Neha Patil (Editor)

Japanese Regional Leagues

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Country
  
Japan

Number of teams
  
135

Confederation
  
AFC (Asia)

Level on pyramid
  
5–6

Japanese Regional Leagues

Founded
  
1966 (Kansai and Tokai) 1967 (Kanto) 1973 (Chugoku and Kyushu) 1975 (Hokushin'etsu) 1977 (Shikoku and Tohoku) 1978 (Hokkaido)

Divisions
  
5 (first level) 6 (second level)

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

Overview

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 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 nine that have never played in the regional leagues. They are:

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

    • References

    Japanese Regional Leagues Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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