J3 League


J3 League or simply J3 is the third division of Japan Professional Football League. It was established in 2013 as the third-tier professional association football league in Japan under the organization of J.League. The league is known as the '''Meiji Yasuda Life for sponsorship reasons.
The third-tier nationwide league is a relatively recent development in Japanese football with a first attempt made in 1992, though it only lasted for two seasons. In 1999, following the establishment of J2 League, a new Japan Football League was created to comprise the third tier and lower divisions. After the introduction of J3, the JFL was demoted to the fourth-tier nationwide league, for the first time in history of Japanese football.
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History of Japanese third-tier football

Amateur era (until 2013)

A national third tier of Japanese association football was first established along with its professionalization in 1992, when the newly created Japan Football League kicked off with two tiers below the professional J. League. Among the 10 original clubs of the third tier included the forerunners to Kyoto Sanga FC, Ventforet Kofu, Omiya Ardija, Avispa Fukuoka and Vissel Kobe. But after a number of clubs were lost for various reasons – some were promoted to J.League and the others folded – the league contracted the second division in 1994 and continued with the single second-tier division.
The third tier football was reintroduced in 1999 upon creation of fully professional J2. The old JFL was dissolved but a new Japan Football League was formed the same year in order to establish a nationwide top-tier amateur league. But despite its officially amateur status the league quickly became de facto semi-professional, serving as the cradle of the future J. League members. Since the establishment of associate membership system in 2006 the number of professional clubs holding or actively seeking for this status has grown steadily and reached its peak in 2013 season when 6 full members and 2 former candidates made up to almost half of the league's 18 teams. Through the course of the season this number grew even bigger, to 10 full associate members that formed the core of J3.

Professionalization and establishment (2013)

Close to the end of 2012 football season Japanese media began to spread rumors about the upcoming professional third-tier league, referred to as either "J3" or "J.Challenge League". Most of the sources agreed that the new league would feature around 10–12 clubs, most of which became associate members. The league would also provide more relaxed licensing criteria in comparison to J2 – e.g. the stadium seating capacity of just 3,000 with no mandatory floodlighting.
After the discussion on J1-J2 Joint Committee on 16 January 2013, all J.League clubs agreed in principle with an establishment of the new league starting 2014. This decision was formally put into force by J.League Council in a 26 February executive meeting. The league was planned to launch with 10 teams, but another session of J.League Council in July decided that inaugural season of J3 would feature 12 teams.
To participate, a club must have held an associate membership, or have submitted an application before 30 June 2013, and then passed an inspection to obtain a participation licence issued by J.League Council. On 19 November, J.League confirmed the following clubs to participate in the inaugural J3 season:

Future plans

The league has not provided a clear expansion timeline yet but it was most likely that J3 continued to accommodate new teams after its inaugural season. The following is a list of clubs that may get promoted to J.League in the near future:
Other teams have applied for the 100 Year plan status or a J3 license but were denied. Most of these clubs continue to aim for J3 as their ultimate goal.
  • None
Four teams, one withdrew its J3 license, two their 100 Year Plan status, formerly associate membership, and another was deprived of both:
Some sources claimed that J3 was intended to reach up to 60 clubs in the future, being split into three regionalized divisions running in parallel.
At the end of January 2023, the J.League removed its 100 Year Plan status from application requirements for J3 licenses as part of revisions to the division's club licensing regulations. In December, the J.League voted to adopt a fall–spring format, beginning in 2026–27. The regular season will begin in August and pause for a winter break between December and February, with the final matches played in May.

Crest

On 20 December 2022, the J3 League logo colour was changed to blue for the 2023 season prior to the 10th anniversary of Japan's third-tier professional league below J1 and J2, whose respective logo colours are red and green.

2026–27 season

League format

For this season, the league is played in two rounds, each team playing a total of 38 matches.
Each team must have at least 3 players holding professional contracts. Also, since the 2016 season, 5 foreign players are allowed per team, plus 1 more from J.League's ASEAN partner country of or from other AFC countries. The matchday roster consists of 18 players, and up to 3 substitutes are allowed in a game.

Promotion and relegation

Rules for promotion to J2 are largely similar to those of Japan Football League in recent seasons: to be promoted, a club must hold or be granted a J2 license and finish in top 2 of the league. From 2017 to 2023, the champions and the runners-up have been promoted directly and replace the 21st- and 22nd-placed J2 clubs. If only the champion or runner-up holds or is given a J2 license, only the bottom club of J2 is relegated; if both top 2 finishers are ineligible for promotion, then no teams are promoted to or relegated from J2.
Since the 2024 season, the 3rd to 6th placers have promotion playoffs and the winner is also the third team automatically promoted. The three J2 bottom-placed teams are automatically relegated to J3.
At a J.League board meeting in August 2021, 60 clubs were targeted for the entire league, and a possibility that J3 would have exceeded 20 clubs by the 2023 season was brought up. Mitsuru Murai, the J.League chairman, revealed that he was discussing how to adjust to 20 clubs. At this time, he was asked, "If there is a possibility of the league having 21 teams, is it okay to understand that there are teams that will fall from J3 to JFL?" While under consideration, he admitted that the J3 and JFL were considering the introduction of relegation to the latter league as early as after the 2022 season. Later in November, Murai announced that promotion from and relegation to the JFL was planned after the 2023 season,
In early January 2023, the J.League introduced the J3–JFL promotion/relegation playoffs, enabling the possibility for teams to be relegated from the J3. The system of promotion and relegation between the J3 and the JFL can be determined by the eligibility of the JFL's champions and runners-up for the season.
  • If only the JFL champions hold a license, they replace automatically the J3's 20th-placed team.
  • If only the JFL runners-up hold a license, there are promotion/relegation playoffs with the J3's 20th-placed team.
  • If both the JFL champions and runners-up hold licenses, there are automatic exchange between the JFL champions and the J3's 20th-placed team, and the runners-up compete in two-legged playoffs with the J3's 19th-placed team.
  • If both the JFL champions and runners-up do not hold licenses, no exchange takes place; the teams placed third and below in the league standings, even if one of them holds a J3 license, are not entitled to promotion and the playoffs.

Participating clubs (2026–27)

Club nameYear joinedSeasons
in J3		Based inFirst season
in D3		Seasons
in D3		Current spell
in D3		Last spell
in J2
Ehime FC2006 2Matsuyama, Ehime2002152026–2024–2025
Fukushima United201411All cities/towns in Fukushima2013122013––
Gainare Tottori2011 11All cities/towns in Tottori2001212014–2011–2013
FC Gifu2008 5All cities/towns in Gifu200752020–2008–2019
Giravanz Kitakyushu2010 6Kitakyushu, Fukuoka200882022–2020–2021
Kagoshima United20167Kagoshima, Kagoshima201672025–2024
Kamatamare Sanuki2014 6Takamatsu, Kagawa201192019–2014–2018
Kochi United20251Kōchi, Kōchi202512025––
2012 4Central and southern cities/towns/villages in Nagano201052022–2020–2021
201411Northern and eastern cities/towns/villages in Nagano2011142011––
Nara Club20232All cities/towns in Nara202322023––
FC Osaka20232Higashiōsaka, Osaka202322023––
Reilac Shiga20260Hikone, Shiga200862026––
Renofa Yamaguchi20151Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi201512026–2016–2025
Roasso Kumamoto2008 3Kumamoto, Kumamoto200172026–2022–2025
20146All cities/towns in Okinawa2006142023–2019–2022
20148Sagamihara, Kanagawa2013102022–2021
Thespa Gunma2005 2Maebashi, Gunma200432025–2020–2024
Tochigi SC2009 2Utsunomiya, Tochigi2000112025–2018–2024
Zweigen Kanazawa20142Kanazawa201522024–2015–2023

  • Pink background indicates clubs most recently promoted from JFL
  • Gray background indicates the club most recently relegated from J2
  • "Year joined" is the year the club joined the J. League.
  • ''"First season in D3," "Seasons in D3," and "Current spell in D3" include seasons in JFL''

Stadiums (2026–27)

Primary venues used in the J3 League:
Roasso KumamotoFC OsakaTochigi SCKamatamare SanukiEhime FC
Egao Kenko StadiumHanazono Rugby StadiumKanseki Stadium TochigiPikara StadiumNingineer Stadium
Capacity: 30,275Capacity: 26,443Capacity: 24,670Capacity: 22,338Capacity: 20,919
150px
Matsumoto YamagaFC GifuKochi UnitedNagano ParceiroGiravanz Kitakyushu
Sunpro AlwinGifu Nagaragawa StadiumKochi Haruno Athletic StadiumMinami Nagano Sports Park StadiumMikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu
Capacity: 20,110Capacity: 16,310Capacity: 16,010Capacity: 15,515Capacity: 15,300
150px
Thespa GunmaRenofa YamaguchiKagoshima UnitedGainare TottoriZweigen Kanazawa
Shoda Shoyu Stadium GunmaIshin Me-Life StadiumShiranami StadiumAxis Bird StadiumKanazawa Go Go Curry Stadium
Capacity: 15,190Capacity: 15,115Capacity: 12,212Capacity: 11,999Capacity: 10,728
150px
Ryukyu OkinawaReilac ShigaSC SagamiharaFukushima UnitedNara Club
Tapic Kenso Hiyagon StadiumHeiwado HATO StadiumSagamihara Gion StadiumToho StadiumRohto Field Nara
Capacity: 10,189Capacity: 6,444Capacity: 6,259Capacity: 5,710Capacity: 5,369

Former clubs

  • Pink background indicates clubs most recently promoted to J2
  • Gray background indicates clubs most recently relegated to JFL
  • "Year joined" is the year the club joined the J. League.
  • ''"First season in D3," "Seasons in D3," and "Current spell in D3" include seasons in JFL''

Championship and promotion history

From 2014 to 2016, the playoff winners faced off against the 21st place in J2. From 2017 to 2023, two clubs were promoted by default. From 2024 onwards, the third promotion place is determined by a playoff between the 3rd to 6th actual places.Bold designates the promoted club;
† Lost the J2–J3 playoffs;
‡ Won the J2–J3 playoffs and got promoted;

Most successful clubs

Clubs in bold compete in J3 as of 2025 season.
ClubWinnersRunners-upPromotionsWinning seasonsRunners-up seasonsPromotion seasons
Blaublitz Akita2012017, 20202020
Zweigen Kanazawa10120142014
Renofa Yamaguchi10120152015
Oita Trinita10120162016
FC Ryukyu10120182018
Giravanz Kitakyushu10120192019
Roasso Kumamoto10120212021
Iwaki FC10120222022
Ehime FC10120232023
Omiya Ardija10120242024
Tochigi City10120252025
Kagoshima United0222018, 20232018, 2023
Tochigi SC0212016, 20172017
FC Imabari01120242024
Fujieda MYFC01120222022
Iwate Grulla Morioka01120212021
SC Sagamihara01120202020
Thespa Gunma01120192019
Machida Zelvia01120152015
Vanraure Hachinohe01120252025
Nagano Parceiro0102014
Tegevajaro Miyazaki0012025

Relegation history

From 2023, relegation from J3 to JFL was introduced, after nine seasons of not featuring it.
Year19th place20th place
2023Tegevajaro MiyazakiGiravanz Kitakyushu
2024YSCC Yokohama‡Iwate Grulla Morioka
2025Nagano ParceiroAzul Claro Numazu‡
2026–27
Bold designates relegated clubs
† Won the playoff against JFL team
‡ Lost the playoff series to JFL team and was relegated

Players and managers

Managers