2004 J.League Division 1
The 2004 J.League Division 1 season was the 12th season of the J.League Division 1. The league fixture began on March 13 and ended on December 12. The Suntory Championship took place on December 5 and 11, followed by the first ever J. League promotion/relegation series on December 4 and 12.
General
Promotion and relegation
- At the end of the 2003 season, Albirex Niigata and Sanfrecce Hiroshima were promoted to J1.
- At the end of the 2003 season, Vegalta Sendai and Kyoto Purple Sanga were relegated to J2.
Changes in competition formats
- This was the last J.League Division 1 season to be competed in two stages.
- This was also the last J.League Division 1 season with 16 clubs. Next season, the division was expanded to 18 clubs.
Changes in clubs
''none''Clubs
The following sixteen clubs participated in J.League Division 1 during 2004 season. Of these clubs, Albirex Niigata and Sanfrecce Hiroshima were newly promoted from Division 2.- Albirex Niigata
- Cerezo Osaka
- FC Tokyo
- Gamba Osaka
- JEF United Ichihara
- Júbilo Iwata
- Kashima Antlers
- Kashiwa Reysol
- Nagoya Grampus Eight
- Oita Trinita
- Sanfrecce Hiroshima
- Shimizu S-Pulse
- Tokyo Verdy 1969
- Urawa Red Diamonds
- Vissel Kobe
- Yokohama F. Marinos
Format
In the 2004 season, the league was conducted split-season format, 1st Stage and 2nd Stage. In each stage, sixteen clubs played in a single round-robin format, a total of 15 games per club. A club received 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. The club were ranked by points, and tie breakers are, in the following order:- Goal differential
- Goals scored
- Head-to-head results
;Changes in competition format
- No direct relegation this year, due to expansion of Division 1 in the following season
- Last-placed club plays Pro/Rele Series at the end of the season
Suntory Championship
Yokohama F. Marinos won the first stage and thus hosted the first game. They won the first leg by 1–0 thanks to Ryuji Kawai's goal. In the second leg, Alessandro Santos scored from the free kick in 76th minute to level the aggregate score. The clubs played in sudden death extra time, however neither club could break the scoreline. Yokohama upset the home club in the penalties winning them and series overall.----
Overall table
Awards
Individual
| Award | Recipient | Club |
| Player of the Year |  Best Eleven
|