| Emperor's Cup | |
| Year: | 2018 |
| Num Teams: | 88 |
| Champions: | Urawa Red Diamonds |
| Count: | 7 |
| Runner-Up: | Vegalta Sendai |
| Continentalcup1: | AFC Champions League |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Urawa Red Diamonds |
| Prevseason: | 2017 |
| Nextseason: | 2019 |
The was the 2018 edition of the annual Japanese national football cup tournament, which began on 26 May 2018 and ended with the final on 9 December 2018 at the Saitama Stadium 2002.[1] The final was held earlier than the usual date of 1 January due to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
The draw for the first four rounds was held on 29 March 2018.[2]
As a result of its win, Urawa Red Diamonds automatically qualified to the group stage of the 2019 AFC Champions League.
| Round | Date | Matches | Clubs | New entries this round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First round | 26–27 May | 24 |
| ||
| Second round | 6 June | 32 | 24+40 → 32 | ||
| Third round | 11 July, 22 August | 16 | 32 → 16 | ||
| Fourth round | 22 August, 26 September | 8 | 16 → 8 | ||
| Quarter-finals | 24 October, 21 November | 4 | 8 → 4 | ||
| Semi-finals | 5 December | 2 | 4 → 2 | ||
| Final | 9 December | 1 | 2 → 1 |
88 clubs competed in the tournament. Clubs playing in the 2018 J1 League and 2018 J2 League received a bye to the second round of the tournament. The remaining teams entered in the first round.
The first round matches were held on 26 and 27 May 2018.
The second round matches were held on 6 June 2018.
The third round matches were held on 11 July and 22 August 2018.
The fourth round matches were held on 22 August and 26 September 2018.
The quarter-finals were held on 24 October 2018 and 21 November 2018.
The semi-finals were originally scheduled to be held on 16 December 2018. However, the semi-finals were rescheduled after Kashima Antlers won the 2018 AFC Champions League, which would have created a scheduling conflict with Kashima's participation in the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup.[3]
See main article: 2018 Emperor's Cup Final. The final was originally scheduled to be held on 24 December 2018. However, as it was the case for the semi-finals, it had to be rescheduled due to possible conflict with Kashima Antlers participation on the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup.[3]