Japan Football League facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Japan Football League

Founded	1999; 26 years ago (1999)
Country	Japan
Confederation	AFC
Number of teams	16
Level on pyramid	4
Promotion to	J2 League (1999–2013) J3 League (2014–present)
Relegation to	Japanese Regional Leagues
Domestic cup(s)	Emperor's Cup
Current champions	Tochigi City FC (1st title) (2024)
Most championships	Honda FC (10 titles)

The Japan Football League, often called the JFL, is a major football league in Japan. It's the fourth level in the Japanese football pyramid, sitting just below the three J.League divisions. Many teams in the JFL are professional and hope to join the J.League one day.

JFL's Place in Japanese Football

The JFL is considered the top amateur football league in Japan. Even though it's called "amateur," many teams have professional players. It acts as a stepping stone for clubs aiming to become fully professional and join the J3 League, which is the third division of the J.League.

JFL History: How it Started

The Japan Football League began in 1999. This was the same year the J.League created its second division, called J2. Before 1999, there was an older JFL that was the second-highest league.

When the new JFL started, nine teams from the old league joined J2. The remaining seven teams, plus a winner from a regional competition, formed the new JFL. Yokohama FC also joined as a special case. So, nine teams played in the very first JFL season in 1999.

Some of the first teams included Denso SC, Honda Motors, Sony Sendai, and Yokohama FC. Over the years, the number of teams in the JFL changed. It grew from 9 to 12, then to 16, and even 18 clubs at one point.

In 2014, the J.League created a new third division, the J3 League. This meant that 10 teams from the JFL moved up to J3. The JFL then became the fourth-tier league, which is where it is today.

Several former JFL clubs have even made it to the top league, J1 League. These include Yokohama FC, Tokushima Vortis, Matsumoto Yamaga, V-Varen Nagasaki, and Machida Zelvia.

Starting in 2026, the J.League will change its season to run from autumn to spring. The JFL has also decided to follow this new schedule, so the 2025 season will be the last one played within a single calendar year.

How JFL Teams Work

JFL clubs can be connected to companies, or they can be independent clubs. Some university teams used to play in the JFL, but that's not common anymore. Only independent clubs can become "J.League associate members," which is a step needed to get promoted to the J.League.

Moving Up: Promotion from JFL

For a JFL club to move up to the J3 League, it needs to meet certain requirements. The main goal is to get approved by the J.League Committee and become a J.League associate member.

Here's how promotion works between J3 and JFL:

• If the JFL champion has a special J3 license, they automatically swap places with the last-placed team in J3.
• If the JFL runner-up has a license (but the champion doesn't), they play a special playoff match against the last-placed J3 team.
• If both the JFL champion and runner-up have licenses, the champion goes up automatically. The runner-up then plays a playoff against the second-to-last team in J3.
• If neither the champion nor the runner-up has a J3 license, no teams get promoted from the JFL that year.

Moving Down: Relegation from JFL

Teams can also move down from the JFL. The team at the very bottom of the JFL table usually gets relegated directly. They swap places with the winner of a special competition for regional league teams. The team ranked 15th in the JFL might also play a playoff match against the second-place team from that regional competition.

Emperor's Cup: A Special Tournament

The Emperor's Cup is a big national football tournament in Japan. In the past, only the top JFL teams at certain points in the season could enter this cup directly. Now, most JFL clubs have to win a qualifying cup in their local area to get a spot in the Emperor's Cup.

JFL Seasons and How They Play

The JFL season usually involves teams playing each other twice, once at home and once away. The team with the most points at the end of the season becomes the champion. From 2014 to 2018, the league used a different system with two halves (Apertura and Clausura), and the winners of each half played for the championship. But since 2019, it's back to the single table system.

Participating Clubs in 2025

There are 16 clubs competing in the 2025 Japan Football League season. Some of these clubs are working towards joining the J.League.

• Pink background means the club was recently promoted from a regional league.
• Gray background means the club was recently relegated from J3.
• Clubs in bold have a J3 League license, which is needed for promotion.

Stadiums Where JFL Teams Play

JFL teams play in various stadiums across Japan. Here are some of the main stadiums used by the clubs in the 2025 season:

Asuka FC	Atletico Suzuka	Briobecca Urayasu Ichikawa	Criacao Shinjuku
Kashihara Park Athletic Stadium	Mie Suzuka Sports Garden	Kashiwanoha Stadium	Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka
Capacity: 5,000	Capacity: 19,694	Capacity: 20,000	Capacity: 7,258
Honda FC	Iwate Grulla Morioka	Maruyasu Okazaki	Minebea Mitsumi
Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium	Iwagin Stadium	Maruyasu Okazaki Ryuhoku Stadium	Nobeoka Nishishina Athletic Stadium
Capacity: 2,500	Capacity: 9,892	Capacity: 5,000	Capacity: 15,000
Okinawa SV	Reilac Shiga	ReinMeer Aomori	Tiamo Hirakata
Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium	Heiwado HATO Stadium	Kakuhiro Group Athletic Stadium	Hirakata City Athletics Stadium
Capacity: 12,270	Capacity: 15,000	Capacity: 2,500	Capacity: 12,500
Veertien Mie	Verspah Oita	Yokogawa Musashino	YSCC Yokohama
Asahi Gas Energy Toin Stadium	Oita Sports Park	Musashino Municipal Athletic Stadium	Mitsuzawa Stadium
Capacity: 5,104	Capacity: 2,040	Capacity: 5,192	Capacity: 15,454

Former JFL Clubs

Many clubs have played in the JFL over the years. Some have moved up to the J.League, while others have moved to different regional leagues or even stopped playing.

• Pink background means the club was recently promoted to J3 League.

JFL Champions: Who Won the Most?

Honda FC is the most successful club in JFL history, with 10 titles! Here's a look at the clubs that have won the JFL championship.

JFL Player Records

Here are some of the players who have played the most games or scored the most goals in the JFL.

More About Japanese Football

• Sport in Japan
  • Football in Japan
    • Women's football in Japan
• Japan Football Association (JFA)

Soccer/Football

League system

• Japanese association football league system
• J.League
  • J1 League (Top League)
  • J2 League (Second League)
  • J3 League (Third League)
• Regional Champions League (Playoffs to get into JFL)
• Regional Leagues (Lower Leagues)

Domestic Cups

• Fujifilm Super Cup (Super Cup)
• Emperor's Cup (National Cup)
• J.League YBC Levain Cup (League Cup)

Futsal

• F.League
  • F1 League (Top Futsal League)
  • F2 League (Second Futsal League)
• JFA Futsal Championship (National Futsal Cup)
• F.League Ocean Cup (Futsal League Cup)

Beach soccer

• Beach Soccer Championship (National Beach Soccer Cup)

See also

In Spanish: Japan Football League para niños