Statistics of J. League in the 1998 season.

First stage

Pos	Club	Gm	W/OT	DW/DL	L/OT	GF	GA	Pnt
1	Jubilo Iwata Júbilo Iwata is a professional Japanese association football team currently playing in the J. League Division 1 . The team name Júbilo means 'joy' in Portuguese and Spanish. The team's home town is Iwata, Shizuoka prefecture and they play at Yamaha Stadium...	17	13/0	0/0	4/0	52	18	39
2	Shimizu S-Pulse Shimizu S-Pulse is a professional Japanese association football club. Located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, S-Pulse currently competes in the J. League Division 1 . Formed as recently as 1991, S-Pulse are one of the youngest professional teams in Japan, but are among only five to have competed in...	17	13/0	0/0	4/0	32	14	39
3	Nagoya Grampus Eight Nagoya Grampus Eight are a Japanese association football club that play in the J. League. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and originally founded as the company team of the Toyota Motor Corp...	17	9/3	0/1	4/0	37	21	33
4	Yokohama Marinos	17	10/1	0/0	5/1	39	21	32
5	Kashima Antlers Kashima Antlers are a Japanese professional association football club playing in the J. League Division 1. Antlers is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island"....	17	10/1	0/0	6/0	41	28	32
6	Verdy Kawasaki	17	10/0	0/1	5/1	34	25	30
7	Urawa Red Diamonds Urawa Red Diamonds are a professional association football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League Division 1. One of Japan and Asia's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for thirteen of the J-League's twenty season history...	17	8/1	2/0	5/1	30	23	28
8	Yokohama Flugels Yokohama Flügels was a Japanese football club that played in the J. League between 1993 and 1998. In 1999 the club was officially merged with local rivals Yokohama Marinos and the two teams became known together as Yokohama F. Marinos.- History :...	17	7/2	1/0	7/0	33	32	26
9	Cerezo Osaka Cerezo Osaka is a J. League Division 1 association football team. The team name Cerezo means cherry tree in Spanish, which is also the flower of Ōsaka city....	17	7/1	0/0	8/1	36	47	23
10	Kashiwa Reysol Kashiwa Reysol is a J. League Division 1 team. Its home town is Kashiwa, Chiba, about an hour northeast of Tokyo.-History:Founded in 1940 as Hitachi, Ltd. Soccer Club in Koganei, Tokyo, the team was a founding member of the Japan Soccer League...	17	6/1	2/0	7/1	32	35	22
11	JEF United Ichihara	17	7/0	0/0	8/2	31	31	21
12	Bellmare Hiratsuka	17	5/2	1/0	8/1	27	34	20
13	Sanfrecce Hiroshima Sanfrecce Hiroshima is a Japanese association football club in the J. League Division 1.-Club name:The club name is a portmanteau of the Japanese numeral for three, San and an Italian word frecce or 'arrows'...	17	5/2	0/1	7/2	22	33	19
14	Gamba Osaka Gamba Osaka is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70...	17	4/2	1/0	9/1	27	29	17
15	Kyoto Purple Sanga Kyoto Purple Sanga is a Japanese professional football club based in Kyoto. The word "Sanga" is a Sanskrit term meaning "group" or "club", often used to denote Buddhist congregations. This reflects Kyoto's tradition of Buddhist temples...	17	4/2	0/0	8/3	20	33	16
16	Consadole Sapporo Consadole Sapporo is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Sapporo, on the island of Hokkaidō....	17	3/1	0/3	8/2	28	44	11
17	Vissel Kobe Vissel Kobe is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team is located in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. The home stadium is Kobe Wing Stadium, in Hyōgo-ku, though some home matches are played at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium in Suma-ku.-History:The club was...	17	3/0	0/0	13/1	20	48	9
18	Avispa Fukuoka Avispa Fukuoka For the record label, see Avispa. is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1 having been promoted from J. League Division 2 in the 2010 season. The team is located in Hakata, Fukuoka. "Avispa" means "wasp" in Spanish.-In Fujieda:The club was founded as...	17	2/0	1/2	10/2	22	47	7

Second stage

Pos	Club	Gm	W/OT	DW/DL	L/OT	GF	GA	Pnt
1	Kashima Antlers Kashima Antlers are a Japanese professional association football club playing in the J. League Division 1. Antlers is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island"....	17	12/3	0/0	2/0	38	15	42
2	Jubilo Iwata Júbilo Iwata is a professional Japanese association football team currently playing in the J. League Division 1 . The team name Júbilo means 'joy' in Portuguese and Spanish. The team's home town is Iwata, Shizuoka prefecture and they play at Yamaha Stadium...	17	13/0	0/0	3/1	55	21	39
3	Urawa Red Diamonds Urawa Red Diamonds are a professional association football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League Division 1. One of Japan and Asia's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for thirteen of the J-League's twenty season history...	17	11/0	0/0	4/2	32	17	33
4	Yokohama Marinos	17	10/1	0/0	3/3	40	27	32
5	Shimizu S-Pulse Shimizu S-Pulse is a professional Japanese association football club. Located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, S-Pulse currently competes in the J. League Division 1 . Formed as recently as 1991, S-Pulse are one of the youngest professional teams in Japan, but are among only five to have competed in...	17	8/3	1/1	4/0	39	21	31
6	Nagoya Grampus Eight Nagoya Grampus Eight are a Japanese association football club that play in the J. League. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and originally founded as the company team of the Toyota Motor Corp...	17	9/1	1/0	5/1	34	26	30
7	Yokohama Flugels Yokohama Flügels was a Japanese football club that played in the J. League between 1993 and 1998. In 1999 the club was officially merged with local rivals Yokohama Marinos and the two teams became known together as Yokohama F. Marinos.- History :...	17	8/0	1/0	8/0	37	32	25
8	Kashiwa Reysol Kashiwa Reysol is a J. League Division 1 team. Its home town is Kashiwa, Chiba, about an hour northeast of Tokyo.-History:Founded in 1940 as Hitachi, Ltd. Soccer Club in Koganei, Tokyo, the team was a founding member of the Japan Soccer League...	17	8/0	1/1	6/1	24	26	25
9	Sanfrecce Hiroshima Sanfrecce Hiroshima is a Japanese association football club in the J. League Division 1.-Club name:The club name is a portmanteau of the Japanese numeral for three, San and an Italian word frecce or 'arrows'...	17	7/1	1/1	6/1	23	19	24
10	Consadole Sapporo Consadole Sapporo is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Sapporo, on the island of Hokkaidō....	17	8/0	0/1	7/1	29	30	24
11	Kyoto Purple Sanga Kyoto Purple Sanga is a Japanese professional football club based in Kyoto. The word "Sanga" is a Sanskrit term meaning "group" or "club", often used to denote Buddhist congregations. This reflects Kyoto's tradition of Buddhist temples...	17	6/2	1/0	8/0	27	30	23
12	Bellmare Hiratsuka	17	7/0	1/0	9/0	26	32	22
13	Cerezo Osaka Cerezo Osaka is a J. League Division 1 association football team. The team name Cerezo means cherry tree in Spanish, which is also the flower of Ōsaka city....	17	7/0	0/1	9/0	20	32	21
14	Vissel Kobe Vissel Kobe is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team is located in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. The home stadium is Kobe Wing Stadium, in Hyōgo-ku, though some home matches are played at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium in Suma-ku.-History:The club was...	17	5/0	1/0	10/1	25	41	16
15	Avispa Fukuoka Avispa Fukuoka For the record label, see Avispa. is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1 having been promoted from J. League Division 2 in the 2010 season. The team is located in Hakata, Fukuoka. "Avispa" means "wasp" in Spanish.-In Fujieda:The club was founded as...	17	4/1	0/0	12/0	11	38	14
16	Gamba Osaka Gamba Osaka is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70...	17	3/2	0/1	11/0	20	32	13
17	Verdy Kawasaki	17	3/0	0/1	12/1	13	28	9
18	JEF United Ichihara	17	1/0	1/1	12/2	18	44	4

Suntory Championship

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Relegation playoffs

On the aggregate table, JEF United Ichihara, Avispa Fukuoka, and Vissel Kobe had earned within the 15th-18th places in the tables for both 1997 and 1998, while Consadole Sapporo had achieved within the same span on its sole season on the J. League. These clubs thus were entered in an elimination promotion/relegation tournament along with Japan Football League

Japan Football League (former)

The former was an association football league that existed from 1992 to 1998. Also known as the JFL, it was the 2nd tier of the Japanese football hierarchy following J...

 runners-up Kawasaki Frontale

Kawasaki Frontale

is a J. League Division 1 association football club. The team is located in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. Their home stadium is Todoroki Athletics Stadium, in Nakahara Ward, in the central area of Kawasaki.-History:...

, who unlike champions Tokyo Gas had a base more qualifiable for the J. League.

First round

Kawasaki forms J. League Division 2

J. League Division 2

The or is the second division of and is the second-tier professional association football league in Japan. Currently, J. League Division 2 is the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The first tier is represented by J...

 the next season. Fukuoka advances to the next round.

Second round

The winners of this round stay in J. League Division 1 and the losers play a final elimination series to determine the club relegated to Division 2.

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Final round

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Fukuoka stays in J. League Division 1. Sapporo is relegated to new J. League Division 2

J. League Division 2

The or is the second division of and is the second-tier professional association football league in Japan. Currently, J. League Division 2 is the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The first tier is represented by J...

.