Football Club Machida Zelvia is a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese football

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 club based in Machida, Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

.

Machida is a city known as "Brazil of Tokyo" due to the popularity of soccer in the city, and produced the second-largest number of J. League

J. League

The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...

 players. Football Club Machida (F.C. Machida) is historically known for its development system of young talents into professional and was originally formed in 1977 by the city's soccer federation.

In 1989 in order to retain those talents in Machida city, F.C. Machida established its own top team which played in the Tokyo Prefecture League.

In 2003 they became a polideportivo under the name Athletic Club Machida.

In 2005 they've won the Tokyo Prefectural Division 1 and was promoted to the Kanto League.

In 2006 they've won Kanto Division 2 and were promoted to Division 1 and in 2008 they won promotion to the Japan Football League

Japan Football League

The is the 3rd tier of the Japanese association football league system, following J. League Division 1 and J. League Division 2. Also known as the JFL, it is generally considered as the top amateur league in Japan although in reality it is a semi-professional league as many full-time footballers...

 as champions of the Regional Promotion Playoff Series.

In 2009, they adopted the current nickname Zelvia, a portmanteau of zelkova

Zelkova serrata

Zelkova serrata is a species of Zelkova native to Japan, Korea, eastern China, and Taiwan. It is often grown as an ornamental tree, and used in bonsai.-Description:...

(Machida city's official tree) and salvia

Salvia

Salvia is the largest genus of plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, with approximately 700-900 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. It is one of several genera commonly referred to as sage. When used without modifiers, sage generally refers to Salvia officinalis ; however, it is...

(a grass

Grass

Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...

y plant commonly used in football pitches).

The same year club announced its declaration to be promoted to J. League's 2nd division

J. League Division 2

The or is the second division of and is the second-tier professional association football league in Japan. Currently, J. League Division 2 is the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The first tier is represented by J...

, and its semi-affiliation was officially received by J.