'Hey, doesn't futsal have offsides?'
Within five minutes of the start, it was at that level.
But--
The strength of the event was that it was still enjoyable.
Hachimine was invited by a close customer to come to FGAME.5, an event organized by Asizaru FC.
Ashizaru FC - A group that is serious about "making futsal the best sport in Japan
Ashizaru FC is a futsal team formed by captain Nobukun, Kanja, Rain, and others, with a YouTube channel that has more than 3 million registered users and a theme of "making futsal the number one sport in Japan," running parallel to their competitive activities and video transmission.
The super staged futsal event "F GAME" organized by them has expanded in scale each time since the first event in 2024. The second event attracted over 2,500 people, and the third event was the first to be held on two days. F GAME.5" was the fifth installment, held at the Kinjofuto Arena in Nagoya. The event is on its way to reaching its final goal of filling the Yoyogi Daiichi Gymnasium, one step at a time.
Reunion at the sponsor's table and in-field announcements
When Hachimine arrived at the venue, he was shown to the sponsor's table. As he made his way to his seat, he saw someone sitting ahead of him.
I recognized her face immediately. It was a customer who had been a great help to Hachimine when he used to work as a black-clothes worker at a high-class club in Ginza. He is an executive of Gungho, known for Pazudora. An executive of a publicly traded company is sitting ahead of a sponsor of a futsal event in Nagoya. It's a small world, I thought, but I knew that people with whom I had a connection would cross paths again at some point.
While we were chatting with these customers, the sponsors began to read out their companies. The name "ZENNO GROUP" was called out to the audience announcer, and the logo appeared on the screen.
Watching it play in front of an audience of 2,000 people, alongside an unexpected neighbor, Hachimine felt a little proud.
Match 1 - Director in red suit
There was a noticeable number of spectators with children in the hall. More than 2,000 people attended the event. This was an unusual sight for a futsal event.
The first match was between "Sal Baby," a junior team of Asizaru FC, and Robogato Junior Futsal Club. When the children entered the court, the air in the stands softened.
Standing by the court was Nobu, who appeared as the director. He was dressed in a suit of the same color as his trademark red hair.
Looking at the suit, Hachimine recognized it; it was one provided by ZENNO GROUP's custom-made suit business. As he watched Nobu-kun's image on the screen, he thought, "He's wearing it properly. Nothing more, nothing less, but I did not feel bad.
Between matches, I approached Nobu-kun, who was standing by the court. I said, "Your suit looks good on you," to which he replied, "Thank you, I like it very much.
The man with the red hair and red suit said, "I like it," which made it all the more worthwhile for us. Since I had the chance, I took his picture.
Sal Baby won the match 4-0, giving momentum to Ashizaru FC, which had a game in hand afterwards.
Match 2 - Asizaru FC vs Thailand Futsal League Selected Team
The main match was between Asizaru FC and the Thai Futsal League Selected Team. When the players of both teams lined up on the court, the tension in the hall switched.
This game was played under FGAME's own special rules, which made it easier to score points than normal futsal.
Hachimine came to the game knowing little about the rules of futsal, but he was still able to follow the flow of the game. Every time a point was scored, the place would erupt. It was simply fun.
The result was a 24-6 win for Asizaru FC. Nobu himself scored two goals, including his first goal in the F Game.
After the game, go to the live concert
When the match was over, the court turned directly into a stage. A live performance of songs by Ashizaru FC began, and the air in the venue took on a different kind of heat.
The 2,000 people who came to watch the futsal were listening to the live music. The attempt to combine sports and entertainment in the same space certainly worked.
Summary
I have to admit that I enjoyed it even if I did not know the rules. This is probably because Asizaru FC is quite serious about the "bringing futsal to people who don't know it" part.
They have publicly stated that Yoyogi is their goal. After seeing the day they moved 2,000 people in Nagoya, I felt it was not so far-fetched. The way they wore their red suits was also very well-dressed.
