In October 2025, MUFG became an Official Partner of Japan National Stadium, taking a step toward creating new social value. In cooperation with its partners, the company will contribute to the development of the sports world.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) has signed the first-of-its-kind top-tier partnership agreement, becoming a National Stadium Partner. MUFG also acquired naming rights, and the stadium is now called “MUFG Stadium,” effective January 2026. The new name is already becoming familiar to many visitors. The contract term runs for five years, from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2030.

“National Stadium Partner” is a co-creation framework designed to generate new social value for the stadium. While preserving the National Stadium's public nature, the initiative aims to combine partners' expertise and assets to address social issues and revitalize the local community.

MUFG will carry on the National Stadium's history and traditions while collaborating with various stakeholders to advance sports and entertainment, nurture the next generation, and engage in environmental conservation, cultural exchange, regional collaboration, and business co-creation. Koki Ando is a Vice President at the Sports andStadium Business Co-creation office in the Corporate Planning Division of MUFG/MUFG Bank. He explains its objectives.

“There are three key advantages in the sports industry. First, the sports industry’s entertainment value is in its unscripted drama. The sports industry's fundamental value is inspiring people, which makes it an industry that AI cannot replace. Second, it connects with many other industries, including transportation, urban development, and logistics, in both cities and rural areas. Third, a highly loyal, semi-permanent fan base is deeply rooted in various regions and spans the country. That fan base consistently generates both human traffic and commercial activities before and after events. Building on these competitive advantages, we aim to collaborate with partners to create new value and connections that a financial institution alone cannot achieve.”

Since fiscal year 2022, MUFG has served as the principal partner of Japan Rugby League One (League One). MUFG Bank has a history of co-sponsoring organizations, including the Japan Professional Football League (J. League) and the SV. League, a professional valleyball league.

The MUFG Stadium is operated by Japan National Stadium Entertainment Inc., Ltd. (JNSE). MUFG aims to work with JNSE to maximize the venue’s appeal, leveraging its expertise and know-how with other partners.

To embody the company’s purpose of being “committed to empowering a brighter future,” MUFG aims to use the stadium's appeal as a place of experience and inspiration to clearly demonstrate its commitment to contribute to society. Within MUFG, the initiative is being received positively by employees, as it underscores the sense that the company is evolving.
While this sponsorship is often viewed simply as an effort to secure naming rights, MUFG aims to engage in various co-creation initiatives with JNSE. Specifically, the company plans to introduce cutting-edge equipment, including ICT (Information and Communications Technology), while supporting technological development and conducting demonstration experiments. It also aims to create new business value by utilizing the stadium's foot traffic and commercial flow, while implementing acceleration activities and other initiatives to achieve these goals. The company will also connect with various communities across industry, government, and academia, and will expand this stadium development concept to other sport facilities nationwide, aiming to strengthen the sports sector and revitalize local communities.

MUFG has accumulated experience in creating venues that solve social issues, including MUFG PARK, a welfare facility for employees that is open to the public; and MUFG ONE PARK, a mechanism for supporting the next generation through sports. We will apply our know-how and work with JNSE to realize ideas for utilizing the stadium that reflect the needs of local communities.

In addition, by integrating the “MUFG KOGEI Project," a cultural preservation initiative led by MUFG that includes exhibitions of traditional crafts in the hospitality area, the stadium will serve not only as a hub for supporting the next generation through sports but also as a base for regional revitalization and cultural preservation, thereby communicating Japan’s values to the world through sports. Furthermore, the company is looking into using the stadium for purposes beyond sports—transforming it into a venue where people of all ages, regardless of their relationship to sports, can plan their lives and careers and learn about finance and the economy.

“We’re also considering initiatives to increase opportunities for people to visit and utilize the stadium, such as offering stadium tours that guide visitors around the facility and organizing business matchmaking events that make use of the stadium,” says Ando.

How will these efforts create new social value? At the end of our interview, we asked Ando about his vision for the MUFG Stadium initiative going forward.

“Sports is a field where our knowledge is still limited, and we view the endeavor as a big challenge. Moving forward, we will listen to our local community as well as society at large, identify ways to make the best use of the stadium, and work together with everyone.”

How will MUFG Stadium evolve from here? Ando and his team are ready to hear from anyone in the Mitsubishi Group with new ideas and hope they will not hesitate to reach out.