List of football clubs in Japan explained

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

Japan Professional Football League (J.League)

See also: J.League. Three leagues will consist of 20 teams from 2024 onwards.

J1 League

See also: J1 League and 2024 J1 League. First division of the Japanese professional football system with 20 clubs:

J2 League

See also: J2 League and 2024 J2 League. Second division of the Japanese professional football system with 20 clubs:

J3 League

See also: J3 League and 2024 J3 League. Third and last division of the Japanese professional football system with 20 clubs:

Japan Football League (JFL)

See also: Japan Football League and 2024 Japan Football League. 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

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

Shikoku League

Kyūshū League (Kyu-League)

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.