Our field is a place where people gather and connect.

Supporting the community through sports.
A unique expression of Kirishima Shuzo's identity, apart from the products.

Some people involved in sports or those living in Miyazaki may already be familiar with this.
"Kirishima Shuzo Sports Land Miyakonojo," and "KUROKIRI STADIUM" and "AKAKIRI FIELD." These are the names of sports facilities that Kirishima Shuzo acquired the naming rights for and named in April 2025, about a year ago.
The facilities bearing these names—Miyakonojo City Yamanokuchi Sports Park, Miyazaki Prefecture Yamanokuchi Athletic Stadium, and Yamanokuchi Sports Park Athletic Field—are sports complexes jointly operated by Miyazaki Prefecture and Miyakonojo City.
This is a noteworthy facility that has also been selected as a venue for the 81st JAPAN GAMES and the 26th National Sports Festival for People with a Disability (hereinafter referred to as "National Para Sports Festival") in 2027.

"I want to contribute to the local community. That's the main reason we acquired the rights."
That's what Ryuichi Ono from the Planning Office said so straightforwardly.
This naming rights solicitation is a key component of the "Sports Land Miyazaki" project being promoted by Miyazaki Prefecture and Miyakonojo City. Ono says he felt a sense of sympathy with the vision and aspirations behind the project.
"Hearing the passionate desire from people in Miyazaki Prefecture and Miyakonojo City to 'support the future of the region through sports,' we felt that this sentiment resonated with our own, which has been cherished since our founding as a company to 'walk together with the community.'"
Kirishima Shuzo has been committed to supporting the local community through sports, including sponsoring J.League clubs, beach volleyball tournaments, and regional sporting events. This also marks the company’s second acquisition of naming rights for a sports facility.
"Of course, there's an advertising strategy to get the company and product names to as many people as possible, but our strongest desire is for the names to become a beloved nickname that local people can be proud of and feel a sense of familiarity with."

The naming and logo design were created jointly by project members, including Yuka Oishi from the Planning Office, and Nippon Design Center, Inc.
The overall name of the sports park, "Kirishima Shuzo Sports Land Miyakonojo," is a simple yet dignified name that combines the prefecture's "Sports Land Miyazaki" initiative with the company name and the name of the area.
Furthermore, the two incorporated venues have been named "KUROKIRI STADIUM" and "AKAKIRI FIELD," respectively, after the company's flagship products, Kuro Kirishima and Aka Kirishima. The decision to use English names stems from the belief that the JAPAN GAMES and the National Para Sports Festival will increase opportunities for these names to be seen by people overseas.
"Out of nearly 40 ideas that were proposed, we narrowed them down based on three key perspectives: familiarity, playfulness, and a sense of what truly reflects Kirishima Shuzo," Oishi recalls.
In particular, the naming of the stadium and the field sparked considerable discussion.
"There were concerns that using the names of shochu brands for facilities also used by children might feel less familiar. At the same time, however, we saw it as a valuable opportunity to make the names part of everyday life for people who might not otherwise have much connection with our products. That perspective led us to adopt these names."

Nearly 50 different logo ideas were proposed.
"Kirishima Shuzo Sports Land Miyakonojo" is designed with the Kirishima mountains and the track of the stadium as motifs, and is intended to represent how people's futures and dreams will unfold starting from this facility.
Furthermore, the names "KUROKIRI STADIUM" and "AKAKIRI FIELD" use the lower parts of the kanji characters for "black" and "red" respectively to represent feet, depicting people running around inside the stadium.
Oishi says with satisfaction that all three designs are familiar, playful, and reflect the unique character of Kirishima Shuzo. She adds that she was particularly meticulous about the Kirishima mountains at "Kirishima Shuzo Sports Land Miyakonojo."
"We spent a great deal of time considering how faithfully we should recreate the actual contours of the Kirishima Mountains," she recalls. "Even the shape of the mountain range on either side went through around ten different design proposals. Right up to the very end, we kept searching for the right balance between a distinctly Kirishima identity and visual harmony as a logo."
The passion for the local community is reflected in every detail of the logo.

That meticulous passion have paid off, and the people of Miyazaki Prefecture and Miyakonojo City, as well as other local residents, have given positive feedback such as "It feels local" and "It's easy to remember."
"We've seen people taking photos with the facility's sign, each holding a bottle of Kuro Kirishima they must have brought with them, and the abbreviation 'Kuro-Sta' has become established even though we haven't promoted it ourselves. It feels like our efforts are paying off, as so many people already love it," Ono and Oishi said with a smile.
They shared their dream of further revitalizing the region by planning events in the near future, such as those organized by Kirishima Shuzo and utilizing the "Kirishima Shuzo Sports Land Miyakonojo."

Sports have the power to connect everyone—athletes and spectators alike. It's similar to the atmosphere of gathering around a drink.
What can we do to create a place where local people gather and smiles abound?
With this facility—one answer to that question—what should we plan next?