Nagoya Grampus

Early years as Toyota Motor SC (1939–1991)

The club was founded as Toyota Motor Soccer Club, the company team of the automobile manufacturer Toyota. During the early decades of Japanese corporate football, the team competed mainly in regional competitions and company leagues. Toyota Motor SC was overshadowed by its colleague Toyota Automated Loom Works SC (founded in 1946 and which was one of the founding members of the Japan Soccer League). When Toyota ALW were relegated to regional leagues in 1968, Toyota Motor saw an opportunity to rise at their expense.

In 1972, Toyota Motor SC was one of the founding members of the JSL's Second Division and its inaugural champions. They remained in the JSL until the J.League's founding in 1993. They were relegated to the JSL Division 2 in 1977.

Toyota Motor SC returned to the top tier after finishing as runners-up in the 1989–90 season. As Japanese football prepared to transition into professionalism, the club underwent restructuring and in 1990 adopted the name 'Nagoya Grampus Eight', reflecting its connection to the city of Nagoya and local cultural symbols. The name "Grampus" refers to the golden shachihoko (often interpreted as dolphin-like creatures) that decorate the roof of Nagoya Castle, while "Eight" derives from the stylised symbol of Nagoya city, which resembles the character for the number eight.

Founding member of the J.League (1992–1999)

Nagoya Grampus Eight was an original member ("Original Ten") of the J.League in 1993. The club initially struggled in the early years of the new professional era, finishing near the bottom of the league standings in 1993 and 1994.

However in 1995, Nagoya Grampus Eight fortunes improved dramatically following the appointment of future Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger led Grampus to the 1995 Emperor's Cup final defeating Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3–0 winning their first major silverware in the club history and also finishing as the J1 League runners-up in the 1995 season.

In 1999, Nagoya Grampus Eight then continued to establish itself as a competitive club by winning the 1999 Emperor's Cup defeating Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2–0.

Consolidation and rebuilding (2000–2007)

During the early 2000s, Nagoya Grampus Eight remained a regular participant in the top division but struggled to consistently challenge for major titles. The club maintained a stable presence in the J.League with notable players such as Seigo Narazaki, who became one of the most prominent goalkeepers in Japanese football.

Despite occasional strong league finishes, Nagoya Grampus Eight experienced a downturn in the mid-2000s, finishing 14th in the 2005 season. This prompted a rebuilding period aimed at returning the club to competitiveness.

League champions under Dragan Stojković (2008–2013)

A new era began in 2008 where the club's name "Nagoya Grampus Eight" was shorten to just "Nagoya Grampus" at the start of the 2008 season. Nagoya Grampus then started off the season appointing former player Dragan Stojković as manager. Under his leadership, Nagoya adopted a more attacking style of play and quickly improved its league performances. They finished in third place in the 2008 season and qualified for the AFC Champions League for the first time.

In the 2009 AFC Champions League, Nagoya Grampus was drawn in Group E alongside Australian club Newcastle Jets, Korean club Ulsan Hyundai and Chinese club Beijing Guoan. The club then went to top the group stage with 12 points thus advancing to the knockout stage. In the round of 16, Nagoya Grampus face against another Korean club Suwon Samsung Bluewings winning them 2–1 thus advancing to the quarter-finals facing off Kawasaki Frontale. Both team was leveled 3–3 on aggregate where Joshua Kennedy went on to scored in the 88th minute to put Nagoya Grampus 4–3 on aggregate seeing them advanced to the semi-finals. However, Nagoya Grampus ended up losing 8–3 on aggregate to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad thus bowing out from the competition.

First top flight league title

Nagoya Grampus reached the peak of its history in the 2010 season when it won its first top flight league title. Stojković has since led the club to winning the J1 League, featuring a squad consisting of Marcus Tulio Tanaka, Mu Kanazaki, Seigo Narazaki, Yoshizumi Ogawa, Keiji Tamada and Joshua Kennedy. Joshua Kennedy went on to finished as the league's top-joint goalscorer with 17 goals alongside Júbilo Iwata player Ryoichi Maeda. The victory was followed by further success in 2011, when Nagoya won the 2011 Japanese Super Cup, defeating Kashima Antlers 3–1 on penalties shootout.

Decline and managerial changes (2014–2015)

Following several competitive seasons, Nagoya Grampus entered a period of decline during the mid-2010s. After the departure of long-time manager Dragan Stojković at the end of the 2013 season, the club appointed Akira Nishino as head coach ahead of the 2014 season. During the 2014 season, Nagoya struggled with inconsistent form despite possessing experienced players. The club finished in the lower half of the table finishing in 10th place.

The difficulties continued in 2015 as Nagoya failed to significantly improve their league performance. The team again finished 10th in the league standings, and Nishino left the club at the end of the season after two years in charge. The period marked the beginning of a broader decline that ultimately culminated in the club's relegation from the J1 League the following year.