J1 League facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
J1 League

Organising body	J.League
Founded	1992; 33 years ago (1992)
Country	Japan
Confederation	AFC
Number of teams	20
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	J2 League
Domestic cup(s)	Emperor's Cup Japanese Super Cup
League cup(s)	J.League Cup
International cup(s)	AFC Champions League Elite AFC Champions League Two
Current champions	Vissel Kobe (1st title) (2023)
Most championships	Kashima Antlers (8 titles)
Most appearances	Yasuhito Endō (672)
Top goalscorer	Yoshito Ōkubo (179)
TV partners	DAZN (including Abema de DAZN) NHK General TV (selected matches) NHK BS (selected matches) YouTube (selected matches and markets)

The J1 League is the top professional football (soccer) league in Japan. It's also known as the J.League or the Meiji Yasuda J1 League because of its main sponsor. The league started in 1992 and is one of the most successful football leagues in Asia.

Twenty clubs compete in the J1 League. Teams can move up to the J1 League from the J2 League (promotion) or move down to the J2 League (relegation). The league was first called the J.League from 1993 to 1998. Then, it became a two-division league and was known as J.League Division 1 from 1999 to 2014.

How the J1 League Started and Grew

The Beginning of Professional Football in Japan

Before the J.League began, the top football league in Japan was the Japan Soccer League (JSL). This league started in 1965 and had amateur clubs. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, many people watched JSL games. This was especially true after Japan's national team won a bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico.

However, in the 1980s, the JSL became less popular. Fewer fans came to games, the stadiums were not great, and the Japanese national team was not as strong as other Asian teams. To make football better in Japan, attract more fans, and improve the national team, the Japan Football Association (JFA) decided to create a professional league.

The professional J.League was formed in 1992. It included eight clubs from the old JSL First Division, one from the Second Division, and a new club called Shimizu S-Pulse. The J.League officially started its first season in 1993 with ten clubs.

Changes and Growth of the League

After a successful start, the number of fans at J.League games dropped in 1996. By 1997, the average attendance was around 10,000, much lower than the 19,000 in 1994.

To fix this, the league made big changes in 1999. They launched the J.League Hundred Year Vision. This plan aimed to have 100 professional football clubs across Japan by 2092. The league also encouraged clubs to connect with their local communities. Clubs were asked to promote sports and health, find local sponsors, and build strong relationships with their hometowns. This helped clubs rely on local support rather than just big national sponsors.

The league also changed its structure in 1999. It added nine clubs from the semi-professional JFL and one club from the J.League to create a two-division system. The top league became J.League Division 1 (J1) with 16 clubs. The J.League Division 2 (J2) started with ten clubs.

From 1999 to 2004, the J1 season was split into two parts. The winners of each half played a final series to decide the overall champion. This split-season system was stopped in 2005.

J1 League Today and International Success

Since the 2005 season, the J1 League has had 18 clubs. Its season format is now similar to European football leagues. The number of teams that get relegated (move down) also changed.

Japanese teams used to not focus much on the AFC Champions League (ACL), which is a big Asian competition. But in recent years, they have started to take it more seriously. This is because the ACL offers a chance to play in the FIFA Club World Cup. Japanese clubs like Urawa Red Diamonds (in 2007) and Gamba Osaka (in 2008) have won the ACL. This success helped the J.League get a high ranking from the AFC, allowing more Japanese clubs to play in the ACL.

In 2015, J.League Division 1 was officially renamed J1 League. The league briefly brought back the split-season format in 2015 and 2016, but it was not popular with fans. So, from 2017, the league returned to a single-stage system. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins the championship.

Since 2018, the bottom two clubs in J1 are directly relegated to J2. The 16th-placed J1 club plays a special playoff match against the winner of the J2 promotion playoff. If the J2 team wins, they get promoted, and the J1 team is relegated. If the J1 team wins, they stay in J1.

Japanese clubs have become very strong in Asian and international competitions. For example, Kashima Antlers reached the final of the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup and lost to Real Madrid. Starting in 2026/27, the J.League will change its schedule to run from August to May, like many European leagues.

J1 League Logos

• 

  Former logo (used between 1999 and 2014)

• 

  Logo used between 2015 and 2018

The 2024 J1 League Season

How the League Works

Twenty clubs play in the J1 League. Each team plays every other team twice, once at home and once away. This means each team plays a total of 38 games.

• A team gets 3 points for a win.
• 1 point for a tie (draw).
• 0 points for a loss.

Teams are ranked by their total points. If teams have the same points, these rules decide who ranks higher:

• Goal difference (goals scored minus goals against).
• Total goals scored.
• Results from games played between the tied teams.
• Disciplinary points (teams with fewer yellow/red cards rank higher).

If two clubs are tied for first place, they both become co-champions. The top two clubs in the J1 League qualify for the next season's AFC Champions League Elite. The third-placed team qualifies for the AFC Champions League Two. The bottom three clubs are relegated to the J2 League.

The top clubs also receive prize money and special funds:

• Champions: 300,000,000 yen (about 2 million US dollars)
• Second place: 120,000,000 yen
• Third place: 60,000,000 yen

In addition to prize money, the top four clubs get extra funds:

• Champions: 1,550,000,000 yen
• Second place: 700,000,000 yen
• Third place: 350,000,000 yen
• Fourth place: 180,000,000 yen

Teams in the J1 League

Here are the clubs playing in the J1 League for the 2024 season:

Teams with a pink background were recently promoted from the J2 League.

Stadiums of the J1 League (2024)

Here are the main stadiums used by J1 League clubs:

Albirex Niigata	Avispa Fukuoka	Cerezo Osaka		Gamba Osaka	Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo		Jubilo Iwata
Denka Big Swan Stadium	Best Denki Stadium	Yanmar Stadium Nagai	Yodoko Sakura Stadium	Panasonic Stadium Suita	Sapporo Dome	Sapporo Atsubetsu Stadium	Yamaha Stadium
Capacity: 42,300	Capacity: 21,562	Capacity: 47,816	Capacity: 24,481	Capacity: 40,000	Capacity: 42,065	Capacity: 20,861	Capacity: 15,165
Kashima Antlers	Kashiwa Reysol	Kawasaki Frontale	Kyoto Sanga FC	Machida Zelvia	Nagoya Grampus		Sagan Tosu
Kashima Soccer Stadium	Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium	Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium	Sanga Stadium by Kyocera	Machida Gion Stadium	Paloma Mizuho Stadium	Toyota Stadium	Ekimae Real Estate Stadium
Capacity: 37,638	Capacity: 15,349	Capacity: 26,232	Capacity: 21,600	Capacity: 15,489	Capacity: 27,000	Capacity: 44,692	Capacity: 24,130
Sanfrecce Hiroshima	Shonan Bellmare	FC Tokyo	Tokyo Verdy	Urawa Red Diamonds	Vissel Kobe	Yokohama F. Marinos	All J1 Stadiums
Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima	Lemon Gas Stadium Hiratsuka	Ajinomoto Stadium		Saitama Stadium 2002	Noevir Stadium Kobe	Nissan Stadium
Capacity: 28,520	Capacity: 15,380	Capacity: 49,970		Capacity: 63,700	Capacity: 30,132	Capacity: 72,327

Former J1 League Clubs

Some clubs have played in the J1 League but are now in lower divisions or no longer exist.

Teams with a grey background were recently relegated to the J2 League.

J1 League Champions Through the Years

Here are the champions and runners-up of the J1 League since it began:

Most Successful Clubs in J1 League History

Here are the clubs with the most J1 League titles. Clubs in bold are playing in the 2024 J1 League season.

Other Football Tournaments

Domestic Tournaments

• Fujifilm Super Cup: A match played between the J1 League champion and the Emperor's Cup winner.
• The JFA Emperor's Cup: A national knockout cup competition open to professional and amateur teams.
• YBC Levain Cup: A league cup competition for J.League clubs.

International Tournaments

• FIFA Club World Cup: A tournament for the champion clubs from each of the six continental confederations.
• AFC Champions League: The top club football competition in Asia.

Media Coverage of J1 League

In Japan

DAZN has the exclusive rights to broadcast all J.League matches digitally until 2033. You can also watch selected matches on NHK General TV and NHK BS. Some regional TV channels also show games for their local teams.

Outside Japan

Selected J.League matches are streamed live globally on the J.League International YouTube channel, except in certain regions. Here are some broadcasters in other countries:

Country/region	Broadcaster
Australia	Optus Sport
Austria	Sportdigital
Germany
Switzerland
China	K-Ball, Tianjin TV, Penguin Sports
Hong Kong	TVB
Indian subcontinent	Fancode
Indonesia	PSJTV
Macau	TDM
Malaysia	Astro SuperSport
Nigeria	Sporty TV
Thailand	Siam Sport (via AIS Play) and PPTV
Brazil	Disney+ (Star Hub)

J1 League Sponsors

The J1 League has many partners and sponsors who help support the league.

• Title Partner: Meiji Yasuda Life
• Official Broadcasting Partner: DAZN
• Top Partners: AiDEM, Route-Inn Hotels, ÆON, NTT docomo, Inc., KONAMI, Ichigo, Kodansha, Disney+, DMM.com Group, Yamazaki Baking (for League Cup), Fujifilm (for Super Cup)
• Equipment Partner: Adidas
• Sports Promotion Partner: Japan Sports Council
• Ticketing Partner: PIA Businesses
• EC Platform Partner: Rakuten
• Technology Partner: NTT Group
• Supporting Companies: The Asahi Shimbun, Sportsnavi, Deloitte, Data Stadium, IMAGICA GROUP, LINE LY Corp, Suntory, Nikon, TikTok, SKY PerfecTV!

See also

In Spanish: J1 League para niños

• List of Japanese football champions
• Japanese association football league system
• J.League records and statistics
• Nadeshiko League