Levanga Hokkaido: The Club That Refused to Die
Levanga Hokkaido: The Club That Refused to Die
When Hokkaido’s professional team collapsed, one player risked everything to keep the game alive in Japan’s north. Levanga is less a basketball club than a promise — and its name is literally a plea to keep going.
The Levanga Hokkaido are a B.League club from Sapporo, founded in 2011 by player Takehiko Orimo after Hokkaido’s previous pro team was expelled and folded. Orimo became an almost unheard-of player-owner to save the sport in the region, later taking on enormous personal debt to keep the club going. The name “Levanga” is the Japanese word ganbare (“keep going / do your best”) spelled backwards. On the court they’ve long been underdogs, but their community support is among the league’s most loyal — and they’ve been admitted to B.LEAGUE PREMIER for 2026–27.
In this guide
1. Who Levanga are
2. The club that refused to die
3. A name that means “keep going”
4. Why they matter
1. Who Levanga are
The heartbeat of basketball in Japan’s north.
The Levanga Hokkaido are based in Sapporo and play their home games at Hokkai Kitaeru (the Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center). The 2024–25 campaign was their 14th season. On the floor they fell short of their targets — a winning record and a Championship place — but off it the club set a record average home attendance of 5,378, proof of a fanbase that turns out whatever the result. ⚠ Standings, attendances and rosters change every season — check the latest.12
2. The club that refused to die
Levanga exists because of a crisis. In 2011, Hokkaido’s existing professional team was expelled from the JBL over unpaid dues and false accounting, and a planned new operator withdrew in the aftermath of that year’s earthquake. Rather than let top-level basketball vanish from the region, veteran shooting guard Takehiko Orimo set up a non-profit body and founded a new club — becoming, remarkably, a player and owner at the same time.3
Orimo went on to play until he was 50, one of the most prolific scorers in Japanese basketball history, all while carrying the club on his back. He later spoke openly about taking on personal debt running into the hundreds of millions of yen to buy the club back and secure its future. Today he serves as its president — a rare case of a star player becoming the long-term guardian of the team he saved.4
3. A name that means “keep going”
The club’s identity is built into its name. “Levanga” is ganbare — the everyday Japanese cheer meaning “hang in there” or “do your best” — spelled backwards. The idea is a two-way bond: a club that asks Hokkaido to cheer it on, and that exists to cheer the region back. It’s one of the most quietly moving names in Japanese sport, and it fits a team whose whole story is about perseverance.3
4. Why they matter
- They’re a survival story. A club founded to stop the sport dying in Hokkaido.
- They’re community-owned in spirit. Built and saved by a player who became its owner.
- They punch above their results. Record crowds and a top-division licence despite underdog seasons.
In five lines
- Levanga Hokkaido are a B.League club from Sapporo, founded in 2011.
- Player Takehiko Orimo created them as a player-owner after Hokkaido’s previous team folded.
- “Levanga” is the Japanese word ganbare (“keep going”) spelled backwards.
- They are perennial underdogs on court but set a record average crowd of 5,378 in 2024–25. ⚠
- They have been admitted to B.LEAGUE PREMIER for 2026–27. ✓
Feel Hokkaido’s loyalty
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Sources & notes
- Levanga Hokkaido — club overview, Sapporo base, Hokkai Kitaeru home arena. B.LEAGUE club page; Wikipedia (JA)
- 2024–25 season end note: missed .500 / Championship target; record average attendance 5,378. Levanga Hokkaido (official)
- Founding 2011 by Takehiko Orimo as player-owner after predecessor expelled from JBL; name = “ganbare” reversed. B.LEAGUE Magazine
- Orimo on personal debt to buy back the club; played until 50. Yahoo! News Japan (Ohshima). B.PREMIER 2026–27 admission: Levanga (official)
A club profile dated 14 June 2026. Standings, attendances and rosters change — flagged ⚠ items should be confirmed against official B.League / club sources.
📅 更新履歴
| 日付 | 変更内容 |
|---|---|
| 2026年6月14日 | 初回公開 |
✅ ファクト再検証
最終検証日：2026年6月14日
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