List of football clubs in Japan

This is a list of association football clubs in Japan from the 2024 season.

Japan Professional Football League (J.League)

Three leagues will consist of 20 teams from 2024 onwards.

J1 League

First division of the Japanese professional football system with 20 clubs:

• Albirex Niigata
• Avispa Fukuoka
• Cerezo Osaka
• Gamba Osaka
• Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
• Júbilo Iwata
• Kashima Antlers
• Kashiwa Reysol
• Kawasaki Frontale
• Kyoto Sanga
• Machida Zelvia
• Nagoya Grampus
• Sagan Tosu
• Sanfrecce Hiroshima
• Shonan Bellmare
• FC Tokyo
• Tokyo Verdy
• Urawa Red Diamonds
• Vissel Kobe
• Yokohama F. Marinos

J2 League

Second division of the Japanese professional football system with 20 clubs:

• Blaublitz Akita
• Ehime FC
• Fagiano Okayama
• Fujieda MYFC
• Iwaki FC
• JEF United Chiba
• Kagoshima United
• Mito HollyHock
• Montedio Yamagata
• Oita Trinita
• Renofa Yamaguchi
• Roasso Kumamoto
• Shimizu S-Pulse
• Thespa Gunma
• Tochigi SC
• Tokushima Vortis
• V-Varen Nagasaki
• Vegalta Sendai
• Ventforet Kofu
• Yokohama FC

J3 League

Third and last division of the Japanese professional football system with 20 clubs:

• Azul Claro Numazu
• Fukushima United
• Gainare Tottori
• FC Gifu
• Giravanz Kitakyushu
• FC Imabari
• Iwate Grulla Morioka
• Kamatamare Sanuki
• Kataller Toyama
• Matsumoto Yamaga
• Nagano Parceiro
• Nara Club
• Omiya Ardija
• FC Osaka
• Ryukyu Okinawa
• SC Sagamihara
• Tegevajaro Miyazaki
• Vanraure Hachinohe
• Yokohama Sports & Culture Club
• Zweigen Kanazawa

Japan Football League (JFL)

First division of the Japanese amateur football system and the only nationwide division for amateur clubs, from where are located some teams aiming to be promoted to the J.League in the near future through associate membership system. Such teams are indicated with (A) in parentheses.

16 clubs:

• Atletico Suzuka (formerly Suzuka Point Getters)
• Briobecca Urayasu
• Criacao Shinjuku (A)
• Honda FC*
• Kochi United (A)
• Maruyasu Okazaki*
• Minebea Mitsumi FC*
• Okinawa SV (A)
• Reilac Shiga (A)
• ReinMeer Aomori (A)
• Sony Sendai*
• Tiamo Hirakata
• Tochigi City FC
• Veertien Mie (A)
• Verspah Oita (A)
• Yokogawa Musashino

Japanese Regional Leagues

It are a group of nine 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.

Hokkaidō League

• ASC Hokkaido (Tomakomai, Hokkaido)
• Asahikawa FC (Muroran, Hokkaido)
• BTOP Hokkaido (Kuriyama, Hokkaido)
• Canale Otaru (Otaru, Hokkaido)
• Hokkaido Tokachi Sky Earth (Obihiro, Hokkaido)
• Hokushukai Iwamizawa (Iwamizawa, Hokkaido)
• Norbritz Hokkaido (Sapporo, Hokkaido)
• Sapporo Univ. Goal Plunderers (Sapporo, Hokkaido) (Un)

Tōhoku League

Division 1

• Blancdieu Hirosaki (Hirosaki, Aomori)
• Bogolle D. Tsugaru (Tsugaru, Aomori)
• Cobaltore Onagawa (Onagawa, Miyagi)
• Fuji Club 2003 (Hanamaki, Iwate) (Un)
• Ganju Iwate (Hachimantai, Iwate)
• Michinoku Sendai (Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture)
• Morioka Zebra (Morioka, Iwate)
• Shichigahama SC (Shichigahama, Miyagi)
• FC Sendai University (Shibata, Miyagi) (Un)
• FC La Universidad de Sendai (Shibata, Miyagi) (Un)

Division 2

North

• Akita Cambiare (Akita, Akita)
• Kuzumaki Club (Kuzumaki, Iwate)
• NewPearl Hiraizumi Maesawa (Hiraizumi, Iwate)
• Nippon Steel Kamaishi* (Kamaishi, Iwate)
• Omiya SC (Ōmiya-ku, Saitama)
• Oshu United (Oshu, Iwate)
• Saruta Kōgyō* (Akita, Akita)
• Shichinohe SC (Shichinohe, Aomori)
• TDK Shinwakai (Nikaho, Akita)

South

• Iwaki Furukawa (Iwaki, Fukushima)
• Merry (Fukushima, Fukushima)
• Nagai Club (Nagai, Yamagata)
• Oyama Club (Morioka, Iwate)
• Parafrente Yonezawa (Yonezawa, Yamagata)
• Primeiro Fukushima (Fukushima prefecture)
• Ricoh Industry Tohoku* (Shibata, Miyagi)
• Sendai Sasuke (Sendai, Miyagi)
• Sendai Universität (Sendai, Miyagi) (Un)

Kantō Soccer League (KSL)

Division 1

• Aries Tokyo (Tokyo)
• Joyful Honda Tsukuba* (Tsukuba, Ibaraki)
• Nankatsu SC (Katsushika, Tokyo)
• Toho Titanium (Kanagawa Prefecture)
• Toin University of Yokohama FC (Yokohama, Kanagawa) (Un)
• Tokyo International University (Sakado, Saitama) (Un)
• Tokyo United (Bunkyō, Tokyo)
• Vertfee Yaita (Yaita, Tochigi)
• Vonds Ichihara (Ichihara, Chiba)

Division 2

• Atsugi Hayabusa (Atsugi, Kanagawa)
• Aventura Kawaguchi (Kawaguchi, Saitama)
• Coedo Kawagoe (Kawagoe, Saitama)
• Esperanza SC (Yokohama, Kanagawa)
• Hitachi Building System SC* (Chiyoda, Tokyo)
• FC N. (Inagi, Tokyo) (Un)
• RKU Dragons (Un)
• Tokyo 23 (Special wards of Tokyo)
• Tonan Maebashi (Maebashi, Gunma) (A)
• Yokohama Takeru (Yokohama, Kanagawa)

Hokushin'etsu League (HFL)

Division 1

• '05 Kamo FC (Kamo, Niigata) (Un)
• Artista Asama (Tōmi, Nagano)
• Fukui United (Fukui, Fukui)
• JSC FC (Seirō, Niigata) (aka. College of Upward Players in Soccer or CUPS)
• Niigata UHW (Niigata, Niigata) (Un)
• Sakai Phoenix (Sakai, Fukui)
• SR Komatsu (Komatsu, Ishikawa)
• Toyama Shinjo Club (Toyama, Toyama)

Division 2

• Antelope Shoijiri (Shiojiri, Nagano)
• CUPS Seirō (Seirō, Niigata) (Japan Soccer College "B" team)
• FC Hokuriku (Kanazawa, Ishikawa) (Un)
• Libertas Chikuma (Chikuma, Nagano)
• Lion Power Komatsu (Komatsu, Ishikawa)
• FC Matsucelona (Matsumoto, Nagano) (Un)
• N-Style Toyama (Toyama)
• NUHW FC (Niigata, Niigata) (Un B team)

Tōkai League

Division 1

• Chukyo University FC (Toyota, Aichi) (Un)
• Fujieda City Hall (Fujieda, Shizuoka)
• Gakunan F. Mosuperio (Gakunan, Shizuoka)
• FC Ise-Shima (Shima, Mie)
• FC Kariya (Kariya, Aichi)
• Sports & Society Izu (Izu, Shizuoka)
• Wyvern FC (Kariya, Aichi)
• Yazaki Valente (Shimada, Shizuoka)

Division 2

• Chukyo Univ. FC (Toyota, Aichi) (Un)
• FC Gifu Second (Gifu, Gifu) (FC Gifu "B" team)
• AS Kariya Tokoha University (Kariya, Aichi)
• Nagara Club (Gifu, Gifu)
• Tokoha University FC
• Tokai FC (Nagoya, Aichi)
• Tokai Gakuen FC (Nagoya, Aichi) (Un)
• Vencendor Mie UC (Tsu, Mie)

Kansai League

Division 1

• Arterivo Wakayama (Wakayama, Wakayama)
• FC Asuka (Kashihara, Nara)
• FC AWJ (Awaji, Hyōgo)
• Basara Hyōgo (Akashi, Hyōgo) (renamed from FC Easy 02 Akashi)
• Cento Cuore Harima (Harima, Hyōgo)
• Hannan University Club (Matsubara, Osaka) (Un)
• Lagend Shiga (Moriyama, Shiga)
• Moriyama Samurai 2000 (Moriyama, Shiga)

Division 2

• Hannan University Revolution (Matsubara, Osaka) (Un)
• Kandai FC 2008 (Suita, Osaka) (Un)
• Kobe FC 1970 (Kobe)
• Kyoto Shiko Club (Kyoto, Kyoto)
• Laranja Kyoto (Kyoto, Kyoto)
• Middle Range (Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka)
• Ococias Kyoto (Kyoto, Kyoto)
• OKFC (Ikuno, Osaka)
• St. Andrew's FC (Izumi, Osaka) (Un)

Chūgoku League

• Baleine Shimonoseki (Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi)
• Banmel Tottori (Tottori, Tottori)
• Belugarosso Iwami (Hamada, Shimane)
• Fukuyama City FC (Fukuyama, Hiroshima)
• Hatsukaichi FC (Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima)
• International Pacific University FC (Okayama, Okayama) (Un)
• Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima* (Kurashiki, Okayama)
• NTN Okayama (Okayama, Okayama)
• SRC Hiroshima (Hiroshima, Hiroshima)
• Yonago Genki SC (Yonago, Tottori)

Shikoku League

• KUFC Nankoku (Nankoku, Kōchi) (Un)
• Llamas Kochi (Kōchi, Kōchi)
• Lvnirosso NC (Niihama, Ehime)
• Nakamura Club (Shimanto, Kochi)
• R. Velho Takamatsu (Takamatsu, Kagawa)
• Sonio Takamatsu (Takamatsu, Kagawa)
• Tadotsu FC (Tadotsu, Kagawa)
• FC Tokushima (Tokushima, Tokushima)

Kyūshū League (Kyu-League)

• Brew Kashima (Kashima, Saga)
• Itazuke FC (Fukuoka, Fukuoka)
• Kaiho Bank SC (Naha, Okinawa)
• Kawasoe Club (Saga, Saga)
• KMG Holdings FC* (Fukuoka, Fukuoka)
• J-Lease FC (Ōita)
• NIFS Kanoya FC (Kanoya, Kagoshima) (Un)
• Nippon Steel Oita SC (Ōita, Ōita)
• Nobeoka Agata (Nobeoka, Miyazaki)
• Veroskronos Tsuno (Tsuno, Miyazaki)

Notes

• Teams with * are company teams.
• Teams with "Un" are feeder (or "B") teams for their universities' main football teams.
• In the Regional Leagues, First divisions equals to Japanese fifth tier of league football, while 2nd divisions equals to the sixth tier. So, regional leagues who only have one single division, such as Shikoku, have teams going straight from the seventh to the fifth tier in case of a promotion.

See also

• Japanese association football league system
• List of women's football clubs in Japan