"Asahi TREASURE": Former Osaka youth footballer turned YG idol joins collaboration project with six J.League clubs. The member of TREASURE has partnered with six Japanese football clubs in a special project.
24 June 2026 GMT+7 — "Hamada Asahi," a Japanese-born member of TREASURE, a leading boy band under major label YG Entertainment, has journeyed from a boy passionate about football in his hometown to an internationally loved artist.
Before becoming a full-time artist, Asahi was a boy passionate about football, playing for the youth team "Osaka City Juniors FC" in 2013. He competed in the Osaka prefectural under-11 football qualifiers and the regional qualifiers for the Japanese National Youth Football Championship.
He then shifted to the K-POP industry, appearing in YG's 2018 survival show "YG Treasure Box" and debuting in 2020 with TREASURE, a junior group following BLACKPINK. He remains a devoted fan of his hometown club, Cerezo Osaka.
Returning home: A historic collaboration with six J.League teams.
During their Japan tour, TREASURE announced a collaboration project featuring special merchandise such as T-shirts, scarves, and keychains with six major J.League clubs from the six cities where their concerts took place.
These clubs include Cerezo Osaka, FC Tokyo, Yokohama F. Marinos, Nagoya Grampus, Vissel Kobe, and Avispa Fukuoka.
Yusuke Maruhashi, former left-back who played in Thailand's Thai League for BG Pathum United and now ambassador for Cerezo Osaka, who once took a photo with young Asahi,
said, "Hello everyone in TREASURE, I’m Yusuke Maruhashi. Asahi, thank you for always supporting us. Hearing that you played for Osaka City Juniors FC, the same team I came from, made me feel a special connection. I hope we can meet at the stadium in the future. Thank you very much!"
, Meanwhile, Shinji Kagawa, legendary Japanese midfielder and former Manchester United player,
sent a video message thanking Hyunsuk, a TREASURE member who wore Cerezo Osaka’s number 8 jersey (Kagawa's number) on stage during their Japan concert.
He said, "Hello everyone in TREASURE, I’m Shinji Kagawa. I heard that at your concert, Hyunsuk wore the Cerezo number 8 uniform on stage. Friends sent me pictures. Thank you so much. Asahi, I heard you’ve been a Cerezo fan since childhood. If possible, I hope all TREASURE members visit our stadium—whether for a concert or to watch football together. We’re all waiting to welcome you. Take care of your health and keep up the hard work!"
From a little boy in a purple Juniors FC jersey who once asked Maruhashi for a photo, Asahi now returns home as a shining "superstar." The club and legendary players he admires have sent messages of encouragement and opened their stadium to welcome him. At the same time, TREASURE’s popularity has drawn younger fans to support and learn about J.League clubs. This marks a perfect moment for Asahi as both a football fan and a proud native of his hometown.