Founded in 1969 as Yomiuri Football Club, backed by the Yomiuri Shimbun media conglomerate, the club rose rapidly through the Japanese football pyramid. In the pre-professional era, Yomiuri FC dominated the Japan Soccer League, winning multiple titles. When the J.League launched in 1993, the club -- rebranded as "Verdy Kawasaki" -- won the first two J.League championships, establishing themselves as the glamour club of Japanese football.

Stars like Kazuyoshi Miura, Ramos Ruy, Tsuyoshi Kitazawa, and Nobuhiro Takeda made Verdy the most recognizable team in the country. However, following Yomiuri's withdrawal and a relocation to Tokyo in 2001, the club fell into financial difficulty and was relegated to J2 in 2009. An extraordinary 16-year spell in the second division followed. In 2023, Verdy finally won the J1 promotion playoff and returned to the top flight, finishing an impressive 6th in their first season back in 2024.

Tokyo Verdy's story is one of Japanese football's most dramatic narratives. From filling the old National Stadium as the JSL's most glamorous side to playing in front of sparse crowds in J2, the club experienced the full spectrum of fortune. The Ajinomoto Stadium (capacity 49,970), shared with FC Tokyo in Chofu, serves as their home.

The Tokyo Derby against FC Tokyo has become a highlight of the J1 calendar, with tickets routinely selling out. Under Hiroshi Jofuku, who took charge ahead of their promotion campaign, the club has rebuilt a competitive identity rooted in defensive organization and quick transitions. Verdy's youth academy remains one of Japan's finest, having produced internationals such as Yuki Kobayashi and Shinnosuke Hatanaka. The 2024 J1 return -- 16 years in the making -- has reinvigorated a fanbase that never stopped believing.