Two goals in the space of four first-half minutes from Mitsuru Chiyotanda and Tomohiro Tsuda fired Tokushima Vortis into the J. League first division with a 2-0 win over Kyoto Sanga in the promotion playoff final on Sunday.
Having finished fourth in the regular season, one place behind Kyoto, Tokushima had to win the final to put Shikoku on the J1 map for the first time, while a draw would have been enough for Sanga to return to the top flight since being relegated in 2010.
But Chiyotanda opened the scoring with a thumping header on 39 minutes and a well-taken strike from Tsuda two minutes before the interval sealed victory in the last J. League game at National Stadium before being rebuilt for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.