Honda Motor Co., Ltd. introduced plans to rename its rugby workforce from MIE Honda HEAT to TOCHIGI Honda HEAT, beginning with the 2026-2027 season. The workforce will undertake a refreshed visible identification, together with a brand new emblem, logos, and mascot, efficient July 1, 2026, as a part of its relocation to Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
The transfer marks a brand new chapter for the workforce, which has been primarily based in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, for 65 years. Honda goals to proceed the workforce’s legacy whereas creating new worth and galvanizing broader group engagement in Tochigi. The new workforce emblem symbolizes the collective ardour and goals of the group, followers, and workforce members, aligning with the workforce’s worth of “BIND” All Dreams.
The workforce mascot, “HEAT-KUN,” will retain its essence however will likely be redesigned to attraction to a wider viewers. During a press convention, General Manager Kohei Ohashi, alongside key gamers corresponding to Katsuyuki Hoshino, mentioned the workforce’s initiatives associated to the relocation and shared outcomes from video games hosted in Utsunomiya in the course of the 2025-2026 season.
Creative Director Satoshi Kanamori outlined the imaginative and prescient for the brand new visible identification and future workforce actions. As a Tochigi-based workforce, TOCHIGI Honda HEAT will deal with group engagement by way of rugby popularization, expertise improvement, college applications, and participation in native occasions.
Plans embody a brand new clubhouse and coaching amenities in Utsunomiya’s Yuinomori neighborhood, set for completion by August 2026. These amenities will function the workforce’s operations base and a group hub for rugby promotion.
Honda’s broader imaginative and prescient for sports activities actions goals to encourage folks to pursue challenges and improve lives globally. Ohashi expressed gratitude to supporters in Suzuka and emphasised the workforce’s dedication to progress and attaining prime standing in Japan.