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J2 League

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J2 League
Founded1999; 26 years ago (1999)
CountryJapan
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Number of teams22
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toJ1 League
Relegation toJFL (2012)
J3 League (since 2013)
Domestic cup(s)Emperor's Cup
Current championsMatsumoto Yamaga
(2018)
Most championshipsConsadole Sapporo
(3 titles)
TV partnersDAZN
WebsiteOfficial Website
Current: 2019 J2 League
Former logo
This logo was used from 2015 to 2018

The J2 League (Japanese: J2リーグ, Hepburn: J2 Rīgu) or simply J2 is the second division of the Japan Professional Football League (日本プロサッカーリーグ, Nihon Puro Sakkā Rīgu) and the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The top tier is represented by the J1 League. It (along with the rest of the J.League) is currently sponsored by Meiji Yasuda Life and it is thus officially known as the Meiji Yasuda J2 League (Japanese: 明治安田生命J2リーグ). Until the 2014 season it was named the J.League Division 2.

Timeline

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Year Important Events # J2
Clubs
Prom.
Slots
Rel.
Slots
1999
  • The J.League adopts two divisions, as nine clubs from the former Japan Football League join Division 2, along with the relegated Consadole Sapporo: Montedio Yamagata, Vegalta Sendai, Omiya Ardija, Kawasaki Frontale, Ventforet Kofu, Sagan Tosu, FC Tokyo, Albirex Niigata, and Oita Trinita
  • The Japan Football League is also restructured, as it becomes the third-tier Japan Football League (JFL).
Note: To distinguish between the former and the current JFL, the new JFL is pronounced Nihon Football League in Japanese.
10 2 0
2000 11 2 0
2001 12 2 0
2002
  • Extra time is abolished in Division 2 and traditional 3-1-0 points system is adopted
12 2 0
2003 12 2 0
2004 12 2.5 0
2005
  • J.League Division 1 expands to 18 clubs (No relegated clubs from the 2004 J1 season)
  • Tokushima Vortis and Thespa Kusatsu are promoted from Japan Football League
12 2.5 0
2006 13 2.5 0
2007 13 2.5 0
2008
  • Two clubs are promoted from Japan Football League: Roasso Kumamoto and F.C. Gifu
  • Division 2 adopts the triple-round-robin format from quadruple-round-robin
15 2.5 0
2009 18 3 0
2010
  • One club is promoted from Japan Football League: Giravanz Kitakyushu
  • Division 2 adopts the double-round-robin format from triple-round-robin
19 3 0
2011 20 3 0
2012
  • Matsumoto Yamaga and Machida Zelvia are promoted from Japan Football League[1]
  • The playoff system for the third promotion spot is introduced
  • Conditional relegation to Japan Football League is introduced. Machida Zelvia became the first club to be relegated from Division 2.
22 3 1
2013
  • One club is promoted from Japan Football League: V-Varen Nagasaki
  • Gainare Tottori became the first club to be relegated to the new J3 League after losing the Promotion/Relegation Series to Kamatamare Sanuki, the last team to get promoted from the Japan Football League.
22 3 0.5
2014
  • Kataller Toyama has been relegated to J3, and Kamatamare Sanuki played and won the first Promotion/Relegation Series with the J3 runners-up. Zweigen Kanazawa becomes the first team to be promoted from J3.
22 3 1.5
2015
  • Tochigi SC has been relegated to the J3, and Oita Trinita played and lost their first Promotion/Relegation Series with the J3 runners-up. Renofa Yamaguchi and runners-up Machida Zelvia are promoted from J3.
22 3 1.5
2016
  • Giravanz Kitakyushu has been relegated to J3, and Zweigen Kanazawa played and won their first Promotion/Relegation Series with the J3 runners-up, Tochigi SC. Oita Trinita is promoted from J3.
22 3 1.5
2017
  • Starting this season, there are two promotions from and two relegations to J3.
  • Thespakusatsu Gunma is relegated to J3, Tochigi SC is promoted.
22 3 2
2018
  • The promotion-relegation playoff is reintroduced, to be played as one match only.
  • Roasso Kumamoto and Kamatamare Sanuki are relegated, FC Ryukyu and Kagoshima United are promoted from J3
22 2.5 2

Participating clubs (2019)

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Template:J2 League map 2019

Club name Year joined Seasons
in J2
Based in First season
in D2
Seasons
in D2
Current spell
in D2
Last spell in
top flight
Albirex Niigata 1999 6 Niigata & Seiro, Niigata 1998 7 2018– 2004–2017
Omiya Ardija 1999 8 Saitama, Saitama 1987/88 18 2018– 2016–2017
Avispa Fukuoka 1996 (J) 13 Fukuoka, Fukuoka 1991/92 17 2017– 2016
Ehime FC 2006 12 All cities/towns in Ehime 2006 12 2006–
Fagiano Okayama 2009 9 All cities/towns in Okayama 2009 9 2009–
FC Gifu 2008 10 All cities/towns in Gifu 2008 10 2008–
Mito HollyHock 2000 18 Mito, Ibaraki 1997 20 2000–
JEF United Chiba 1993 (J) 8 Chiba & Ichihara, Chiba 2010 8 2010– 1965–2009
Kagoshima United FC 2016 (J3) 1 Kagoshima, Kagoshima 2019 1 2019–
Montedio Yamagata 1999 15 All cities/towns in Yamagata 1994 20 2016– 2015
Renofa Yamaguchi 2015 (J3) 2 All cities/towns in Yamaguchi 2016 2 2016–
Kashiwa Reysol 1995 (J) 2 Kashiwa, Chiba 1987/88 8 2019– 2011–2018
FC Ryukyu 2013 (J3) 1 Okinawa, Okinawa 2019 1 2019–
Kyoto Sanga 1996 (J) 11 Southwestern cities in Kyoto 1972 24 2010– 2008–2010
Tochigi SC 2009 8 Utsunomiya, Tochigi 2009 8 2018–
V-Varen Nagasaki 2013 5 All cities/towns in Nagasaki 2013 5 2019– 2018
Ventforet Kofu 1999 12 All cities/towns in Yamanashi 1972 37 2018– 2013–2017
Tokyo Verdy 1993 (J) 11 Tokyo 1972 17 2009– 2008
Tokushima Vortis 2005 11 All cities/towns in Tokushima 1990/91 19 2015– 2014
Yokohama FC 2001 16 Yokohama, Kanagawa 2001 16 2008– 2007
Machida Zelvia 2012 2 Machida, Tokyo 2012 3 2016–
Zweigen Kanazawa 2014 (J3) 3 Kanazawa, Ishikawa 2015 3 2015–

Promotion playoff results

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Season First semi-final (3rd vs 6th) Second semi-final (4th vs 5th) Final
2012 Kyoto Sanga 04 Oita Trinita Yokohama FC 04 JEF United Chiba Oita Trinita 10 JEF United Chiba
2013 Kyoto Sanga 00 V-Varen Nagasaki Tokushima Vortis 11 JEF United Chiba Kyoto Sanga 02 Tokushima Vortis
2014 Not held Júbilo Iwata 1–2 Montedio Yamagata (6th) JEF United Chiba 0–1 Montedio Yamagata
2015 Avispa Fukuoka 1–0 V-Varen Nagasaki Cerezo Osaka 0–0 Ehime FC Avispa Fukuoka 1–1 Cerezo Osaka
2016 Matsumoto Yamaga 1–2 Fagiano Okayama Cerezo Osaka 1–1 Kyoto Sanga Cerezo Osaka 1–0 Fagiano Okayama
2017 Nagoya Grampus 4–2 JEF United Chiba Avispa Fukuoka 1–0 Tokyo Verdy Nagoya Grampus 0–0 Avispa Fukuoka
2018 Tokyo Verdy (6th) 1–0 Omiya Ardija (5th) Tokyo Verdy (6th) 1–0 Yokohama FC (3rd) Júbilo Iwata 2–0 Tokyo Verdy
SeasonFirst roundSecond roundFinal
2019 Montedio Yamagata (3rd) 2–0 Omiya Ardija (6th)
Tokushima Vortis (4th) 1–1 Ventforet Kofu (5th)
Tokushima Vortis 1–0 Montedio Yamagata Shonan Bellmare 1–1 Tokushima Vortis
2022 Fagiano Okayama (3rd) 0–3 Montedio Yamagata (6th)
Roasso Kumamoto (4th) 2–2 Oita Trinita (5th)
Roasso Kumamoto 2–2 Montedio Yamagata Kyoto Sanga 1–1 Roasso Kumamoto
2023
Results
Club Participated Winners Runners-up Seasons
participated
Winning seasons Runner-up seasons
Cerezo Osaka
2
1
1
2015, 2016 2016 2015
Avispa Fukuoka
2
1
1
2015, 2017 2015 2017
Montedio Yamagata
2
1
0
2014, 2016 2014
Tokushima Vortis
1
1
1
2013 2013 2019
Oita Trinita
1
1
0
2012 2012
Nagoya Grampus
1
1
0
2017 2017
JEF United Chiba
4
0
2
2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 2012, 2014
Kyoto Sanga
3
0
1
2012, 2013, 2016 2013
Tokyo Verdy
1
0
1
2017 2018
Yokohama FC
1
0
0
2012
V-Varen Nagasaki
1
0
0
2013
Júbilo Iwata
1
0
0
2014
Ehime FC
1
0
0
2015
Fagiano Okayama
1
0
0
2016

Stadiums (2019)

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Primary venues used in the J2 League:

Avispa Fukuoka Albirex Niigata Ehime F.C. Fagiano Okayama Omiya Ardija Ventforet Kofu
Level-5 Stadium Denka Big Swan Stadium Ningineer Stadium Kanko Stadium NACK5 Stadium Omiya Yamanashi Chuo Bank Stadium
Capacity: 22,563 Capacity: 42,300 Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 15,500 Capacity: 17,000
Giravanz Kitakyushu Mito Hollyhock JEF United Ichihara Chiba Júbilo Iwata Montedio Yamagata Kyoto Sanga F.C.
Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu K's denki Stadium Mito Fukuda Denshi Arena Yamaha Stadium ND Soft Stadium Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium
Capacity: 15,300 Capacity: 12,000 Capacity: 18,500 Capacity: 15,165 Capacity: 20,315 Capacity: 20,588
FC Ryukyu Renofa Yamaguchi FC Thespakusatsu Gunma Tochigi SC FC Machida Zelvia Tokyo Verdy
Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium Yamaguchi Ishin Park Stadium Shoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma Tochigi Green Stadium Machida Athletic Stadium Ajinomoto Stadium
Capacity: 25,000 Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 15,253 Capacity: 18,025 Capacity: 10,600 Capacity: 49,970
Tokushima Vortis V-Varen Nagasaki Matsumoto Yamaga Zweigen Kanazawa
Pocarisweat Stadium Nagasaki Athletic Stadium Matsumoto Stadium Ishikawa Kanazawa Stadium
Capacity: 20,441 Capacity: 20,246 Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 20,000
[change | change source]

References

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  1. Orlowitz, Dan (13 December 2011). "Japan's J-League officially admits Matsumoto Yamaga and Machida Zelvia into 2012 season". Goal. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2015.

Other websites

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