2024 J2 League
The 2024 J2 League, also known as the '''2024 Meiji Yasuda Life for sponsorship reasons, was the 26th season of the J2 League, the second-tier Japanese professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1999. It was the tenth season of the league since its rebrand from J.League Division 2.
Overview
For the first time since 2011, the number of the clubs in the league decreased from 22 to 20.This season, there were three automatic relegation spots to the J3 League and two clubs gained automatic promotion to the J1 League. Like the previous season, the winner of the J2 promotion play-off were promoted to the top tier.
Schedule
The league and match format was announced on 19 December 2023. The league began on 23 February and ended on 10 November in a round-robin format of 38 matches.The J1 promotion play-off semi-finals took place on 1 December with the final taking place on 7 December.
Changes from the previous season
Zweigen Kanazawa and Omiya Ardija were relegated to the J3 League, finishing the previous J2 League season as 21st and 22nd-placed teams, respectively.Yokohama FC were the sole team to be relegated from the J1 League, after only one season in the top flight.
Both Machida Zelvia and Júbilo Iwata are promoted to the J1 League as champions and runners-up, respectively, of the previous J2 League season. Tokyo-based Machida will make their debut in the top flight of Japanese football, while Júbilo will make their immediate comeback to the J1. Joining the duo are Tokyo Verdy, who finished 3rd in 2023 and earned promotion after winning the promotion play-offs, thus making their first top flight appearance since 2008.
J3 winners Ehime FC and runners-up Kagoshima United were both promoted from the J3 League. Ehime are returning to the second-tier following two seasons in the J3 League and Kagoshima United will be playing only their second J2 season after five years absence.
From this season, Thespakusatsu Gunma changed their name to Thespa Gunma.
Clubs
Foreign players
As of the 2023 season, there are no more restrictions on a number of signed foreign players, but clubs can only register up to five foreign players for a single match-day squad. Players from J.League partner nations are exempt from these restrictions.- Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the midseason transfer window.
- Player's name in italics indicates the player has Japanese nationality in addition to their FIFA nationality, or is exempt from being treated as a foreign player due to having been born in Japan and being enrolled in, or having graduated from school in the country.
| Club | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 | Player 5 | Player 6 | Player 7 | Former players |
| Blaublitz Akita | ||||||||
| Ehime FC |  Play-offsThe usual format was applied in the 2024 season. Promotion play-offs, officially called the 2024 J.League Road To J1 Play-offs, was held from the semi-finals, where the match-ups were previously semi-determined. Based on the J2 placements at the end of the regular season, the third-placed team played against the sixth-placed, while the fourth-placed team played against the fifth-placed. The winners of the semi-finals played the final, with the winners promoted to the J1.If a match was tied in the play-offs, the team with the higher rank won. The rank order was: J2's third, fourth, fifth, and sixth-placed teams. Semi-finals----Season statisticsTop scorers
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