J2 League facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
J2 League

Organising body	J.League
Founded	1999; 26 years ago (1999)
Country	Japan
Confederation	AFC
Number of teams	20
Level on pyramid	2
Promotion to	J1 League
Relegation to	J3 League
Domestic cup(s)	Emperor's Cup
League cup(s)	J.League Cup
Current champions	Shimizu S-Pulse (1st title) (2024)
Most championships	Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo (3 titles)
TV partners	DAZN

The J2 League (Japanese: J2リーグ, Hepburn: J2 Rīgu), or just J2, is the second-highest level of professional soccer in Japan. It is part of the Japan Professional Football League (Japanese: 日本プロサッカーリーグ, Hepburn: Nihon Puro Sakkā Rīgu). The top level is the J1 League, and the level below J2 is the J3 League.

Think of it like a ladder. Teams in J2 work hard to climb up to J1, which is the most famous league in the country. The league is officially called the Meiji Yasuda J2 League (Japanese: 明治安田J2リーグ) because it is sponsored by a company called Meiji Yasuda Life.

A second-level soccer league has been around in Japan since 1972. But it only became a professional league in 1999, starting with just ten clubs. These teams came from the top league and the old semi-professional league.

History of the J2 League

Japan has had a second division for soccer since 1972, back when it was an amateur league called the Japan Soccer League. When the professional J.League was created in 1992, the old second division was renamed.

By 1999, Japanese soccer was ready for a big change. The professional league system was split into two divisions. The top league became the J1 League, and the new J.League Division 2 (J2) was created with ten teams. This allowed more clubs from smaller cities to become professional and grow.

Growing the League

At first, the rules for joining J2 were not as tough as for J1. This helped smaller clubs build their teams, stadiums, and fanbases. Teams like Oita Trinita and Kawasaki Frontale started in J2 and worked their way up to J1.

Over the years, more and more clubs wanted to join the professional leagues. The J2 League slowly grew from 10 clubs to 12, then 15, and eventually to 22 clubs by 2012. As the number of teams grew, the way the season was played also changed.

In 2014, a third professional league, the J3 League, was created. This provided another step for amateur clubs dreaming of going pro. Today, the J2 League has 20 clubs, creating an exciting and competitive season every year.

How the League Works

The J2 League is a key part of Japan's soccer system. It connects the top J1 League with the J3 League through promotion and relegation.

Promotion and Relegation

• Promotion: At the end of each season, the top teams in J2 get to move up to the J1 League. This is called promotion. The top two teams are promoted automatically.
• Playoffs: Teams that finish from 3rd to 6th place enter a playoff tournament. The winner of this tournament earns the third and final promotion spot to J1.
• Relegation: The teams that finish at the bottom of the J2 table are moved down to the J3 League. This is called relegation. Starting in 2024, the three bottom teams are relegated.

This system makes every game important. Teams fight hard to get promoted or to avoid being relegated. To be promoted, a club must also have a J1 license, which means they meet certain standards for their stadium and finances.

Crests

The J2 League has had different logos over the years.

• 

  The old logo for the league

• 

  The logo used from 2015 to 2018

The 2025 Season

In the 2025 season, 20 clubs will compete for a chance to reach the J1 League.

League Format

Each of the 20 clubs plays every other club twice: once at their home stadium and once away. This means each team plays a total of 38 games.

Teams get points for their games:

• Win: 3 points
• Tie (Draw): 1 point
• Loss: 0 points

The teams are ranked in a table based on their total points. If teams are tied on points, tie-breakers like goal difference (goals scored minus goals allowed) are used.

Prize Money

The top teams in the J2 League win prize money:

• First Place: 20,000,000 yen
• Second Place: 10,000,000 yen
• Third Place: 5,000,000 yen

Clubs in the 2025 Season

Here are the 20 clubs competing in the 2025 J2 League.

• Gray background means the club was just relegated from the J1 League.
• Pink background means the club was just promoted from the J3 League.

Champions and Promotion History

Here is a list of the teams that have won the J2 League and earned promotion to J1. The top two teams are always promoted. The third promotion spot is often decided by a playoff.

* Bold means the club was promoted.

Most Successful Clubs

Some clubs have had great success in the J2 League, winning titles and earning promotion multiple times.

See also

In Spanish: J2 League para niños

• Sport in Japan
  • Football in Japan
• J.League
  • J1 League (Top Level)
  • J3 League (Third Level)
• Japan Football League (JFL) (Fourth Level)
• Emperor's Cup (National Cup)
• J.League Cup (League Cup)