Japanese football champions - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Japanese League (1st tier)
Japan Soccer League Japan Soccer League , or JSL, was the top flight soccer league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J. League. JSL was the second national league of a team sport in Japan after the professional Japanese Baseball League that was founded in 1936... (1965–1971) Japan Soccer League Division 1 Japan Soccer League , or JSL, was the top flight soccer league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J. League. JSL was the second national league of a team sport in Japan after the professional Japanese Baseball League that was founded in 1936... (1972–1992) J. League J. League The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese... (1993–1998) J. League Division 1 (1999–present)
Country
Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Founded
1965
Number of Teams
18 (2011 season)
Current Champions
(2010)
Most successful club
and (7 championships each)

The Japanese football champions are the winners of the top league in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, the Japan Soccer League

Japan Soccer League

, or JSL, was the top flight soccer league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J. League. JSL was the second national league of a team sport in Japan after the professional Japanese Baseball League that was founded in 1936...

from 1965 to 1992 and the J. League

J. League

The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...

since then.

and are the only teams that have won the title four times in a row (in 1965–1968 as Toyo Industries and in 1991–1994 as Yomiuri S.C./Verdy Kawasaki respectively). Notice that from 1985 to 1992 Japanese football adjusted to the "fall-spring" season schedule (common in most of Europe) but after establishment of J. League switched back to "spring-fall" scheme (common in North America, East Asia, and Nordic European latitudes).

Teams in bold have completed the double

The Double

The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...

of the title and the Emperor's Cup

Emperor's Cup

, commonly known as or , is a Japanese association football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J. League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, Japan Soccer League...

in the same season. In 1985 no double was possible due to the season's timeframe change; thus, the doubles completed between then and 1992 are won in the middle of the season.

Japan Soccer League (1965–1971)

Numbers in parentheses indicate number of wins at the date. Leading goalscorer's nationality is at the time of award and does not necessarily indicate the national team played for.

Year	Champions (number of titles)	Runners-up	Third place	Leading goalscorer	Goals
1965	Toyo Industries 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'...		Furukawa Electric JEF United Ichihara Chiba is a Japanese professional football club that plays in J. League Division 2. On February 1, 2005, the club changed its name from JEF United Ichihara to the current name after Chiba city had joined Ichihara, Chiba as its hometown in 2003. The club name, JEF -taken from JR East and Furukawa Electric-...	Mutsuhiko Nomura Mutsuhiko Nomura Mutsuhiko Nomura is a former Japanese football player and manager. He was Japan Soccer League's first top scorer.- Team honours :* Japan Soccer League First Division - 1 * Japan Soccer League Cup - 1... (Hitachi)	15
1966	Toyo Industries 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'... (2)		Furukawa Electric JEF United Ichihara Chiba is a Japanese professional football club that plays in J. League Division 2. On February 1, 2005, the club changed its name from JEF United Ichihara to the current name after Chiba city had joined Ichihara, Chiba as its hometown in 2003. The club name, JEF -taken from JR East and Furukawa Electric-...	Aritatsu Ogi (Toyo Industries)	14
1967	Toyo Industries 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'... (3)	Furukawa Electric JEF United Ichihara Chiba is a Japanese professional football club that plays in J. League Division 2. On February 1, 2005, the club changed its name from JEF United Ichihara to the current name after Chiba city had joined Ichihara, Chiba as its hometown in 2003. The club name, JEF -taken from JR East and Furukawa Electric-...	Mitsubishi Motors 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...	Takeo Kimura Takeo Takahashi (footballer) Takeo Takahashi is a Japanese football manager and former player. His family name was originally Kimura but changed it upon marriage, being adopted by his wife's family.-Club statistics:... (Furukawa Electric)	15
1968	Toyo Industries 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'... (4)	Yanmar Diesel 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....	Mitsubishi Motors 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...	Kunishige Kamamoto Kunishige Kamamoto Kunishige Kamamoto is a former association football player from Japan, who won the bronze medal with the Japan national team at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals... (Yanmar Diesel)	14
1969	Mitsubishi Motors 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...	Toyo Industries 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'...		Hiroshi Ochiai (Mitsubishi Motors)	12
1970	Toyo Industries 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'... (5)	Mitsubishi Motors 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...	Hitachi 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...	Kunishige Kamamoto Kunishige Kamamoto Kunishige Kamamoto is a former association football player from Japan, who won the bronze medal with the Japan national team at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals... (Yanmar Diesel)	16
1971	Yanmar Diesel 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....	Mitsubishi Motors 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...		Kunishige Kamamoto Kunishige Kamamoto Kunishige Kamamoto is a former association football player from Japan, who won the bronze medal with the Japan national team at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals... (Yanmar Diesel)	11

Japan Soccer League Division 1 (1972–1992)

Year	Champions (number of titles)	Runners-up	Third place	Leading goalscorer	Goals
1972	Hitachi 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...	Yanmar Diesel 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....	Toyo Industries 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'...	Akira Matsunaga (Hitachi)	12
1973	Mitsubishi Motors 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... (2)	Hitachi 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...	Yanmar Diesel 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....	Akira Matsunaga (Hitachi)	11
1974	Yanmar Diesel 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.... (2)	Mitsubishi Motors 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...	Hitachi 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...	Kunishige Kamamoto Kunishige Kamamoto Kunishige Kamamoto is a former association football player from Japan, who won the bronze medal with the Japan national team at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals... (Yanmar Diesel)	21
1975	Yanmar Diesel 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.... (3)	Mitsubishi Motors 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...	Hitachi 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...	Kunishige Kamamoto Kunishige Kamamoto Kunishige Kamamoto is a former association football player from Japan, who won the bronze medal with the Japan national team at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals... (Yanmar Diesel)	17
1976	Furukawa Electric JEF United Ichihara Chiba is a Japanese professional football club that plays in J. League Division 2. On February 1, 2005, the club changed its name from JEF United Ichihara to the current name after Chiba city had joined Ichihara, Chiba as its hometown in 2003. The club name, JEF -taken from JR East and Furukawa Electric-...	Mitsubishi Motors 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...	Fujita Industries Shonan Bellmare are a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture; their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium in Hiratsuka. The name Bellmare is derived from the Latin "bellum" for "war" and "mare"...	Kunishige Kamamoto Kunishige Kamamoto Kunishige Kamamoto is a former association football player from Japan, who won the bronze medal with the Japan national team at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals... (Yanmar Diesel)	15
1977	Fujita Industries Shonan Bellmare are a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture; their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium in Hiratsuka. The name Bellmare is derived from the Latin "bellum" for "war" and "mare"...	Mitsubishi Motors 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...	Hitachi 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...	Carvalho João Dickson Carvalho João Dickson Carvalho is a former Brazilian football player.-Career:Carvalho was one of several foreign players in the Japan Soccer League, and during the 1977 season, he became the first foreign player to win the top scorer in the Japan Soccer League First Division... (Fujita Industries)	23
1978	Mitsubishi Motors 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... (3)	Yanmar Diesel 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....	Fujita Industries Shonan Bellmare are a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture; their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium in Hiratsuka. The name Bellmare is derived from the Latin "bellum" for "war" and "mare"...	Kunishige Kamamoto Kunishige Kamamoto Kunishige Kamamoto is a former association football player from Japan, who won the bronze medal with the Japan national team at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals... (Yanmar Diesel) Carvalho João Dickson Carvalho João Dickson Carvalho is a former Brazilian football player.-Career:Carvalho was one of several foreign players in the Japan Soccer League, and during the 1977 season, he became the first foreign player to win the top scorer in the Japan Soccer League First Division... (Fujita Industries)	15
1979	Fujita Industries Shonan Bellmare are a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture; their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium in Hiratsuka. The name Bellmare is derived from the Latin "bellum" for "war" and "mare"... (2)	Yomiuri S.C.	Hitachi 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...	Ruy Ramos Ruy Ramos , formerly Ruy Gonçalves Ramos Sobrinho , is a Brazilian-born football player, who became a naturalized Japanese citizen in 1989. He was one of the first foreign players in Japanese professional soccer, joining Yomiuri in 1977 at the age of 20... (Yomiuri)	14
1980	Yanmar Diesel 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.... (4)	Fujita Industries Shonan Bellmare are a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture; their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium in Hiratsuka. The name Bellmare is derived from the Latin "bellum" for "war" and "mare"...	Furukawa Electric JEF United Ichihara Chiba is a Japanese professional football club that plays in J. League Division 2. On February 1, 2005, the club changed its name from JEF United Ichihara to the current name after Chiba city had joined Ichihara, Chiba as its hometown in 2003. The club name, JEF -taken from JR East and Furukawa Electric-...	Hiroyuki Usui (Hitachi)	14
1981	Fujita Industries Shonan Bellmare are a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture; their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium in Hiratsuka. The name Bellmare is derived from the Latin "bellum" for "war" and "mare"... (3)	Yomiuri S.C.	Mitsubishi Motors 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...	Hiroshi Yoshida (Furukawa Electric)	14
1982	Mitsubishi Motors 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... (4)	Yanmar Diesel 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....	Furukawa Electric JEF United Ichihara Chiba is a Japanese professional football club that plays in J. League Division 2. On February 1, 2005, the club changed its name from JEF United Ichihara to the current name after Chiba city had joined Ichihara, Chiba as its hometown in 2003. The club name, JEF -taken from JR East and Furukawa Electric-...	Hiroyuki Usui (Hitachi)	13
1983	Yomiuri S.C.	Nissan Motors Yokohama F. Marinos is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...	Fujita Industries Shonan Bellmare are a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture; their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium in Hiratsuka. The name Bellmare is derived from the Latin "bellum" for "war" and "mare"...	Ruy Ramos Ruy Ramos , formerly Ruy Gonçalves Ramos Sobrinho , is a Brazilian-born football player, who became a naturalized Japanese citizen in 1989. He was one of the first foreign players in Japanese professional soccer, joining Yomiuri in 1977 at the age of 20... (Yomiuri)	10
1984	Yomiuri S.C. (2)	Nissan Motors Yokohama F. Marinos is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...	Yamaha Motors 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...	Tetsuya Totsuka (Yomiuri)	14
1985–86	Furukawa Electric JEF United Ichihara Chiba is a Japanese professional football club that plays in J. League Division 2. On February 1, 2005, the club changed its name from JEF United Ichihara to the current name after Chiba city had joined Ichihara, Chiba as its hometown in 2003. The club name, JEF -taken from JR East and Furukawa Electric-... (2)			Hiroshi Yoshida (Furukawa Electric)	16
1986–87	Yomiuri S.C. (3)		Mitsubishi Motors 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...	Toshio Matsuura (NKK)	17
1987–88	Yamaha Motors 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...		Mitsubishi Motors 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...	Toshio Matsuura (NKK)	11
1988–89	Nissan Motors Yokohama F. Marinos is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...	ANA 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 :...	Yamaha Motors 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...	Adílson Adílson Luíz Anastácio -External links:*... (Yamaha Motors)	11
1989–90	Nissan Motors Yokohama F. Marinos is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in... (2)	Yomiuri S.C.	ANA 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 :...	Renato Carlos Renato Frederico Carlos Renato Frederico, best known as Renato is a former association footballer in offensive midfielder role.... (Nissan Motors)	17
1990–91	Yomiuri S.C. (4)	Nissan Motors Yokohama F. Marinos is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...		Tetsuya Totsuka (Yomiuri) Tsuyoshi Kitazawa Tsuyoshi Kitazawa is a retired Japanese football player. He was a midfielder known for his tireless work load and was capped 58 times for Japan. He is currently working on television as a football commentator.-Club:... (Honda Motor) Renato Carlos Renato Frederico Carlos Renato Frederico, best known as Renato is a former association footballer in offensive midfielder role.... (Nissan Motors)	10
1991–92	Yomiuri S.C. (5)	Nissan Motors Yokohama F. Marinos is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...	Yamaha Motors 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...	Toninho Antônio Benedito da Silva Antônio Benedito da Silva, nicknamed Toninho is a former Brazilian football player who played for Portuguesa , Guarani , Yomiuri , Shimizu S-Pulse , Urawa Red Diamonds and Vasco da Gama... (Yomiuri)	18

J. League (1993–1998)

In 1992, professional J. League

J. League

was established. All teams elected to it strip themselves of corporate identities and adopt their own names. From 1993 to 2005 (except for 1996 season) the league was contested in an Apertura and Clausura

Apertura and Clausura

The Apertura and Clausura tournaments are a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional European football season from August to May is divided in two sections per season, each with its own champion. Apertura and Clausura are the Spanish words for...

manner, thus the "runners-up" for these seasons are actually the winners of one of these tournaments which lost to the winners of the playoff

J. League Championship

The J. League Championship was a two-legged championship series which determined the season champion for the first 12 J. League seasons excluding the 1996 season. In the early years, the J.League seasons were divided into two halves, the first and second stages, and the champions of each stage...

. The "third places" are the highest-scoring teams in the aggregate table which were not involved in the playoff. If there was no playoff due to the champions winning both stages, the third place is the second-best points earning team who are not the champions.

Year	Champions (number of titles)	Leading goalscorer	Goals
1992 1992 in Japanese football -National team:-Players statistics:...	Transition period; top flight clubs only play the J. League Cup J. League Cup J. League Cup is a Japanese football competition organized by J. League. It is also known as Yamazaki Nabisco Cup or Nabisco Cup because confectionery/bakery company Yamazaki Nabisco have sponsored the competition since its inception in 1992.It is generally regarded as the Japanese equivalent to... , but Japan Football League plays inaugural season
1993	(6)	Ramón Díaz Ramón Díaz Ramón Ángel Díaz , is a former Argentine football player. For most of his career, he played for, and later coached, Club Atlético River Plate. He is also known by the nickname of El Pelado .... (Yokohama Marinos)	28
1994	(7)	Frank Ordenewitz Frank Ordenewitz Frank Ordenewitz is a retired German football player. He was capped 2 times for the West German national team. In a German League match against FC Cologne on 7 May 1988 the Werder Bremen player admitted handball in the penalty area to the referee. Cologne went on to win the match 2–0... (JEF United Ichihara)	30
1995	(3)	Masahiro Fukuda Masahiro Fukuda is a former Japanese football player. He was a forward but sometimes played in the midfield.-Club:After studying at and playing for Sagami Institute of Technology High School and Chuo University, he joined Mitsubishi Motors in 1989 and started to play for their football club that played in the... (Urawa Red Diamonds)	32
1996		Kazuyoshi Miura Kazuyoshi Miura ----Kazuyoshi Miura , often known simply as Kazu, is a Japanese football striker. He has played for the Japanese national team and was the first Japanese recipient of the Asian Player of the Year award in 1993, an award presented annually by the Asian Football Confederation. He is currently with... (Verdy Kawasaki)	23
1997	(2)	Patrick Mboma (Gamba Osaka)	25
1998	(2)	Masashi Nakayama Masashi Nakayama is a professional footballer currently playing for Consadole Sapporo of the J. League Division 2, the second-tier professional football league in Japan. Born in Shizuoka, Gon Nakayama attended Fujieda Higashi High School and Tsukuba University before he joined Jubilo Iwata of the Japan Football... (Júbilo Iwata)	36

J. League Division 1 (1999–present)

Top flight becomes J. League Division 1 in 1999.

Year	Champions (number of titles)	Runners-up	Third place	Leading goalscorer	Goals
1999	(3)			Hwang Sun-Hong Hwang Sun-Hong Hwang Sun-Hong or Hwang Seon-Hong is a South Korean football manager and former player, currently managing Pohang Steelers- Biography :During most of the last 2 decades Hwang was regarded as a Korean scoring sensation... (Cerezo Osaka)	24
2000	(3)			Masashi Nakayama Masashi Nakayama is a professional footballer currently playing for Consadole Sapporo of the J. League Division 2, the second-tier professional football league in Japan. Born in Shizuoka, Gon Nakayama attended Fujieda Higashi High School and Tsukuba University before he joined Jubilo Iwata of the Japan Football... (Júbilo Iwata)	20
2001	(4)			Will Will Robson Emilio Andrade -Clubs:Will played for Atlético Paranaense in Brazil, before moving to play in Japan. He spent three seasons in the J. League Division 2 with Oita Trinita from 1998 to 2000. Next, he joined Consadole Sapporo, where he was the 2001 J. League's top scorer with 24 goals. He spent the following season... (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.... )	20
2002	(4)			Naohiro Takahara Naohiro Takahara is a Japanese footballer. He currently plays for J. League Division 1 side Shimizu S-Pulse as a strikerTakahara was born in Mishima, Shizuoka. He has previously played for Júbilo Iwata in Japan, Boca Juniors in Argentina, Hamburger SV and Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.On December 3, 2006, he... (Júbilo Iwata)	26
2003	(4)			Ueslei Ueslei Raimundo Pereira da Silva Ueslei Raimundo Pereira da Silva or better known as Ueslei is a Brazilian former football player.Ueslei played for Bahia, Vitória and Atlético Mineiro in the Campeonato Brasileiro.- Club career statistics :... (Nagoya Grampus Eight)	22
2004	(5)			Emerson Marcio Emerson Passos Márcio Passos de Albuquerque , also known as Emerson or Emerson Sheik, is a Brazilian-Qatari football striker, who plays for Corinthians Paulista.-Controversy:... (Urawa Red Diamonds)	27
2005				Araújo Clemerson de Araújo Soares Clemerson de Araújo Soares, best known as Araújo is a Brazilian footballer. Currently playing for Fluminense in Brazil after recently moving from Al-Gharafa .... (Gamba Osaka)	33
2006	(5)			Washington (Urawa Red Diamonds) Magno Alves Magno Alves Magno Alves de Araújo is a Brazilian football player, currently associated with Atlético Mineiro.- Career :... (Gamba Osaka)	26
2007	(5)			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... (Kawasaki Frontale)	22
2008	(6)			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:... (Kashima Antlers)	21
2009	(7)			Ryoichi Maeda Ryoichi Maeda is a Japanese football player who currently plays for Jubilo Iwata of the J. League Division 1.-Club career:Maeda was born in Kobe, Japan but spent his childhood in the United States. He was educated at and played for Gyosei Junior High and Ghosei High School in Tokyo. While he was a high school... (Júbilo Iwata)	20
2010 2010 J. League Division 1 The 2010 J. League Division 1 season was the 46th season of the top-flight club football in Japan and the 18th season since the establishment of J1 League. The season began on March 6 and ended on December 4....				Joshua Kennedy Joshua Kennedy Joshua Blake Kennedy is an Australian professional football player who plays as a striker for the Australia national association football team and Nagoya Grampus.- Club career :... (Nagoya Grampus) Ryoichi Maeda Ryoichi Maeda is a Japanese football player who currently plays for Jubilo Iwata of the J. League Division 1.-Club career:Maeda was born in Kobe, Japan but spent his childhood in the United States. He was educated at and played for Gyosei Junior High and Ghosei High School in Tokyo. While he was a high school... (Júbilo Iwata)	17
2011 2011 J. League Division 1 The 2011 J. League Division 1 season is the 46th season of Japanese top flight football and 19th since the establishment of the J. League. The season began on March 5 and is scheduled to end on December 3, with a planned five-week summer break between June 27–July 29 in order to allow preparation...	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD

Total wins

Twelve clubs have been champions, though only seven have won the title since the establishment of J. League. Of these seven, Kashima Antlers, Gamba Osaka, and Nagoya Grampus have never been Japan Soccer League champions.

All Japanese champion clubs still exist and are competing in the J. League; however, some may have moved from their Japan Soccer League locations they won the title at, or may have cut off ties with their original parent company.

Years in italic indicate Japan Soccer League seasons. Clubs in italic no longer exist.

Winners	Runners-Up	Winning Seasons	Runners-Up Seasons
7	4	1983, 1984, 1986–87, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993, 1994	1979, 1981, 1989–90, 1995
7	2	1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009	1993, 1997
5	9	1969, 1973, 1978, 1982, 2006	1970, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 2004, 2005, 2007
5	6	1988–89, 1989–90, 1995, 2003, 2004	1983, 1984, 1990–91, 1991–92, 2000, 2002
5	2	1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970	1969, 1994
4	4	1971, 1974, 1975, 1980	1968, 1972, 1978, 1982
4	3	1987–88, 1997, 1999, 2002	1998, 2001, 2003
3	1	1977, 1979, 1981	1980
2	1	1976, 1985	1967
1	1	1972	1973
1	1	2005	2010
1	1	2010	1996
0	3		1985, 1986–87, 1987–88
0	3		2006, 2008, 2009
0	2		1965, 1966
0	1		1988–89
0	1		1999

Wins by region

This is a breakdown by Japanese region, as clubs have moved cities before and even during the J. League period. Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Júbilo Iwata, Yokohama F. Marinos, Cerezo Osaka and Nagoya Grampus are the only champion clubs who have always been based in their respective cities.

Note that JFA divides Japan into nine regions opposing to more traditional eight, splitting Chūbu

Chubu region

The is the central region of Honshū, Japan's main island. Chūbu has a population estimate of 21,886,324 as of 2008.Chūbu, which means "central region", encompasses nine prefectures : Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, Yamanashi, and often Mie.It is located directly...

into Hokushin'etsu and Tōkai. See Japanese Regional Leagues

Japanese Regional Leagues

Japanese Regional Leagues are a group of parallel association football leagues in Japan that are organized on the regional basis...

for further detail.

Region	Number of titles	Clubs
Kantō Kanto region The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....	30	(7), (7), (5), (5), (3), (2), (1)
Chūgoku Chugoku region The , also known as the , is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. It has a population of about 7.8 million.- History :...	5	(5)
Kansai	5	(4), (1)
Tōkai Tokai region The is a sub-region of the Chūbu region in Japan that runs along the Pacific Ocean. The name means "East sea" and comes from the Tōkaidō, one of the Edo Five Routes...	5	(4), (1)

Sources

List at RSSSF

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