AFP: Kashima Antlers will expand the pilot program for “notteco,” a ride-sharing matching service operated by Adish Plus, during three home games in May.

Traveling will become more enjoyable. Towards a new viewing culture that connects fans and supporters.

Adish Plus Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kashima City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Representative Director: Takuma Ishikawa), a consolidated subsidiary of Adish Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Hiroki Edo, Securities Code: 7093, hereinafter Adish), a customer success provider specializing in the digital economy, will conduct a pilot project to promote ride-sharing to attend three Kashima Antlers home games held at Mercari Stadium in May 2026, targeting Antlers fan club members.

Prior to this, the first pilot project was conducted on February 21, 2026 (Saturday) at the “Meiji Yasuda J1 Centennial League Regional League Ground EAST Matchday 3 against Kashiwa Reysol” targeting some fan club members residing in Kashima City. This time, the target will be expanded to members nationwide. Based on notteco’s concept of “making travel more enjoyable,” we aim to transform the travel experience on match days into a special time that fosters bonds between fans and supporters.

[Image 1] https://digitalpr.jp/simg/2911/132709/553_309_2026030420335669a818a46e0b8.png

Challenges and possibilities from the initial pilot test (February 2026)

As it was the first time, operational challenges such as the spread of awareness and publicity and the registration process became apparent. On the other hand, fans and supporters who actually experienced carpooling gave feedback that they felt the unique value of notteco.

[Participant Feedback]

“We’re both Antlers fans and we share the same goal of going to see the match, so the conversation in the car was really lively and fun.”
“The driver has been watching Kashima’s soccer for a long time, so it was fun listening to him talk, and I learned a lot because he was more knowledgeable than me.”
“We were both considerate of each other when coordinating our return times (we were quite hurried to the car after the match).”

“Because we support the same club, conversation naturally arises even if we’ve just met.” –This experience is exactly the kind of travel that notteco aims for, and it made us realize the potential of the service once again.

It was also a great gain to be able to directly hear real voices from users about their experience returning home after the match and their overall impression of the service. Based on the knowledge gained from the February pilot experiment, we will refine the service and deliver a new travel experience with notteco to even more fans and supporters at the three matches in May.

Outline of the Demonstration Experiment

Matches to be held:
　Sunday, May 3, 2026, Matchday 14 vs. FC Machida Zelvia Wednesday,
　May 6, 2026, Public Holiday, Matchday 15 vs. Mito HollyHock
　Saturday, May 23, 2026, Matchday 18 vs. FC Tokyo Target

participants: All Antlers Fan Club members nationwide (18 years and older)
Details: Shared rides to and from the stadium using notteco
Expenses: Only actual costs for gasoline and highway tolls will be split equally between passengers

*This demonstration experiment will be conducted in compliance with the Road Transport Act and will not constitute commercial transportation (so-called illegal taxi service)
*This demonstration experiment will be conducted primarily by notteco, and Antlers is neither the operator nor a contracting party to this service

The travel experience

that notteco aims for is not simply about making travel more efficient. It is about fostering a sense of “security” and “unity” that can only be created among fans and supporters who support the same team, through the everyday act of travel.
Inside the car, conversations revolve around favorite players, memories of past memorable matches, and anticipation for today’s game
—the match has already begun even before arriving at the stadium.
While being mindful of contributing to “environmentally friendly travel,” a goal of the Sport Positive Leagues (SPL) (*) in which the J.League participates, we aim to achieve both the revitalization of the fan community and a sustainable style of watching matches.

(*) The Sport Positive Leagues (SPL) is a system that quantifies climate action for clubs belonging to participating leagues, allowing for an at-a-glance understanding of their progress and the direction they should aim for. https://www.jleague.jp/climateaction/spl/

Looking ahead Following

The pilot experiment in February, notteco was able to find the seeds of new connections through travel within the Antlers fan community. “Making travel more enjoyable”—fans and supporters who share the same passion are already enjoying the match from the journey to the stadium. notteco aims for this experience to become a new viewing culture starting with Antlers.

Read the original article here (JPN).