Nippon Steel promotes social contributions by supporting athletic teams. Its contribution to the Kashima Antlers Football Club, which began as a football team of the former Sumitomo Metal Industries and has become one of the top Japan Professional Football League (J League) teams, is one of those examples.
Back in 1991, Kashima Antlers were selected as one of the participants in the J League, by representing the neighboring areas of Nippon Steel’s East Nippon Works Kashima area, namely, Kashima Town (now Kashima City), Hasaki Town (now Kamisu City), Kamisu Town (now Kamisu City), and other places. Since then, the locally-based Kashima Antlers club has strived to be a team that grows together with the community, contributing locally and being well-loved in its hometown area.
After becoming a professional team, Kashima Antlers reinforced their winning potential with actions such as the acquisition of former Brazil captain and global star player Zico. From the formation of the J League in 1993 until 2018, Antlers won the league championship eight times, the J League Levain Cup (formerly known as Yamazaki Nabisco Cup) six times, the Emperor’s Cup five times, and the AFC Champions League once. Achieving a total of 20 titles, they have become one of the J League's formidable teams and they took second place in the FIFA Club World Cup 2016. Antlers visited Vietnam to play in a friendly match, celebrating the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Year. The team has expanded its areas of activities overseas.

Kashima Antlers’ Major Achievements

In addition, the Kashima Antlers has participated in international competitions such the ACL (seven times), the Asian Club Championship (two times), Asian Cup Winners’ Cup (once) and FIFA Club World Cup (two times). It became the first team to win the SURUGA Bank Championship for two consecutive years, in 2012 and 2013.

Kashima Antlers: A Club that Fosters Talent with Close Local Ties

Kashima Antlers comprise the Top Team (professional), a Youth Team (high school-age), three Junior Youth Teams (junior high school-age), and three Junior Teams (for elementary school-age players who have passed selection). These eight teams in total wear the Antlers uniform to play in official matches. In addition, there are 21 so-called “school” (for preschool children, elementary school students and junior high school students): 20 in Ibaraki Prefecture and one in Chiba Prefecture. Through such activities, Antlers strives every day to foster player talent and further popularize football. The efforts to development players have led to some achievement in recent years, as one each of the Youth, Junior Youth, and Junior teams won a national championship.

Unique Hometown Activities via Administrative Coordination

The “Antlers Hometown Committee”, which consists of Kashima Antlers, its five hometown cities (Kashima, Itako, Kamisu, Namegata and Hokota) and Ibaraki Prefecture as members, was established in 2007. The Committee is now the nucleus of hometown activities, with the aim of achieving social contributions united with the regional society (J League One Hundred Year Vision) and regional revitalization through sports. Specifically, “Kids’ Passes” (free passes for children) have been distributed to all elementary schools in the hometown area; Antlers players have visited all elementary schools in the hometown area, as “Hometown Elementary School Visits” events; and the players have also visited the same schools to tell elementary school children about know-how on eating and exercising, as a “Shokuiku (dietary education) caravan.”
In addition, the Committee promotes activities that boost links with local specialty products and sponsoring bodies.