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Fukushima United is based in Fukushima Prefecture, about 500 km north of Tokyo. Historically, the prefecture has been easy to overlook for people living in the big cities of central Japan -- just a bit too far north to be considered part of the "Kanto" region, but south of Sendai, which is usually viewed as the start of the Tohoku region. It took a historically destructive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant accident to bring the name Fukushima into the national (and global) consciousness -- not exactly the best form of publicity. Nevertheless, Fukushima United has battled stubbornly on, like the tough local residents of this largely rural prefecture, embodying the symbolism of the "Ho-o" (The Eternal King of Birds) on its team crest.
Fukushima United was formed by the merger of several smaller clubs in the prefecture, and thus fully justifies the name "United". It took its current "United" name in 2002, and climbed gradually up the amateur rankings until being selected as a founding member of the J3, in 2014.
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