Since 2023, NTT Group has been working with the Japan Professional Football League ( "J-League") as a Climate Action Partner, and together with the J-League, we have launched the "TH!NK THE BALL PROJECT^®*1 ," a program designed to create and expand systems that make it easier for more people to take part in climate action across different regions. As one of the project's core initiatives, the "Sustaina Cup 2024" was held with the participation of supporters from 15 clubs across Japan. Actions to tackle climate change issues and revitalize regional development have begun.
　In this issue, we will report on the results of the "Sustaina Cup 2024" and look ahead to what's next.

1. About the TH!NK THE BALL PROJECT

The "TH!NK THE BALL PROJECT" is a joint initiative launched by NTT Group and the J-League in 2023 to create and promote systems that make it easier for more people to engage in climate action across different regions.
　As part of the project, NTT Group established NTT G×Inno^®*2, a unified group brand focused on green transformation, and by combining NTT Group's decarbonization technologies with the content power of the J-League and J-Clubs, the project aims to expand participation in climate action and help build circular economies in communities nationwide.
　To support the idea that "daily climate action becomes support for your favorite clubs," the project uses NTT Data's "fowald^®*3," an application which connects everyday eco-friendly behaviors with support for the communities or teams people care about.

2. TH!NK THE BALL PROJECT presents "Sustaina Cup 2024" Results

One of the central initiatives of the TH!NK THE BALL PROJECT was the "Sustaina Cup 2024," held in November 2024. Supporters from 15 clubs across Japan participated in this nationwide online event, competing in teams representing their clubs by engaging in climate-conscious actions in their daily lives.
　Using the smartphone app "fowald," participants completed a variety of accessible "quests," such as answering climate-related quizzes, promoting reusable bags and bottles, and choosing to walk instead of using carbon-emitting transport. The event also featured gamification elements, such as surprise "guerrilla quests" and real-time shifting club rankings, encouraging users to build sustainable habits while enjoying the experience of supporting their favorite team.
　The campaign drew strong participation, with monthly active users (MAU) increasing by over 5,000 between October and November. The average number of actions per person in November was 5.6 times higher than in July, and the overall volume of climate actions recorded jumped 43-fold. Yokohama F. Marinos claimed overall victory, followed by Cerezo Osaka in second place and Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in third. Top-ranking clubs received up to 2 million yen in support funding. Five other clubs - Vegalta Sendai, Tokyo Verdy, Lenofa Yamaguchi FC, Fajiano Okayama, and Kagoshima United FC - were awarded special prizes for their efforts.

3. Yokohama F. Marinos wins overall victory, thanks to strong social media engagement

On April 15, 2025, an awards ceremony was held at the J-League office in Marunouchi, Tokyo, to honor the achievements of the Sustaina Cup 2024. Yokohama F. Marinos President Akihiro Nakayama and team mascot Marinosuke, both from the overall winner Yokohama F. Marinos, took the stage at the ceremony, where J-League Chairman Yoshikazu Nonomura and NTT's General Manager Minako Tsumenaga presented the "Sustaina Cup" trophy and 2 million yen in activity support funds.

The trophy was an original design made of Japanese cypress, named "Sustainable Ring" ("a circle connecting the future"). It serves as an environmentally conscious symbol of commitment to a sustainable society. The ceremony was broadcast via the official X (formerly Twitter) accounts of the J-League, Yokohama F-Marinos, and NTT, reaching a combined audience of around 2 million followers.

Yokohama F. Marinos' success was largely attributed to their proactive use of social media through both the official club account and Marinosuke's account. These efforts mobilized strong supporter participation and helped the club lead in activity volume across all four rounds. Executive Officer Tsumenaga commented at the ceremony, "It was moving to see fans and supporters united in action for the club they love."

4. Enthusiastic response from fans and supporters

During the Sustaina Cup 2024, fans and supporters created a lively atmosphere on social media. As the event kicked off on November 5, 2024, the #SustainaCup tag was filled with messages such as "Scored 10 points in the quiz! Marinos for first place!" In the early stages of Round 1, Cerezo Osaka took an early lead, prompting enthusiastic encouragement such as "Cerezo can do it! Let's push through to the end!"

Midway through the competition, Yokohama F. Marinos picked up momentum. Posts like "Quest complete! Marinos is almost in first place!" and "Today we went out as a family with eco bags" reflected how actions and support became intertwined, creating a strong sense of unity. Toward the end, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo launched a spirited chase, with rallying cries like "We're catching up today for sure! Everyone, log in one more time!" spreading rapidly.

When Marinos' overall victory was announced on December 1, triumphant voices filled the timeline: "We won first place together!" and "We did something good for the planet and for our team." Supporters of other clubs also shared their experiences, with one saying, "At first, I just wanted to support my club. But before I knew it, I was enjoying taking small climate actions every day. I started to feel like maybe, just maybe, all those little efforts could help make the future better."
　It was a month in which fans' support became visible through social media, and each individual action contributed to a meaningful collective result.

5. The evolving "Sustaina Cup 2025"

The Sustaina Cup 2025 is scheduled to be held from May 31 to June 29, 2025. In 2025, all 60 clubs from J1 to J3 will participate, compared to 15 J-League clubs in 2024. The number of clubs participating has been greatly expanded, and the project has evolved into a nationwide project involving more communities and supporters. The number of participants is expected to increase substantially.

As before, the event will include gamified elements designed to encourage behavior change. In addition, new features aim to create more tangible environmental contributions. One such feature is the "CO2 Reduction Quest," which will allow users to see estimated reductions in CO2 emissions resulting from their actions. Another is the "Club Original Quest," which links club-organized sustainability events, such as those held on home game days, to in-app challenges that foster a stronger sense of unity among fans and their teams. A total of 37 clubs have prepared these original quests, reflecting the high level of enthusiasm within the league.

A new addition for 2025 is the "J-League Partner Quest," which invites fans and supporters to participate in sustainability-themed quests provided by the J-League's official partner companies. Seven companies, including NTT Docomo, a top J-League partner, will offer quests and supplementary prizes.
　With roughly 10 million supporters across all 60 clubs expected to actively share their involvement on social media over the course of the month, the Sustaina Cup is proving to be a valuable platform for promoting sustainable practices and environmental action.

Looking ahead, we plan to collaborate with a wider range of stakeholders to increase the amount of prize money returned to the clubs and achieve both scale and monetization of sustainability initiatives.

6. Future developments of the TH!NK THE BALL PROJECT

The "TH!NK THE BALL PROJECT" and the "Sustaina Cup" are platforms for promoting sustainable activities and environmental contribution activities, in collaboration with fans and supporters of the 60 J-League clubs and other stakeholders.

NTT Group and the J-League will continue to strengthen the value of the project and expand the circle of climate action alongside club supporters and local communities.

Looking ahead, NTT Group will support the creation of a system directly linked to the improvement of each club's sustainability evaluation, in conjunction with "Sports Positive Leagues^*," a key initiative of the J-League's sustainability strategy. By combining the influence and outreach of the J-League clubs, which are rooted in their local communities, with NTT Group's assets, we will also work to revitalize local communities on a wide range of themes.

^*About "Sports Positive Leagues
Official] First Asian team to join Sport Positive Leagues (SPL) - Promoting sustainability projects throughout the J-League: J.LEAGUE.jp (J.LEAGUE official website)

7. Related links

NTT Group and the J-League "TH!NK THE BALL PROJECT" to tackle the problem of climate change
https://group.ntt/en/magazine/blog/thinktheball_project/

NTT Data "fowald"
https://fowald.com/

^*1"TH!NK THE BALL PROJECT" is a registered trademark of the Japan Professional Football League and NTT in Japan.

^*2 "NTT G x Inno" is a registered trademark of NTT.

^*3"fowald" is a registered trademark of NTT DATA Corporation in Japan.