Montedio Yamagata announced on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, the appointment of Daisuke Yamanaka as a new part-time director. The decision took place during the ordinary meeting of the board of directors and extraordinary general meeting of shareholders of Montedio Yamagata Co., Ltd. Yamanaka is the representative director of SHONAI Co., Ltd., a company specialized in regional development and local business.
The incorporation of the executive into the management structure aims to strengthen the company’s efforts in two main areas: regional revitalization centered on sport and implementation of a new stadium concept. Yamanaka brings accumulated experience in tourism, regional branding and creation of local companies, knowledge that will complement Montedio Yamagata’s work in the sports market.
Trajetória and Yamanaka’s expertise
Yamanaka was born into Tóquio in 1985 and graduated from Estudos Ambientais and from Informação to Universidade Keio. Após works on development and operation of large commercial facilities at Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd., moved to the Shonai region in 2014 and founded SHONAI Co., Ltd., formerly known as YAMAGATA DESIGN.
Desde its foundation, the company operates in four segments:
- Agricultura
- Turismo
- Corporate Transformação
- Educação
Sob the corporate vision of “Being the hope of regions”, SHONAI Co., Ltd. has developed several businesses, including Aigamo Robo, Suiden Terrace and 10 Billion Think Tank. The group has raised a total of more than 7.8 billion yen in capital by April 2026 and operates under the concept of “Econômica SHONAI Zone”, which seeks to create a thousand companies valued at 10 billion yen each. Yamanaka serves as co-representative of XLOCAL Co., Ltd., overseeing the group’s overall strategy.
Objetivos and vision for the club
In his commentary on the appointment, Yamanaka described Montedio Yamagata as “a living team” and highlighted fans’ passionate support for the team across the region. Ele highlighted that the club is one of the most vibrant and dynamic in the J.League, which is why he decided to accept the challenge of participating in management. Yamanaka emphasized the importance of preserving the stadium development plan led by president Kentaro Aida, even in the face of difficulties.
The new director established two main objectives for his role in the position. The first is to get Montedio Yamagata to participate in Liga of Campeões of Ásia. The second is to transform Yamagata into a leading global sports city, with Montedio Yamagata as the core.
Convergência of economic and sports values
The appointment represents an integration strategy between Montedio Yamagata’s appeal in the sports market and the knowledge accumulated by Yamanaka on regional business and sustainable development. By transforming the value of sport into new economic value, the company intends to promote the creation of value that Yamagata can be proud of nationally and internationally.
Yamanaka has received numerous awards throughout his career, including Prêmio Nippon from Criação from Novos Negócios. Realizou features on prominent media programs such as “Cambrian Palace” and “Gaia’s Dawn”. Sua’s insertion into the management of Montedio Yamagata marks the continuity of the institution’s commitment to innovation and regional development through football.