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Avispa Fukuoka has roots that go back to 1982. Under the name Chuo Bouhan Soccer Club, the team was an early football power in the Shizuoka area, and one of the founding members of the JFL, the amateur league which represented Japan's second tier when the J.League was formed. Between 1992 and 1995, Avispa began to develop professional ambitions and made good progress through the JFL ranks. However, there were already two J.League teams located in the prefecture (Shimizu S-Pulse and Jubilo Iwata), and the J.League was sceptical about allowing a third team to set up operations in such a relatively small area.
Fortunately for the club, the city of Fukuoka, in Kyushu, was eager to create a J.League team to represent the region. Chuo Bouhan was convinced to move its entire operation ... players, coaches, sponsors and all ... to Fukuoka, where it took the official name Fukuoka Blux. After winning the JFL championship in 1995, the team gained admission to the J.League.
With its entry to the professional ranks, the team changed its name, adopting the Spanish word "Avispa" (= wasp), in reference to the aggressive yellowjackets that are common in the Kyushu area. A wasp named "Avis" was also selected as the team mascot.
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