The 2020 Nadeshiko League was the 32nd season of the Nadeshiko League, the main league for women's association football in Japan. It was also the 16th season in its current format.
The league was originally scheduled to begin on 2 May 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league was finally rescheduled to begin on 18 July 2020 with the first two rounds of matches played behind closed doors.[1]
| Competition: | Nadeshiko League Division 1 |
| Dates: | 18 July 2020 – 21 November 2020 |
| Season: | 2020 |
| Matches: | 90 |
| Total Goals: | 273 |
| League Topscorer: | Yuika Sugasawa (17 goals) |
| Winners: | Urawa Reds Ladies (4th title) |
| Relegated: | Cerezo Osaka Iga Kunoichi Ehime |
| Continentalcup1: | AFC Women's Club Championship |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Urawa Reds Ladies |
| Biggest Home Win: | Mynavi Vegalta Sendai 5–0 Ehime (1 November 2020) INAC Kobe Leonessa 5–0 Ehime (30 August 2020) |
| Biggest Away Win: | Cerezo Osaka 1–10 NTV Beleza (15 August 2020) |
| Highest Scoring: | Cerezo Osaka 1–10 NTV Beleza (15 August 2020) |
| Longest Wins: | Urawa Reds Ladies (6 matches) |
| Longest Unbeaten: | Urawa Reds Ladies (8 matches) |
| Longest Winless: | Ehime (9 matches) |
| Longest Losses: | Iga FC Kunoichi (6 matches) |
| Prevseason: | 2019 |
| Nextseason: | 2021–22 (WE) 2021 (N) |
| Updated: | 21 November 2020 |
The season started on 18 July 2020 and ended in November 2020 with the play-offs to be held days later. Prior to the league start date, PCR were carried out on all the players and staffs of the teams participating in the leagues to check their health conditions, almost all test cases came out negative.
Urawa Reds Ladies won their fourth Nadeshiko League title and therefore will earn the right to participate in the 2021 AFC Women's Club Championship.
This is its final year as the highest division of the Japan women's football league system as the WE League is set to commence next year. Similar to the men's J. League in 1992 and the English women's FA WSL in 2011, not all Division 1 clubs will be admitted to the new league.[2]
The league was contested by 10 teams, debutants Ehime winners of the 2019 Nadeshiko League Division 2 and runners up Cerezo Osaka replaced Nittidai and AC Nagano Parceiro Ladies, who were relegated from the 2019 Nadeshiko League Division 1.
| Club | Hometown(s) | First Season in Top Flight | Current Spell in Top Flight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NTV Beleza | Inagi, Tokyo | 1989 | 1989–present | |
| INAC Kobe Leonessa | Kobe, Hyogo | 2005 | 2005–present | |
| Mynavi Vegalta Sendai | Sendai, Miyagi | 2013 | 2013–present | |
| Albirex Niigata | Niigata Prefecture | 2007 | 2007–present | |
| Cerezo Osaka | Osaka | 2018 | 2020–present | |
| Ehime | Matsuyama | 2020 | 2020–present | |
| JEF United Chiba | Chiba, Chiba | 2000 | 2009–present | |
| Urawa Reds Ladies | Saitama, Saitama | 1999 | 1999–present | |
| Nojima Stella | Sagamihara, Kanagawa | 2017 | 2017–present | |
| Iga Kunoichi | Iga, Mie | 1989 | 2019–present |
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urawa Reds Ladies | 17 | |
| 2 |  Haruka Hamada | Vegalta Sendai | 15 |
| 3 | Mina Tanaka | INAC Kobe Leonessa | 13 |
| 4 | Rikako Kobayashi | NTV Beleza | 9 |
| Ami Otaki | JEF United | ||
| 6 | Jun Endo | NTV Beleza | 8 |
| 7 | Yui Hasegawa | NTV Beleza | 7 |
| Honoka Hayashi | Cerezo Osaka | ||
| Arisa Minamino | Nojima Stella | ||
| 10 | 4 players | 6 |
| Dates: | 18 July – 21 November 2020 |
| Competition: | Nadeshiko League Division 2 |
| Season: | 2020 |
| Matches: | 90 |
| Total Goals: | 225 |
| Biggest Home Win: | Harima 4–0 Nittaidai (24 October 2020) Elfen Saitama 4–0 Nittaidai (26 July 2020) Kamogawa 4–0 Bunnys Kyoto (20 September 2020) |
| Highest Scoring: | Sfida Setagaya 5–2 Jumonji Ventus (20 September 2020) |
| Prevseason: | 2019 |
| Nextseason: | 2021 |
| Updated: | 15 November 2020 |
The season began on 18 July 2020.
10 teams contested the league, Jumonji Ventus were promoted while Shizuoka Sangyo were relegated from the previous season, additionally Nittaidai and Nagano Parceiro Ladies also joined from the Nadeshiko League Division 1.
| Season: | 2020 |
| Competition: | Challenge League (Division 3) |
| Winners: | JFA Academy |
| Prevseason: | 2019 |
| Nextseason: | 2021 |
| Updated: | 30 December 2020 |
12 teams contested the third tier, divided into two groups of 6 each for East and West. Newly promoted clubs were Shizuoka SSU Asregina (formerly Iwata Bonita) and Fukuoka J. Anclas, both returning to the national tiers, and Cerezo Osaka Sakai Girls, Cerezo Osaka Sakai Ladies's B-team.
| Clubs (East) | Hometown(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Norddea Hokkaido | Sapporo, Hokkaido | |
| Tsukuba FC Ladies | Tsukuba, Ibaraki | |
| Niigata University of Health and Welfare LSC | Niigata, Niigata | |
| JFA Academy Fukushima LSC | Susono, Shizuoka[3] | |
| Shizuoka SSU Asregina | Iwata, Shizuoka | |
| NGU Loveledge Nagoya | Nagoya, Aichi | |
| Clubs (West) | Hometown(s) | |
| Speranza Osaka Takatsuki | Takatsuki, Osaka | |
| Cerezo Osaka Sakai Girls | Osaka | |
| KIU Charme | Takahashi, Okayama | |
| Yunogo Belle | Mimasaka, Okayama | |
| Angeviolet Hiroshima | Hiroshima | |
| Fukuoka J. Anclas | Fukuoka |
----JFA Academy wins the title.
----Speranza is promoted to the Nadeshiko League.