Japanese Regional Leagues facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Japanese Regional Leagues

Founded	1966; 59 years ago (1966) (Kansai and Tokai) 1967; 58 years ago (1967) (Kanto) 1973; 52 years ago (1973) (Chugoku and Kyushu) 1975; 50 years ago (1975) (Hokushin'etsu) 1977; 48 years ago (1977) (Shikoku and Tohoku) 1978; 47 years ago (1978) (Hokkaido)
Country	Japan
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Divisions	5 (first level) 6 (second level)
Number of teams	134
Level on pyramid	5–6
Promotion to	Japan Soccer League (1966–1991) Japan Football League (1992–1998) Japan Football League (1999–present)
Relegation to	Japanese Prefectural Leagues [ja]
Domestic cup(s)	Emperor's Cup Shakaijin Cup

Japanese Regional Leagues (Japanese: 地域リーグ, Hepburn: Chiiki Rīgu) are a group of parallel association football leagues in Japan that are organized on the regional basis. They form the fifth and sixth tier of the Japanese association football league system below the nationwide Japan Football League.

Overview

Football regions in Japan:
      Hokkaido       Tōhoku       Kantō       Hokushinetsu       Tōkai       Kansai       Chūgoku       Shikoku       Kyushu
Hokkaido subdivision boundaries are by Block League.

Japan is divided regionally in a variety of ways, some of them administrative and some more historical. For the football purposes, the country is divided into nine regions. All regional league champions earn the right to participate in the Regional Football League Competition (since 2016 renamed Japan Regional Football Champions League) at the end of the year. Runners-up may also qualify according to criteria set by the Japan Football Association.

Regional league clubs also compete in the All Japan Senior Football Championship, a cup competition. The winner of this cup also earns a berth in the Regional League promotion series, and the runner-up may also qualify depending on space and JFA criteria.

Regional league clubs must win the qualifying cup in their home prefecture in order to compete in the Emperor's Cup.

Since the divisions rarely go over 10 members, the season is shorter and long summer breaks may be taken.

Among the existing Japanese clubs there are ten that have never played in the regional leagues. They are:

• Japan Soccer League co-founders Urawa Red Diamonds, JEF United Chiba, Kashiwa Reysol, Cerezo Osaka, Sanfrecce Hiroshima (listed under current names, all formed the old league in 1965);
• Independent club Shimizu S-Pulse, established as a professional club upon J. League creation in 1992;
• Sagan Tosu who took over the folded Tosu Futures in former JFL in 1997;
• Yokohama FC who were directly admitted into the Japan Football League in 1999 upon their formation;
• Kataller Toyama that formed in 2008 as a result of the fusion of JFL clubs ALO's Hokuriku and YKK AP.
• Kagoshima United FC that formed in 2014 as a result of the fusion of Kyushu League clubs Volca Kagoshima and FC Kagoshima, top two in the 2013 Regional Promotion Series, and which joined the JFL as a merged club

Additionally, the forerunners to Tosu Futures, Kashima Antlers, Avispa Fukuoka and Vissel Kobe were originally based in different regions (and won or were promoted from those regions) from where they, or their successors, are based today:

• Kashima Antlers was originally based in Kansai but moved to Kantō in 1975 after reaching the JSL;
• Tosu Futures was originally based in Tōkai but moved to Kyushu in 1994 after reaching the former JFL;
• Avispa Fukuoka was originally based in Tōkai but moved to Kyushu in 1994 after reaching the former JFL;
• Vissel Kobe was originally based in Chūgoku but moved to Kansai in 1995 after reaching the former JFL.

Regional Leagues clubs, 2024

Hokkaido Soccer League

League	Teams	Hometown
Hokkaido Soccer League 北海道サッカーリーグ	BTOP Hokkaido	Kuriyama, Hokkaido
	Hokkaido Tokachi Sky Earth	Obihiro, Hokkaido
	Hokushukai Iwamizawa [ja]	Iwamizawa, Hokkaido
	Kyokusyuukai FC [ja]	Asahikawa, Hokkaido
	Norbritz Hokkaido	Ebetsu, Hokkaido
	Sapporo University Goal Plunderers (ja)	Sapporo, Hokkaido
	ASC Hokkaido [ja]	Tomakomai, Hokkaido
	Canale Otaru [ja]	Otaru City, Hokkaido

Tohoku Member-of-Society Soccer League

League	Division	Teams	Hometown
Tohoku Member-of-Society Soccer League 東北社会人サッカーリーグ	Division 1	Blancdieu Hirosaki FC	Hirosaki, Aomori
		Bogolle D. Tsugaru FC [ja]	Tsugaru, Aomori
		Fuji Club 2003 (ja)	Hanamaki, Iwate
		Ganju Iwate	Morioka, Iwate
		Morioka Zebra [ja]	Morioka, Iwate
		Cobaltore Onagawa	Onagawa, Miyagi
		Hitome Senbonzakura SUFT (ja)	Sendai, Miyagi
		FC LA U. de Sendai (ja)	Sendai, Miyagi
		Michinoku Sendai FC [ja]	Iwanuma, Miyagi
		Shichigahama SC [ja]	Shichigahama, Miyagi
	Division 2 North	Akita FC Cambiare	Akita, Akita
		Shichinohe SC [ja]	Shichinohe, Aomori
		Saruta Kogyo	Akita, Akita
		TDK Shinwakai	Nikaho, Akita
		Kuzumaki Club [ja]	Kuzumaki, Iwate
		Nippon Steel Corp. Kamaishi (ja)	Kamaishi, Iwate
		Omiya SC [ja]	Morioka, Iwate
		Oshu United FC [ja]	Ōshū, Iwate
		Tono Club [ja]	Tono, Iwate
	Division 2 South	FC La U. de Sendai Second (ja)	Sendai, Miyagi
		Nakaniida SC [ja]	Kami, Miyagi
		RICOH Industry Tohoku [ja]	Shibata, Miyagi
		Sendai Sasuke FC [ja]	Sendai, Miyagi
		Oyama SC	Tsuruoka, Yamagata
		Chaneaule Koriyama [ja]	Kōriyama, Fukushima
		Iwaki Furukawa FC [ja]	Iwaki, Fukushima
		Merry FC [ja]	Fukushima, Fukushima
		FC Primeiro Fukushima [ja]	Kōriyama, Fukushima

Kantō Soccer League

League	Division	Teams	Hometown
Kanto Soccer League 関東サッカーリーグ	Division 1	Tsukuba FC	Tsukuba, Ibaraki
		Vertfee Yaita	Yaita, Tochigi
		Tokyo International University FC (ja)	Sakado, Saitama
		Vonds Ichihara	Ichihara, Chiba
		Aries Tokyo FC [ja]	Nerima, Tokyo
		Nankatsu SC	Katsushika, Tokyo
		Tokyo 23 FC	Special wards of Tokyo
		Tokyo United FC	Bunkyō, Tokyo
		Toho Titanium SC	Chigasaki, Kanagawa
		Toin University of Yokohama FC (ja)	Yokohama, Kanagawa
	Division 2	Ryutsu Keizai Dragons Ryugasaki	Ryūgasaki, Ibaraki
		Sakai Trinitas [ja]	Sakai, Ibaraki
		Tonan Maebashi	Maebashi, Gunma
		Aventura Kawaguchi [ja]	Kawaguchi, Saitama
		Coedo Kawagoe [ja]	Kawagoe, Saitama
		Hitachi Building System SC [ja]	Chiyoda, Tokyo
		Nihon University N. (ja)	Inagi, Tokyo
		Atsugi Hayabusa FC [ja]	Atsugi, Kanagawa
		Esperanza SC [ja]	Yokohama, Kanagawa
		Yokohama Takeru [ja]	Yokohama, Kanagawa

Hokushinetsu Football League

League	Division	Teams	Hometown
Hokushinetsu Football League 北信越フットボールリーグ	Division 1	Niigata University of Management FC (ja)	Kamo, Niigata
		Japan Soccer College	Seiro, Niigata
		Niigata University of Health and Welfare FC (ja)	Niigata, Niigata
		Artista Asama	Tōmi, Nagano
		Toyama Shinjo Club	Toyama, Toyama
		SR Komatsu [ja]	Komatsu, Ishikawa
		Fukui United FC	Fukui, Fukui
		Sakai Phoenix FC [ja]	Sakai, Fukui
	Division 2	CUPS Seiro	Seiro, Niigata
		NUHW FC (ja)	Niigata, Niigata
		FC Antelope Shiojiri [ja]	Shiojiri, Nagano
		Libertas Chikuma FC [ja]	Chikuma, Nagano
		FC Matsucelona (ja)	Matsumoto, Nagano
		N-Style [ja]	Toyama, Toyama
		FC Hokuriku (ja)	Kanazawa, Ishikawa
		LionPower Komatsu [ja]	Komatsu, Ishikawa

Tōkai Adult Soccer League

League	Division	Teams	Hometown
Tōkai Adult Soccer League 東海社会人サッカーリーグ	Division 1	Fujieda City Hall SC	Fujieda, Shizuoka
		Gakunan F. Mosuperio [ja]	Fuji, Shizuoka and Fujinomiya, Shizuoka
		Sports & Society Izu [ja]	Izu, Shizuoka
		Yazaki Valente [ja]	Shimada, Shizuoka
		Chukyo University FC (ja)	Nagoya, Aichi
		FC Kariya	Kariya, Aichi
		Wyvern FC	Kariya, Aichi
		FC Ise-Shima	Shima, Mie
	Division 2	Tokoha University FC (ja)	Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
		AS Kariya [ja]	Kariya, Aichi
		Chukyo Univ.FC (ja)	Toyota, Aichi
		Tokai Gakuen University FC (ja)	Miyoshi, Aichi
		Tokai FC [ja]	Yatomi, Aichi
		FC Gifu SECOND (ja)	Gifu, Gifu
		Nagara Club [ja]	Gifu, Gifu
		Vencedor Mie [ja]	Tsu, Mie

Kansai Soccer League

League	Division	Teams	Hometown
Kansai Soccer League 関西サッカーリーグ	Division 1	Lagend Shiga FC	Moriyama, Shiga
		Moriyama Samurai 2000 [ja]	Moriyama, Shiga
		Hannan University Club (ja)	Matsubara, Osaka
		FC AWJ [ja]	Awaji Island
		FC Basara Hyogo [ja]	Akashi, Hyōgo
		Cento Cuore Harima	Kakogawa, Hyogo
		Asuka FC [ja]	Kashihara, Nara
		Arterivo Wakayama	Wakayama, Wakayama
	Division 2	AS Laranja Kyoto	Kyoto, Kyoto
		Kyoto Shiko Club [ja]	Kyoto, Kyoto
		Ococias Kyoto AC	Kyoto, Kyoto
		Kandai FC 2008 (ja)	Suita, Osaka
		Osaka Korean FC [ja]	Osaka, Osaka
		AC Middlerange [ja]	Osaka, Osaka
		St.Andrew's FC (ja)	Izumi, Osaka
		Kobe FC 1970 [ja]	Kobe, Hyogo

Chūgoku Soccer League

League	Teams	Hometown
Chūgoku Soccer League 中国サッカーリーグ	Banmel Tottori [ja]	Tottori, Tottori
	Yonago Genki SC [ja]	Yonago, Tottori
	Belugarosso Iwami	Iwami, Shimane
	International Pacific University FC (ja)	Okayama, Okayama
	Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima FC	Kurashiki, Okayama
	NTN Okayama [ja]	Bizen, Okayama
	SRC Hiroshima	Hiroshima, Hiroshima
	Hatsukaichi FC [ja]	Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima
	Fukuyama City FC	Fukuyama, Hiroshima
	FC Baleine Shimonoseki	Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi

Shikoku Soccer League

League	Teams	Hometown
Shikoku Soccer League 四国サッカーリーグ	R.Velho Takamatsu [ja]	Takamatsu, Kagawa
	Sonio Takamatsu [ja]	Takamatsu, Kagawa
	Tadotsu FC [ja]	Tadotsu, Kagawa
	FC Tokushima	Tokushima, Tokushima
	Lvnirosso NC [ja]	Niihama, Ehime
	KUFC Nankoku (ja)	Nankoku, Kōchi
	Llamas Kochi FC [ja]	Kōchi, Kōchi
	Nakamura Club [ja]	Shimanto, Kōchi

Kyushu Soccer League

League	Teams	Hometown
Kyushu Soccer League 九州サッカーリーグ
	Itazuke FC [ja]	Fukuoka, Fukuoka
	KMG Holdings FC [ja]	Fukuoka, Fukuoka
	Brew Kashima	Kashima, Saga
	Kawasoe Club [ja]	Kawasoe, Saga
	J-Lease FC	Oita, Oita
	Nippon Steel Oita SC (ja)	Ōita, Ōita
	FC Nobeoka Agata	Nobeoka, Miyazaki
	Veroskronos Tsuno	Tsuno, Miyazaki
	NIFS Kanoya FC (ja)	Kanoya, Kagoshima
	Kaiho Bank SC [ja]	Naha, Okinawa

See also

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