Jubilo Iwata U-18

Jubilo Iwata U-18 is the under-18 team of Jubilo Iwata, the club from Iwata in Shizuoka, one of Japan's traditional football heartlands. In 1999 it won both of the national youth titles of the time, the Japan Club Youth Championship and the All Japan Youth (U-18) Championship. Two of its graduates, ITO Hiroki and GOTO Keisuke, were in Japan's squad for the 2026 World Cup. After six seasons in the Premier League from 2018 to 2023, the team is back in the Premier League WEST in 2026.

Shizuoka · head coach AMMA Takayoshi

2026 season

Currently 11th in the Premier League WEST with 8 points from 14 matches (2W 2D 10L, 29-40). Updated daily.

Playing style

The club's under-15 teams are spread across Shizuoka Prefecture — Iwata itself plus CENTRAL, EAST and WEST teams — and most of the under-18 squad comes up through them. In 2026 the team is led by AMMA Takayoshi, who coached the under-18s in 2025, took charge of the first team later that year, and returned to the academy for 2026. Since July 2026 he has also coached the club's new under-21 team, and in August the club registered more than thirty under-18 players with the first team so that they can play in the new U-21 J.League as well.

Honours

Competition	Year	Notes
Japan Club Youth (U-18) Championship	1999	Runners-up 2004 and 2007; third in 1998
All Japan Youth (U-18) Championship	1999	Runners-up 2004 and 2009
J Youth Cup	third, 2009
Premier League	2018–2023, 2026	Plays in the WEST

The 1999 team won both national titles in the same year. The club also reached both finals in 2004, finishing runner-up in each.

History

1998–1999 — Third in the Club Youth Championship in 1998, then champions in 1999, the same year the team won the All Japan Youth Championship.
Early 2000s — A strong run of graduates into the first team, and a second pair of national finals in 2004.
2017 school year — ITO Hiroki graduates into the first team.
2018–2023 — Six seasons in the Premier League WEST.
2022 school year — GOTO Keisuke graduates into the first team.
2025 — AMMA Takayoshi becomes under-18 head coach, then first-team head coach later in the year.
2026 — AMMA returns to the under-18s and the team returns to the Premier League WEST. In March, NISHIOKA Kento signs a professional contract while still an under-18 player; in August, OKUDA Yuma is confirmed to join the first team in January 2027.

Development pathway

A network of under-15 teams across Shizuoka. Besides the main under-15 team in Iwata, the club runs under-15 teams in the centre, east and west of the prefecture, so players from all over Shizuoka can follow the same path into the under-18s.
Professional contracts before graduation. NISHIOKA Kento signed a professional contract in March 2026 and took first-team number 17, while continuing to play for the under-18s.
A route through the U-21 team. From 2026 the club has an under-21 team in the new U-21 J.League, coached by the under-18 head coach, and most of the under-18 squad is registered to play in it.
A link with Germany. The club has a partnership with VfL Bochum.

Former players

ITO Hiroki (defender, Bayern Munich) — through the under-15 and under-18 teams to the first team (class of the 2017 school year), and in Japan's 2026 World Cup squad.
GOTO Keisuke (forward, Sint-Truiden) — through the under-15 and under-18 teams to the first team (class of the 2022 school year), and Japan's number 9 at the 2026 World Cup.
NAKAJIMA Keitaro (goalkeeper), UEHARA Rikiya (midfielder), KAWAI Tokumo (midfielder), KAI Yua (defender) and ISHIZUKA Rea (midfielder) — academy graduates in Jubilo Iwata's first-team squad in 2026.

Players to watch in 2026

Players worth knowing in the 2026 season:

OKUDA Yuma (midfielder, third year, no. 36) — joined from Kawasaki Frontale U-18, has played for Japan at under-15 and under-16 level, and will join the first team in January 2027. Eight league goals, joint top scorer.
HATTORI Koki (forward, third year, no. 9) — the team's centre-forward, from the club's WEST under-15 team. Eight league goals.
NISHIOKA Kento (midfielder, third year, no. 10) — signed a professional contract in March 2026 and still plays for the under-18s; six league goals.
NISHINO Hinata (defender, second year, no. 15) — in Japan's under-17 squad for the Limoges International Tournament in September 2026.
SAKUMA Shinki (midfielder, first year, no. 28) — selected for the J.League under-16 tour of Germany in September 2026.
SAKAKIBARA Haruto (goalkeeper, third year, no. 1), HAJI Mizuki (goalkeeper, second year, no. 21) and TORII Takumu (goalkeeper, second year, no. 31) — the three goalkeepers.
ITO Kokoro (defender, third year, no. 2) and HIRAIWA Koma (defender, third year, no. 5) — third-year defenders.
NAKAYA Otaro (midfielder, second year, no. 13), KOEDA Sakutaro (midfielder, second year, no. 14) and FUJIMOTO Jinnosuke (midfielder, second year, no. 30) — second-years.
AGATA Shinta (midfielder, no. 35) and NISHIKAWA Sosuke (forward, no. 32) — first-years already playing in the Premier League; NISHIKAWA has two goals.

Notes

Full profile in Japanese, with the current squad list and every result: ジュビロ磐田U-18.

Where a player has no official English spelling published by the JFA or the J.League, the name is shown in Japanese.