— Urawa Reds vs. Gamba Osaka, J.League’s Greatest Rivalry —
What is the “National Derby”?
In a previous article, we wrote about the Osaka Derby. The J.League has many regional derby matches. But only one fixture has ever been called the “National Derby” in J.League history — Urawa Reds vs. Gamba Osaka.
The name came from Ivica Osim, one of the most respected coaches in the world. Osim was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the 1990 FIFA World Cup, he led Yugoslavia to the quarterfinals. In the J.League, he managed JEF United Ichihara·Chiba and guided them to their first-ever Levain Cup title. (The Levain Cup — formerly known as the Nabisco Cup — is a domestic cup competition organized by the J.League. It is similar to the EFA League Cup in England.) Later, in 2006, he became the head coach of the Japan national team and stayed in charge until a sudden illness forced him to step down. It was Osim who gave this fixture its famous name.
Getting to Know the Two Clubs
First, let’s look at Urawa Reds. The club is based in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture. Saitama has a population of about 7.3 million people — it is one of Japan’s largest urban areas.
Urawa have won the J1 League (the top division of Japanese football) once (2006), the Emperor’s Cup four times (2005, 2006, 2018, 2021), and the Levain Cup (formerly the Nabisco Cup) twice (2003, 2016). (The Emperor’s Cup is Japan’s oldest domestic cup competition, organized by the Japan Football Association. It is similar to the FA Cup in England.) They have also won the AFC Champions League three times (2007, 2017, 2022). (The AFC Champions League is Asia’s top club competition, similar to the UEFA Champions League in Europe.) With three titles, Urawa hold the record for the most AFC Champions League wins by any Asian club.
Next, let’s look at Gamba Osaka. The club is based in Suita City, Osaka Prefecture. Osaka has a population of about 8.8 million people — it is Japan’s second-largest economic area.
Gamba have won the J1 League twice (2005, 2014), the Emperor’s Cup four times (2008, 2009, 2014, 2015), the Levain Cup twice (2007, 2015), and the AFC Champions League once (2008).
Both clubs are based in large cities and have huge, passionate supporter bases. In terms of fan numbers, these two clubs are at the very top of the J.League.
From Struggling Clubs to Fierce Rivals
When the J.League launched in 1993, neither club was considered a powerhouse. In fact, both struggled in the early years and were sometimes looked down on by rival supporters.
Then, in 2005, Gamba won the J1 League title for the first time. The following year, 2006, Urawa won their first J1 League title — and the final match of that season was a direct clash between Urawa and Gamba. The championship was not decided until the very last game.
In 2007, Urawa won the AFC Champions League. The following year, 2008, Gamba also won the AFC Champions League — and in the semifinals of that tournament, the two clubs faced each other directly. For two years in a row, a Japanese club had become the champion of Asia.
During this period, the two clubs competed not only in the J.League but also on the Asian stage. This was the era when Osim named their matches the “National Derby.”
The J.League Has Other Great Rivalries Too
Of course, Urawa and Gamba are not the only great rivalry in J.League history.
In the mid-1990s, Verdy Kawasaki (now Tokyo Verdy) and Yokohama Marinos (now Yokohama F·Marinos) produced some classic battles. From the late 1990s into the 2000s, Kashima Antlers and Júbilo Iwata dominated the league — between 1996 and 2002, only these two clubs won the J1 League title. Then, from the late 2010s into the 2020s, Kawasaki Frontale and Yokohama F·Marinos took over — from 2017 to 2022, those two clubs won every single J1 League title.
Each era of the J.League has produced a new rivalry. That is one of the things that makes the league so exciting to follow.
The Intensity of the “National Derby”
Matches between Urawa and Gamba carry a special tension unlike anything else in the J.League.
In May 2008, Gamba defeated Urawa 3–2 in the J1 League at Saitama Stadium 2002 (Urawa’s home ground). But this match did not end quietly.
On the pitch, there were serious problems. Gamba’s second goal came after a disputed throw-in call near the Urawa end. The referee made an error, and Gamba quickly restarted play to score. After the final whistle, Gamba’s players celebrated in a way that Urawa’s players found disrespectful — and a confrontation broke out between the two sides.
In the stands, the trouble was just as bad. Gamba’s ultras (the most passionate supporters who stand in the end section of the away stand) had been provoking the Urawa fans before the match and at halftime. After the final whistle, fighting broke out between the ultras sections of both clubs.
Both clubs received sanctions (official punishments) from the J.League. None of this behaviour was acceptable. But it showed just how much this fixture means — the “National Derby” pushes even the calmest people to their limit.
Later that same year, Gamba beat Urawa again — both in the AFC Champions League semifinals in October and in a J1 League match in November. In the November league match, the Urawa players were so emotionally overwhelmed by the defeat that they had an argument among themselves on the pitch.
“Zutto Tomodachi” — A Strange Bond Beyond Rivalry
In recent years, some people on the internet have described Urawa and Gamba as “Zutto Tomodachi” — a Japanese phrase that literally means “friends forever,” similar to the English expression “best friends forever” (BFF).
This came about partly because the two clubs have had similar results in recent years — for better and for worse. But there is probably more to it than that. They were both named in the “National Derby” by Osim. They both reached the top of Asian football in back-to-back years. They went through those intense, unforgettable battles together.
Maybe it is that shared history — a history no other clubs in Japan can claim — that has created this strange, quiet sympathy between two rivals. Honestly, that kind of complicated friendship might be the most football thing imaginable.
Why is Urawa Reds vs. Gamba Osaka called the “National Derby”? The answer is not simply that two big clubs are competing. It is because these two clubs built the most brilliant era in J.League history — together, and against each other.