| Emperor's Cup | |
| Year: | 2008 |
| Country: | Japan |
| Num Teams: | 82 |
| Champions: | Gamba Osaka |
| Count: | 2 |
| Runner-Up: | Kashiwa Reysol |
| Matches: | 81 |
| Prevseason: | 2007 |
| Nextseason: | 2009 |
The 88th Emperor's Cup began on September 13, 2008 and ended on January 1, 2009 with the final at National Stadium in Tokyo. As the champion, Gamba Osaka participated in 2009 AFC Champions League.
| Round | Date | Matches | Clubs | New entries this round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Round | 13 September 2008 14 September 2008 | 24 | 48 → 24 | 47 Prefectural Qualifying Cup Winners 1 University Qualifying Cup Winner | |
| Second Round | 20 September 2008 21 September 2008 | 12 | 24 → 12 | – | |
| Third Round | 12 October 2008 | 14 | 12+15+1 → 14 | 15 J2 Clubs 1 JFL Seeded Club | |
| Fourth Round | 2 November 2008 3 November 2008 5 November 2008 | 16 | 14+18 → 16 | 18 J1 Clubs | |
| Fifth Round | 15 November 2008 | 8 | 16 → 8 | none | |
| Quarter-finals | 20 December 2008 | 4 | 8 → 4 | none | |
| Semi-finals | 29 December 2008 | 2 | 4 → 2 | none | |
| Final | 1 January 2009 | 1 | 2 → 1 | none |
All matches are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
The 15 J2 teams plus one JFL representative (Tochigi SC) entered at this round.
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The 18 J1 teams will enter at this round.
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See main article: 2008 Emperor's Cup Final.