The J1 League is a men’s football league in Japan, established in 1992. This page brings together live scores, fixtures, results, standings, and player and team statistics, with recorded competition coverage spanning seasons from 2012 to 2025. Follow available season data and use the competition page to review match outcomes, table positions, and performance statistics.
Upcoming matches, J1 League
Regular Season - 8
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- Regular Season - 8
Avispa Fukuoka
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Best Denki Stadium -
- Regular Season - 8
Kawasaki Frontale
Kashima
-
- Regular Season - 8
V-varen Nagasaki
Cerezo Osaka
-
- Regular Season - 8
Urawa
Tokyo Verdy
-
- Regular Season - 8
Shimizu S-pulse
JEF United Chiba
IAI Stadium Nihondaira -
- Regular Season - 8
Fagiano Okayama
Kyoto Sanga
City Light Stadium -
- Regular Season - 8
FC Tokyo
Nagoya Grampus
-
- Regular Season - 8
Yokohama F. Marinos
Mito Hollyhock
Nissan Stadium -
- Regular Season - 8
Machida Zelvia
Kashiwa Reysol
-
- Regular Season - 8
Gamba Osaka
Vissel Kobe
Saitama Stadium 2002
Latest played matches, J1 League
Regular Season - 7
J1 League Standings
J-League
| Rank | Club | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Machida Zelvia | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 17 | DWWDW |
| 2 |
|
Vissel Kobe | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 16 | WWWWL |
| 3 |
|
Kashiwa Reysol | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 15 | WLLWW |
| 4 |
|
Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 14 | WLWDD |
| 5 |
|
FC Tokyo | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 14 | WWDWW |
| 6 |
|
Fagiano Okayama | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 13 | WWWLD |
| 7 |
|
Kawasaki Frontale | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 12 | WWLWD |
| 8 |
|
Kashima | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 12 | LLLWW |
| 9 |
|
Yokohama F. Marinos | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 11 | DWDLW |
| 10 |
|
Cerezo Osaka | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 11 | -5 | 10 | LDWLW |
| 11 |
|
Mito Hollyhock | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 9 | LDWDW |
| 12 |
|
Urawa | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 17 | -4 | 9 | LWWWL |
| 13 |
|
Shimizu S-pulse | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 7 | WLDLL |
| 14 |
|
V-varen Nagasaki | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 14 | -5 | 7 | WLDLL |
| 15 |
|
Gamba Osaka | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 13 | -5 | 6 | LLDDL |
| 16 |
|
Nagoya Grampus | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 13 | -6 | 6 | LLLWW |
| 17 |
|
Kyoto Sanga | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 14 | -5 | 5 | LLDWL |
| 18 |
|
Avispa Fukuoka | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 4 | LDLLL |
| 19 |
|
Tokyo Verdy | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | -6 | 4 | DDLLD |
| 20 |
|
JEF United Chiba | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 16 | -10 | 4 | DWLLL |
J1 League Statistics
Top scorers 2027
| # | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Léo Ceará
Kashima |
8 |
| 2 |
A. Suzuki
Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
6 |
| 3 |
K. Tanimura
Yokohama F. Marinos |
6 |
| 4 |
Marcinho
Kawasaki Frontale |
5 |
| 5 |
M. Nagakura
FC Tokyo |
5 |
| 6 |
A. Watanabe
Mito Hollyhock |
5 |
| 7 |
Rafael Elias
Kyoto Sanga |
5 |
| 8 |
A. Čavrić
Kashima |
4 |
| 9 |
S. Ayukawa
Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
3 |
| 10 |
K. Kawano
Fagiano Okayama |
3 |
Top assists 2027
| # | Player | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
T. Kaneko
Urawa |
4 |
| 2 |
Y. Soma
Machida Zelvia |
3 |
| 3 |
R. Watanabe
Urawa |
3 |
| 4 |
H. Motoyama
Fagiano Okayama |
3 |
| 5 |
Derik Lacerda
Kawasaki Frontale |
3 |
| 6 |
M. Nagakura
FC Tokyo |
2 |
| 7 |
J. Amano
Yokohama F. Marinos |
2 |
| 8 |
Y. Funabashi
Mito Hollyhock |
2 |
| 9 |
K. Sato
FC Tokyo |
2 |
| 10 |
Marcelo Ryan
FC Tokyo |
2 |
Top tackles
Top yellow cards
- Miyamoto 4
- de Souza 4
- 3
- Silva de Andrade 3
- Inoue 2
- Misao 2
- Nakajima 2
- Fukuda 2
- Gonçalves Sávio 2
- Oh 2
Top red cards
- Sumiyoshi 1
- Hashimoto 1
- Oh 1
- Gonçalves Sávio 1
- Alionço de Lima 1
- Kishimoto 1
- Akimoto 1
J1 League teams participation since 2012
History
| Team | Nb participations |
|---|---|
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 14 |
| Urawa | 14 |
| Kashima | 14 |
| FC Tokyo | 14 |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 14 |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 14 |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 13 |
| Nagoya Grampus | 13 |
| Vissel Kobe | 13 |
| Gamba Osaka | 13 |
| Sagan Tosu | 13 |
| Cerezo Osaka | 12 |
| Shimizu S-pulse | 11 |
| Shonan Bellmare | 11 |
| Vegalta Sendai | 10 |
| Consadole Sapporo | 9 |
| Albirex Niigata | 9 |
| Jubilo Iwata | 8 |
| Avispa Fukuoka | 6 |
| Ventforet Kofu | 5 |
| Omiya Ardija | 5 |
| Oita Trinita | 4 |
| Kyoto Sanga | 4 |
| Yokohama FC | 4 |
| Tokushima Vortis | 3 |
| Machida Zelvia | 2 |
| Matsumoto Yamaga | 2 |
| Tokyo Verdy | 2 |
| V-varen Nagasaki | 1 |
| Fagiano Okayama | 1 |
| Montedio Yamagata | 1 |
J1 League top scorer teams
Goals scored vs. conversion rate
| Team | Goals scored | Total shots | Conversion % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 19 | 138 |
|
| Machida Zelvia | 19 | 101 |
|
| Kashima | 14 | 118 |
|
| Urawa | 13 | 106 |
|
| Kawasaki Frontale | 13 | 123 |
|
| Kashiwa Reysol | 13 | 100 |
|
| FC Tokyo | 13 | 113 |
|
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 11 | 81 |
|
| Vissel Kobe | 11 | 77 |
|
| Mito Hollyhock | 11 | 86 |
|
| Fagiano Okayama | 10 | 111 |
|
| Avispa Fukuoka | 9 | 101 |
|
| Kyoto Sanga | 9 | 85 |
|
| V-varen Nagasaki | 9 | 75 |
|
| Gamba Osaka | 8 | 98 |
|
| Nagoya Grampus | 7 | 94 |
|
| JEF United Chiba | 6 | 69 |
|
| Cerezo Osaka | 6 | 79 |
|
| Shimizu S-pulse | 4 | 75 |
|
| Tokyo Verdy | 3 | 73 |
|
J1 League About
J1 League is Japan’s top-flight men’s professional football league, the leading domestic competition in the country’s club pyramid and a league-format tournament rather than a knockout cup. It forms the summit of the J.League system, bringing together licensed professional clubs competing for the national title, continental qualification and the right to remain among Japan’s elite.
Role, origins and governance
The competition was established in 1992 and began its inaugural season in 1993, replacing the amateur Japan Soccer League with a professional model designed to raise standards across Japanese football. Its creation helped place club football at the centre of Japan’s sporting culture, connecting professional teams with local communities while creating a stronger pathway for player development and international competition.
The J1 League is administered by the Japan Professional Football League, commonly known as the J.League, within Japan’s wider football governance structure and in association with the Japan Football Association. Its purpose extends beyond deciding a champion. The competition supports the development of professional clubs, encourages investment in stadiums and academies, and provides a high-level platform for players, coaches and officials. The league’s community-based club model remains one of its defining characteristics.
The J1 League is part of a wider promotion-and-relegation pyramid. Entry is therefore earned through sporting performance as well as controlled by licensing. Clubs seeking to compete in the division must satisfy J1 licensing standards covering areas such as financial stability, stadium facilities, administration and youth development. Promotion from the J2 League and relegation from J1 are subject to the regulations in force for the relevant season, including any applicable play-offs or adjustments to the number of clubs.
How the league format works
J1 League fixtures are played in a double round-robin format. Each club normally meets every other club twice during the season: once at home and once away. The result is a single cumulative league table, with no group stage and no knockout phase. Clubs progress through the campaign by building points across the full schedule rather than advancing through successive rounds.
A win earns three points, a draw one point and a defeat no points. Matches are played over two 45-minute halves, with added time determined by the referee. Regular-season fixtures that are level after normal time finish as draws; they do not proceed to extra time or a penalty shoot-out.
When clubs finish level on points, ranking is determined through the competition’s published tie-break procedure. The standard order is goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head record and disciplinary points, followed, if necessary, by a draw. Competition regulations can be amended, so the official rules for a particular season remain decisive, especially where changes to scheduling, club numbers or ranking criteria are introduced.
Calendar and season progression
The competition has traditionally followed a spring-to-autumn calendar, generally beginning in late February and concluding towards the end of the year. This seasonal pattern reflects Japan’s climate and differs from the conventional August-to-May cycle used by many major European leagues. The campaign unfolds across a sequence of matchweeks, with interruptions possible for international fixtures and domestic cup commitments.
The league runs alongside other major Japanese competitions, notably the Emperor’s Cup and the J.League Cup. These are separate tournaments with their own entry rules and formats, so success in one does not replace the need to compete through the J1 League schedule. The league table remains the central measure of sustained performance, rewarding consistency across home and away fixtures rather than a single cup run.
Titles, continental access and survival
The team finishing first is crowned J.League champion, securing the country’s premier domestic club honour. Final league positions also carry wider consequences. High-placed clubs may qualify for the Asian Football Confederation’s leading club competitions, either directly or through a qualifying route, according to the allocation and regulations applicable to that season. These competitions provide Japanese clubs with the opportunity to test themselves against the strongest sides from across Asia.
At the opposite end of the table, clubs face the pressure of relegation to J2. Relegation can affect sporting planning, finances, recruitment and long-term club development, making the lower positions as consequential as the title race. Promotion and relegation ensure that the division remains connected to the rest of the Japanese football pyramid: established clubs must continue to perform, while ambitious J2 teams have a defined route to the top flight.
With its professional foundations, community identity, licensing framework and demanding full-season format, the J1 League is both Japan’s principal domestic competition and a key institution in the development of Japanese football. Its records, fixtures, standings and season histories provide a detailed picture of how clubs compete at the highest level of the country’s league system.