| Japanese League (2nd tier) |
|---|
| Japan Soccer League Second Division (1972–1992) (former) Japan Football League Division 1 (1992–1993) (former) Japan Football League (1994–1998) J.League Division 2 (1999–2014) J2 League (2015–present) |
| Country |
 Japan |
| Founded |
| 1972 |
| Number of teams |
| 20 (2024) |
| Current champions |
| FC Machida Zelvia (2023) |
| Most successful club |
| Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo (6 titles) |
A national second tier of Japanese league football was first established in 1972, as the Japan Soccer League Second Division. In 1992, with the breakup of the JSL and restructuring of the top flight into the J.League, the (former) Japan Football League became the second tier. In 1999 the J.League has established a second division (officially known as J2 League).
Numbers in parentheses indicate number of wins at the date.
promotion/relegation seriesAn extra season of Japanese football was done by the Japan Football League in late 1992, as the top flight clubs were still re-organizing and adopting new identities before the J.League kicked off in 1993.
| Season | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Yamaha Motors† (2) | Hitachi† | |
| Shonan Bellmare (2) | Júbilo Iwata | |
In 1994, the Japan Football League Division 2 was abolished.
| Season | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Kashiwa Reysol | ||
| Kyoto Purple Sanga | ||
| Honda Motors† (3) | Vissel Kobe | |
| Consadole Sapporo (3) | Tokyo Gas† | |
| Tokyo Gas† | Kawasaki Frontale† | |
From 1999 to 2014 the league was known as J.League Division 2.
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Playoff winners | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kawasaki Frontale (2) | Oita Trinita† | ||||
| Consadole Sapporo (4) | Oita Trinita† | ||||
| Montedio Yamagata† | |||||
| Albirex Niigata† | |||||
| Kawasaki Frontale† | |||||
| Kawasaki Frontale (3) | Avispa Fukuoka‡ | ||||
| Kyoto Purple Sanga (2) | |||||
| Consadole Sapporo (5) | Kyoto Sanga | ||||
| Vegalta Sendai‡ | |||||
| Kashiwa Reysol (2) | |||||
| FC Tokyo (2) | |||||
| Kyoto Sanga† | Oita Trinita (6th) | ||||
| Gamba Osaka (2) | Kyoto Sanga† | Tokushima Vortis (4th) | |||
| Shonan Bellmare (3) | JEF United Chiba† | Montedio Yamagata (6th) | |||
| Avispa Fukuoka (3rd) | |||||
| Consadole Sapporo (6) | Matsumoto Yamaga† | Cerezo Osaka (4th) | |||
| Shonan Bellmare (4) | Nagoya Grampus (3rd) | ||||
| Yokohama FC† | |||||
| Kashiwa Reysol (3) | Omiya Ardija† | ||||
| V-Varen Nagasaki† | |||||
| Júbilo Iwata (3) | Ventforet Kofu† | ||||
| Albirex Niigata (2) | Yokohama FC | Fagiano Okayama† | |||
| Tokyo Verdy (3rd) |
Clubs in bold compete in J2 as of 2024 season. Clubs in italic no longer exist.
Years in italic indicate seasons of amateur football (Japan Soccer League D2 and former Japan Football League).
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning seasons | Runners-up seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consadole Sapporo | 1979, 1988–89, 1997, 2000, 2007, 2016 | 1982 | ||
| Shonan Bellmare | 1991–92, 1993, 2014, 2017 | 2012 | ||
| Kashiwa Reysol | 1990–91, 2010, 2019 | 1988–89, 1992, 1994, 2006 | ||
| Júbilo Iwata | 1982, 1992, 2021 | 1979, 1993, 2015, 2023 | ||
| Kawasaki Frontale | 1976, 1999, 2004 | 1974, 1980, 1998 | ||
| Honda FC | 1978, 1980, 1996 | |||
| Tokyo Verdy | 1974, 1977 | 1975, 1976, 2007 | ||
| Kashima Antlers | 1984, 1986–87 | 1983, 1991–92 | ||
| FC Tokyo | 1998, 2011 | 1997, 1999 | ||
| Kyoto Sanga | 2001, 2005 | 1995, 2021 | ||
| Gamba Osaka | 1985, 2013 | 1987–88 | ||
| NKK SC | 1981, 1983 | |||
| Albirex Niigata | 2003, 2022 | |||
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 2008 | 1985, 1990–91, 2003 | ||
| Nagoya Grampus | 1972 | 1986–87, 1989–90 | ||
| Cerezo Osaka | 1994 | 2002, 2009 | ||
| Ventforet Kofu | 2012 | 1973, 2010 | ||
| Avispa Fukuoka | 1995 | 2005, 2020 | ||
| Yokohama FC | 2006 | 2019, 2022 | ||
| Tanabe Pharmaceuticals | 1975 | 1972 | ||
| Yokohama Flügels | 1987–88 | 1984 | ||
| Urawa Red Diamonds | 1989–90 | 2000 | ||
| Vegalta Sendai | 2009 | 2001 | ||
| Omiya Ardija | 2015 | 2004 | ||
| Oita Trinita | 2002 | 2018 | ||
| Matsumoto Yamaga | 2018 | 2014 | ||
| Eidai Industries | 1973 | |||
| Tokushima Vortis | 2020 | |||
| Machida Zelvia | 2023 | |||
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 0 | 3 | 1977, 1978, 1981 | |
| Vissel Kobe | 1996, 2013 | |||
| Montedio Yamagata | 2008 | |||
| Sagan Tosu | 2011 | |||
| Shimizu S-Pulse | 2016 | |||
| V-Varen Nagasaki | 2017 | |||