FC Ryukyu Okinawa (FC琉球OKINAWA) is a professional football club based in Okinawa City and the wider Okinawa Prefecture, currently competing in the J3 League, the third tier of Japanese football. The club’s current emblem, in use since January 1, 2025, features a male shisa (Okinawan lion-dog) with bared fangs beneath the crown of the former Ryukyu Kingdom, rendered in the club’s signature bengara color. The design replaced an interim emblem used only during the 2024 season and marks the latest stage in an identity that has evolved alongside the club’s growth from a prefectural league side to a J.League member.
Meaning and Symbolism
The club’s official explanation of the current emblem centers on three carried-over elements from its predecessor: the bengara color, the pair of shisas, and the Ryukyu dynasty crown. The men’s team emblem shows a male shisa with bared fangs, which the club states expresses its attacking football style and its determination to reach the top of the J.League from Okinawa. Above the shisa sits the gyokukan, the crown of the Ryukyu Kingdom, which the club describes as symbolizing the pride of the only kingdom that once existed in Japan, along with authority and tradition. [1]
The bengara team color is defined on the club’s official site as recreating the image of the main hall of Shuri Castle, the former royal palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, and is described as expressing a hot, burning fighting spirit. [2]
The club also operates a women’s team, FC Ryukyu Sakura, whose emblem pairs a female shisa with the traditional Ryukyu queen’s hairstyle known as Uchinākāmpū, decorated with sakura petals. The club explains this design expresses a wish for the team to bloom as early as Okinawa’s cherry blossoms and brighten the hearts of Okinawan people. [1]
Design and History
FC Ryukyu was founded in 2003 as Okinawa’s first club aiming for J.League entry, winning the Okinawa Prefectural League Division 3 in its first season. The club climbed through the prefectural and Kyushu leagues, entered the Japan Football League (JFL) in 2006, and was approved for J.League membership in November 2013, joining the newly formed J3 League in 2014. After winning the J3 title in 2018, the club spent four seasons in J2 before being relegated back to J3 in 2022. [2] [3]
On the club’s 20th anniversary in 2023, FC Ryukyu announced a rebrand effective January 1, 2024, changing its official name to FC Ryukyu OKINAWA while keeping the spoken name FC Ryukyu. That announcement introduced an emblem that carried over four elements from the existing crest: the pair of shisas, the crown, eleven lines representing the eleven players on the pitch, and the club colors of bengara and gold. The two facing shisas were merged into a single frontal expression, and the design was tied to the motto “ONE OKINAWA” for J1. [4]
That 2024 emblem proved to be an interim step. In November 2024, the club announced a further redesign to be used from January 1, 2025. The new emblem was developed through a process the club described as including brainstorming sessions with fans and supporters called “Minna no FC Ryukyu Kaigi,” web surveys, fan fests, and input from club staff, players, and local government officials. The club stated the goal was to carry forward its history and identity while evolving toward a simple design with high visibility for the decades ahead. [1]
The 2025 emblem dropped the eleven-line motif and the paired-shisa composition of the 2024 version in favor of a single male shisa with bared fangs and the gyokukan crown above its head. The club’s 2025 New Year greeting confirmed the emblem and logo renewal and restated the club’s vision of “From Okinawa, together, to the world.” [5]
As of the 2026/27 season, the club continues to compete in the J3 League. [6]
Typography and Design
The club’s official materials do not publicly document the specific typeface used in the current emblem or logotype. The club describes the 2025 emblem as a simple design with high visibility, but no official source names a designer, agency, or typeface for the identity. [1]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the FC Ryukyu Okinawa logo represent?
The current emblem features a male shisa with bared fangs beneath the crown of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The club states the shisa expresses its attacking football style and determination to reach the top of the J.League from Okinawa, while the crown symbolizes the pride of the former Ryukyu Kingdom. [1]
What are the official FC Ryukyu colors?
The club’s official team color is bengara, a red-brown tone described as recreating the image of the main hall of Shuri Castle. The 2024 interim emblem also used gold alongside bengara. [2] [4]
When was the FC Ryukyu logo redesigned?
The club introduced a new emblem and properties on January 1, 2024, as part of its 20th-anniversary rebrand, then replaced that design with the current emblem on January 1, 2025. [4] [1]
Who designed the FC Ryukyu logo?
Reliable public information identifying a specific designer or agency for the current emblem was not found in the sources reviewed. The club has stated the 2025 design was developed through fan and supporter brainstorming sessions and input from club stakeholders. [1]
When was FC Ryukyu founded?
The club was founded in 2003 as Okinawa’s first club aiming for J.League entry. The operating company, Ryukyu Football Club Co., Ltd., was established in May 2013. [2]
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