The 2008 J. League Division 1 season is the 44th season of the top-flight club football in Japan and the 16th season since the establishment of J1 League. The season began on March 8 and ended on December 6.

A total of eighteen clubs participated in double round-robin format. Starting this season, top three clubs received automatic qualification to the following years' AFC Champions League

AFC Champions League

The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...

. The bottom two clubs were relegated to J2 League by default, while 16th-placed club had to defend their spot in the top-flight in the pro/rele series

J. League Promotion/Relegation Series

In 2004, J. League introduced a series of two test matches called League between the sixteenth-place J. Division 1 club and third-place J.league Division 2 club...

.

Clubs

Following eighteen clubs played in J. League Division 1 during 2008 season. Of these clubs, Consadole Sapporo, Tokyo Verdy, and Kyoto Sanga F.C. are newly promoted clubs.

Club Name	Home Town(s)	Note(s)
	Niigata Niigata, Niigata is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It lies on the northwest coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island....  & Seiro Seiro, Niigata is a town located in Kitakanbara District, Niigata, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 13,474 and a density of 354.67 persons per km². The total area is 37.99 km².-External links:*... , Niigata Niigata Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :...
	Sapporo, Hokkaido Hokkaido , formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...	Promoted from J2 League in 2007 2007 J. League Division 2 The 2007 J. League Division 2 season is the 36th season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 9th season since the establishment of J2 League. The season began on March 3 and ended on December 1....
	Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
	Suita Suita, Osaka is a city located in northern Osaka, Japan. As of August 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 356,751 and the density of 9,880 persons per km². The total area is 36.11 km².... , Osaka Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...	2008 ACL Participant
	Chiba Chiba, Chiba is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....  & Ichihara Ichihara Ichihara may refer to:* Ichihara, Chiba*JEF United Ichihara Chiba, the city's football club* Ichihara Takayuki, sumo wrestler* Yūko Ichihara, manga character... , Chiba Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
	Iwata Iwata, Shizuoka is a city located in Shizuoka, Japan and is known for being the headquarters of the Yamaha Motor Corporation. Iwata is also home to Júbilo Iwata, a J. League soccer team, as well as Yamaha Jubilo, a rugby team. The population was 170,779 as of March 1, 2010... , Shizuoka Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
	Southwestern cities/towns of Ibaraki Ibaraki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...	2008 ACL Participant The Defending Champions
	Kashiwa, Chiba Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
	Kawasaki Kawasaki, Kanagawa is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area.... , Kanagawa Kanagawa Prefecture is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
	Southwestern cities/town in Kyoto Kyoto Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Kyoto.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Kyoto prefecture was known as Yamashiro....	Promoted from J2 League in 2007 2007 J. League Division 2 The 2007 J. League Division 2 season is the 36th season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 9th season since the establishment of J2 League. The season began on March 3 and ended on December 1....
	Nagoya Nagoya, Aichi is the third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan.Located on the Pacific coast in the Chūbu region on central Honshu, it is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and is one of Japan's major ports along with those of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Chiba, and Moji... , Aichi Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...	Renamed from Nagoya Grampus Eight
	All cities/towns in Oita Oita -Companies:*Oita Asahi Broadcasting, a Japanese broadcast network in Oita Prefecture, Japan*Oita Broadcasting System, a television company based in Ōita Prefecture, Japan-Education:*Oita Junior College, a private junior college in Ōita, Ōita Prefecture, Japan...
	Saitama Saitama, Saitama ' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance... , Saitama Saitama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...
	Shizuoka Shizuoka, Shizuoka is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and the prefecture's second-largest city in terms of both population and area. It became one of Japan's 19 "designated cities" in 2005.-Geography:... , Shizuoka Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
	Saitama Saitama, Saitama ' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance... , Saitama Saitama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...	2008 ACL Participant
	Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...	Promoted from J2 League in 2007 2007 J. League Division 2 The 2007 J. League Division 2 season is the 36th season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 9th season since the establishment of J2 League. The season began on March 3 and ended on December 1.... Renamed from Tokyo Verdy 1969
	Kobe Kobe , pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka... , Hyōgo Hyogo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
	Yokohama & Yokosuka Yokosuka, Kanagawa is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²... , Kanagawa Kanagawa Prefecture is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...

Format

Eighteen clubs will play in double round-robin (home and away) format, a total of 34 games each. A club receives 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. The clubs are ranked by points, and tie breakers are, in the following order:

• Goal differential
• Goals scored
• Head-to-head results
• Disciplinary points

A draw would be conducted, if necessary. However, if two clubs are tied at the first place, both clubs will be declared as the champions. The bottom two clubs will be relegated to J2, while the 16th placed club plays a two-legged Promotion/Relegation Series

J. League Promotion/Relegation Series

In 2004, J. League introduced a series of two test matches called League between the sixteenth-place J. Division 1 club and third-place J.league Division 2 club...

. The champions of this season qualifies to the AFC Champions League

AFC Champions League

The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...

 and one to three more clubs may also qualify.
Changes from Previous Year

• Introduction of Disciplinary points for tie breaker (2008–)
• Top three clubs will qualify to AFC Champions League
  AFC Champions League
  The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...
  
  
• The J. League will not qualify to the abolished A3 Champions Cup
  A3 Champions Cup
  A3 Champions Cup was an annual football tournament sanctioned by the East Asian Football Federation. It began in 2003, involving the league champions of China, Japan and South Korea. The host nation also invited an additional team, making this a four team tournament. South Korea was the most...
  
  .

Table

Results

Top scorers

Rank	Scorer	Club	Goals
1	Marquinhos Marcos Gomes de Araujo Marcos Gomes de Araujo, better known as Marquinhos , is a Brazilian striker who currently plays for Clube Atlético Mineiro. He has spent his career playing mostly in the J. League.-Biography:...		21
2	Davi Davi José Silva do Nascimento Davi José Silva do Nascimento, or simply Davi , is a Brazilian striker. He currently plays for Japanese club Ventforet Kofu on loan from Qatari League side Umm-Salal Sport Club...		16
3	Chong Tese Chong Tese Jong Tae-Se born March 2, 1984 in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan) is a North Korean football player currently playing for Bochum. He is a member of the North Korea national team...	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:...	14
	Atsushi Yanagisawa Atsushi Yanagisawa is a Japanese football player. Currently he is a striker for Vegalta Sendai in the top division of the J-League. Yanagisawa was born in Kosugi-machi, Toyama-ken, Japan...		14
5	Alessandro Alessandro Nunes Alessandro Nunes or simply Alessandro is a Brazilian striker who currently plays for América .He became the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B 2007's top scorer with 25 goals.- Club career :...		13
6	Shingo Akamine		12
	Juninho Carlos Alberto Carvalho dos Anjos Junior Carlos Alberto Carvalho dos Anjos Junior "Juninho" is a Brazilian professional football striker who currently plays for Japan's J. League club Kawasaki Frontale. He played as an offensive midfielder in Brazil. But after moving to Japan from Palmeiras, he was converted to a striker. In the 2007...		12
	Frode Johnsen Frode Johnsen Frode Johnsen is a Norwegian footballer who plays for Odd Grenland. He can play in several positions, but preferably as a striker or midfielder. Johnsen is 188 cm tall, and is a good header of the ball...		12
9	7 players tied		11

Assists

Rank	Player	Club	Assists
1	Yoshizumi Ogawa		12
2	Kengo Nakamura Kengo Nakamura is a Japanese football midfielder who currently plays for Kawasaki Frontale of the J. League.-Playing style:K.Nakamura is a playmaking midfielder usually employed by Kawasaki Frontale on the central midfield. His view can supply pass very widely over the wide range.Besides passing, Nakamura is...		11
	Kota Ueda		11
4	Juninho Carlos Alberto Carvalho dos Anjos Junior Carlos Alberto Carvalho dos Anjos Junior "Juninho" is a Brazilian professional football striker who currently plays for Japan's J. League club Kawasaki Frontale. He played as an offensive midfielder in Brazil. But after moving to Japan from Palmeiras, he was converted to a striker. In the 2007...		10
5	Claiton		9
6	Yasuhito Endo Yasuhito Endo is a Japanese footballer, who currently plays for the J. League team Gamba Osaka. His older brother Akihiro, who retired in 2008, was also a professional footballer.-Career:...		8
	Danilo Danilo Gabriel de Andrade Danilo Gabriel de Andrade, or simply Danilo , is a Brazilian attacking midfielder...		8
	Akihiro Hyodo Akihiro Hyodo Akihiro Hyodo is a Japanese football player currently playing for J. League Division 1 team Kashiwa Reysol.- Career :...		8
9	Yoshito Ōkubo Yoshito Okubo is a Japanese football player, he is a forward and currently plays for Vissel Kobe.- Career :On January 3, 2009, Vissel announced his transfer to VfL Wolfsburg of the 1. Bundesliga...		7
	Lucas Lucas Severino Lucas Severino is a former Brazilian U-23 international football striker. He played for the Brazilian national team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia. In 2000, he moved to French side Stade Rennais FC with the transfer fee of 21 million euros. In 2004, after an unsuccessful period in...		7

Attendances

External links

• J. League Official Site (English)