Yamaguchi hosts 4v4 soccer festival for 1,000 children

KDDI and Now Do Co., Ltd. hosted the ‘4v4 EVENT Presented by au Autumn Soccer Festival 2026 in Yamaguchi’ at Yamaguchi Kirara Expo Memorial Park. The event featured ‘4v4’, a specialized four-person soccer format developed by Keisuke Honda designed to foster autonomy and creativity in youth players by removing traditional constraints.

Approximately 1,000 participants attended the two-day event. Activities included soccer clinics and experience tournaments led by former Japan national team players Yosuke Kashiwagi and Yuya Kubo. Kashiwagi emphasized the importance of independent thinking and imagination for young athletes, while Kubo encouraged participants to aim for professional success both domestically and abroad.

The 4v4 format utilizes specific rules such as 10-minute matches, a 20-second shot clock, and the absence of coaches on the sidelines, requiring players to manage their own substitutions and timeouts.