay Blue!” in Japanese and, it expresses the message “Burn the blue flames in your heart just like the blue flames burning at high temperatures”.
  “ATSUKU” means “Have a Passion!” in Japanese and, it expresses the message “Always be proud of yourself and get over yourself”.
  “HASHIRE” means ”Keep Running!” in Japanese and, it expresses the message “Run an open field with your feet and see new scenery to make your dreams come true”.


■Comments on Signing the Agreement:
Kohzo Tashima, President, Japan Football Association
It is on the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the JFA that TOYO TIRES, Japan’s leading tire manufacturer, has decided to support the Japan National Football Teams as a supporting company. While the company has also been serving as a sponsor of signage for the teams’ away matches to date, it gives the teams tremendous strength to receive its support in this way as we look to make a major challenge at the International tournament, not to mention the tough conditions that prevail with the COVID-19 situation. It is also reassuring that we have in common the “BLUE” image color and the spirit of challenge as entities that strive to make our dreams come true. We will make every effort to build a strong, appealing national teams to answer to the expectations of TOYO TIRES.

Hajime Moriyasu, Coach, SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Football Team)
I have heard that TOYO TIRES is offering its support for our national teams as a supporting company and would like to express my deepest gratitude. As everyone is faced with difficult situations under COVID-19 pandemic, I feel a great sense of anticipation in receiving support in this way.
I would like to answer to its expectations by delivering to Japanese people courage, enthusiasm, and perseverance to survive these tough conditions, not only through the team’s action on the field but also through its activities outside the field.

Takashi Shimizu, President & CEO, Toyo Tire Corporation
I am genuinely proud to be able to support the Japan National Football Teams as its supporting company. We interpret the color blue as a color that represents the challenger, and a blue flame is known to burn hotter than a red one. We would like to learn from the tough mentality of the players to go for their dream, their strength in committing to their beliefs, and their dedication, and turn the joy of being able to cheer on these players who embrace blue flames of passion within them into our driving force as we eagerly support their challenge to pursue their dream.


■Overview of Supporting Company Agreement

Position Supporting company
Period May 1, 2021 through December 31, 2022
Who we are supporting All categories of Japan National Football Teams: the Japan National Football Team (SAMURAI BLUE), the Japan Women’s  National Football Team (Nadeshiko Japan), national teams by age group, the Japan Futsal national team, the Japan Beach Soccer National Team, and the Japan eNational Team
Key rights acquired Naming rights, group image usage rights, signage at stadiums during matches hosted by the JFA, display of banners at practice field, promotion rights, etc.


Website for cheering on the Japan National Football Teams (Japanese only)
We have created a website within our corporate website to cheer on the Japan National Football Teams.
https://www.toyotires.co.jp/samuraiblue/


■TOYO TIRES Sponsorship Activities
Between 2014 and 2016, TOYO TIRES served as sponsor for AC Milan, a powerhouse in Italy’s Serie A. It has continued its sponsorship activities in Japan as a platinum partner for the J. League’s Gamba Osaka since 2016.
TOYO TIRES has also served as CSR partner for the J. League’s Vegalta Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture where our Sendai Plant is located as well as sponsored football tournaments for children in the community.
Since 2018, the company has also been supporting players and athletes in golf, track and field, and BMX (who have been selected to train for the Olympics).
In addition, TOYO TIRES has also participated in mobile classrooms called the “JFA Kokoro Project,” hosted by the JFA and conducted by various athletes and conveyed messages and lessons to children from professional athletes.
TOYO TIRES will continue to extend efforts to promote sports in the community and initiate various projects through these sponsorship activities.


 

 

 

 

Toyo Tire Corporation
Corporate Communications Dept.
Hyogo Head office Telephone: +81-72-789-9100 Facsimile: +81-72-773-3272

Press Release is intended for media purposes, and is current of the date of publication.
Information is subject to change with or without notice.