In Japan's football history, there are two different leagues that have the same English name "Japan Football League" although their Japanese names are different. One still exists and is the subject of this page while the other  ceased to exist in 1998. In this page, the ceased Japan Football League is referred to as "the former JFL".

The is the 3rd tier of the Japanese association football league system, following J. League Division 1 and 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...

. Also known as the JFL, it is generally considered as the top amateur 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...

 although in reality it is a semi-professional league as many full-time footballers play in the league.

Foundation

The Japan Football League started from the 1999 season when the second division of J. League (J2) was also born. Until then, J. League consisted of only one division and the former JFL was the second highest division. Out of 16 teams who played the last season of the former JFL, 9 decided and were accepted to play in J2 and the other 7 teams as well as , the winners of the resional league play-off, formed the new Japan Football League. These 8 teams together with that was allowed to participate as a special case after the merger of and competed in the inaugural 1999 season.

The 9 teams that competed in the first season were as follows: , , , Kokushikan University F.C., , , , and .

Overview

The original number of clubs was 9, as mentioned above. In the following season the number was increased to 12, reaching 16 in 2001. In 2002 it was briefly 18 clubs before going back to 16 the next season and settling for good at 18 in 2006.

Clubs may be affiliated to companies

Works team

A works team is a sports team that is financed and run by a manufacturer or other business. Sometimes, works teams contain or are entirely made up of employees of the supporting company.-Africa:...

, universities, or be entirely autonomous clubs or reserve teams of these. University clubs, which as a rule do not play in the Japanese football league system, are recommended by the Japan University Football Association and must play off against bottom JFL teams for entrance. B-teams are allowed to participate but only A-squads of truly autonomous clubs are eligible for J. League Associate Membership (see below).

Promotion from JFL

A club that satisfies the following criteria will be promoted to J. League Div. 2.

• Have J. League Associate Membership
  J. League Associate Membership
  J. League Associate Membership　 is a status given to Japanese non-league football clubs. The applicant must have an intention to become a professional club and to join the professional league, J. League, governed in the top two levels of the Japanese football pyramid...
  
  
• Finish the season in the top four in JFL
• Pass the final inspection by J. League Committee

Relegation from JFL

Up to three teams at the bottom of the league may face a direct relegation or relegation/promotion play-off against the teams finishing at the top of the All Japan Regional Football Promotion League Series

All Japan Regional Football Promotion League Series

The All Japan Regional Promotion League Series is a play-off tournament meant as a transition for Japanese football clubs competing in regional leagues to the bottom national tier .-History:Until 1976, the main entrance route for regional clubs to the Japan Soccer League was...

. The number of the teams who need to compete in the play-off varies depending on the number of the teams that are promoted to J2 or withdrawn from the JFL.

Emperor's Cup eligibility

Only the club at the top of the standings at half-season (17 matches completed) was qualified for 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...

 and entered it at the third round along with the clubs in J2 until 2008, but the allotment is widened to top three clubs in 2010 due to expansion of J2. Every other club must qualify through a qualifying cup in their own prefecture and then must enter at the first round.

2011 season

The following eighteen clubs will be competing in the 2011 season. The league will follow double round-robin system, home and away.

• Blaublitz Akita^‡
• Sony Sendai F.C.
  Sony Sendai F.C.
  are a football club based in Tagajo, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. They play in the Japan Football League. Their team colour is navy.-History:...
  
  
• Tochigi Uva F.C.
  Tochigi Uva F.C.
  Tochigi Uva Football Club is a Japanese football club based in Tochigi Prefecture.The club was formed in 1947 as Hitachi Tochigi Soccer Club, the works team of the local Hitachi, Ltd. affiliate...
  
  
• Arte Takasaki
  Arte Takasaki
  are a football club based in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. They play in the Japan Football League. Their team colours are black and red.Arte means art in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.-History:...
  
  
• Yokogawa Musashino F.C.
  Yokogawa Musashino F.C.
  are a football club based in Musashino City, Tokyo, Japan. They play in the Japan Football League. Their team colour is blue.-History:The club was founded as a football club of Yokogawa Electric Corporation in 1939. In 1978, the club achieved their first promotion to the Kanto Regional League...
  
  
• Machida Zelvia^†
• JEF United Ichihara Chiba Reserves
  JEF United Ichihara Chiba Reserves
  JEF United Ichihara Chiba Reserves is a Japanese football club that plays in the Japan Football League. It is the reserve team of J. League club JEF United Ichihara Chiba. They play their home games at Ichihara Seaside Stadium.-Current squad:...
  
  
• Honda F.C.
  Honda F.C.
  are a Japanese football club based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League.-History:The club was founded as in 1971. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1975 and to the JSL Division 1 in 1981; the closest they came to the title was in...
  
  
• A.C. Nagano Parceiro
  A.C. Nagano Parceiro
  Athletic Club Nagano Parceiro is a Japanese football club from Nagano, the capital of Nagano Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League. The club name parceiro means "partner" in Portuguese....
  
  ^‡
• Matsumoto Yamaga F.C.
  Matsumoto Yamaga F.C.
  are a Japanese football club based in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League after being promoted in 2009.Their nickname is the , symbol birds of Nagano Prefecture.-History:...
  
  ^†
• Zweigen Kanazawa
  Zweigen Kanazawa
  Ishikawa Football Club Zweigen Kanazawa is a Japanese football club based in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. They play in Japan Football League.-History:...
  
  ^‡
• Sagawa Shiga F.C.
  Sagawa Shiga F.C.
  , formerly , is an amateur Japanese association football club based in Moriyama, Shiga. They are members of the Japan Football League . The club formed in 2007 from a merger of two Sagawa Express corporation football clubs in JFL; Sagawa Express Tokyo S.C. and Sagawa Express Osaka S.C.. The Tokyo...
  
  
• MIO Biwako Kusatsu
  MIO Biwako Kusatsu
  is a Japanese football club based in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture.They were promoted to Japan Football League for the first time at the end of 2007, and played their first season in 2008 where they finished 14th. "Biwako" is a reference to Biwa Lake, the largest lake in Japan.-History:The club was...
  
  ^‡
• Sagawa Printing S.C.
  Sagawa Printing S.C.
  are an association football club based in Muko, Kyoto, Japan. They play in the Japan Football League.-History:The club was founded in 1986 and started to compete in the Kyoto Prefecture Division 4. They were promoted to Division 1 in 1999 and again to the Kansai Regional League in 2000...
  
  
• Kamatamare Sanuki
  Kamatamare Sanuki
  Kamatamare Sanuki is a football club based in Takamatsu, the capital city of Kagawa Prefecture of Japan. They play in the Japan Football League. The first part of their name was coined by combining the Japanese word Kamatama and the Italian Mare . The second part is what Kagawa Prefecture used to...
  
  ^†
• V-Varen Nagasaki
  V-Varen Nagasaki
  V-Varen Nagasaki is a Japanese football club based in the city of Nagasaki. It will compete in the Japan Football League beginning in the 2009 season....
  
  ^†
• Honda Lock S.C.
  Honda Lock S.C.
  are a Japanese football club based in Miyazaki, the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League. Their team colour is red.-History:...
  
  
• F.C. Ryūkyū
  F.C. Ryukyu
  are a football club from Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. They currently play in the Japan Football League.The word Ryūkyū is Okinawa Prefecture's historical name. The club also has futsal and handball teams.-History:...
  
  ^‡

^† J. League associate members

J. League Associate Membership

J. League Associate Membership　 is a status given to Japanese non-league football clubs. The applicant must have an intention to become a professional club and to join the professional league, J. League, governed in the top two levels of the Japanese football pyramid...

^‡ Clubs intending to join J. League in the future.

Championship, promotion and relegation history

Season	Champions	Runners-up	Promoted to J2 after the season	Promoted from Regional Leagues before the season	Relegated to Regional Leagues after the season
1999	Yokohama F.C.	Honda F.C. Honda F.C. are a Japanese football club based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League.-History:The club was founded as in 1971. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1975 and to the JSL Division 1 in 1981; the closest they came to the title was in...	Mito HollyHock Mito HollyHock is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team's hometown is located in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture....	Yokogawa Denki Yokogawa Musashino F.C. are a football club based in Musashino City, Tokyo, Japan. They play in the Japan Football League. Their team colour is blue.-History:The club was founded as a football club of Yokogawa Electric Corporation in 1939. In 1978, the club achieved their first promotion to the Kanto Regional League...	None
2000	Yokohama F.C.	Honda F.C. Honda F.C. are a Japanese football club based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League.-History:The club was founded as in 1971. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1975 and to the JSL Division 1 in 1981; the closest they came to the title was in...	Yokohama FC	Tochigi S.C. Tochigi S.C. are a football club based in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. They play in the J. League Division 2. Their team colour is yellow.Tochigi, uniquely, is the only major Japanese professional club to retain the word "soccer" in its English name, despite efforts by football authorities to... Shizuoka Kengyo University F.C. Alo's Hokuriku ALO's Hokuriku were a Japanese football club based in Toyama, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture. They played in the Japan Football League. Their team colour was blue.... F.C. Kyoken	None
2001	Honda F.C. Honda F.C. are a Japanese football club based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League.-History:The club was founded as in 1971. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1975 and to the JSL Division 1 in 1981; the closest they came to the title was in...	Otsuka Pharmaceutical F.C. Tokushima VORTIS is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Tokushima, Tokushima Prefecture...	None	Sagawa Express Tokyo S.C. Sagawa Express Tokyo S.C. Sagawa Express Tokyo S.C. was an industrial-league association football team based in the Kōtō, Tokyo. The team was founded in 1991 and was a member of the Japan Football League from 2001–2007, when it merged with Sagawa Express Osaka S.C. to form Sagawa Shiga F.C... YKK AP F.C. YKK AP F.C. is a Japanese football club based in Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture. They play in Toyama Prefectural League. Their team colour is blue.-History:The club was founded as the football club of YKK in 1962... S.C. Tottori Gainare Tottori are a Japanese football club based in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture. They play in the J. League Division 2. Their team colour is green.Their team name Gainare derives from a Tottori dialect gaina meaning "great" and Italian sperare meaning "to hope".Their team mascot is well-known horror anime... Ehime F.C. Ehime F.C. Ehime F.C. is a professional football club based in Matsuyama, the capital city of Ehime Prefecture of Japan. After winning the JFL championship in 2005, the club now plays in J. League Division 2. Ehime F.C. is one of only four J. League clubs whose names simply consist of a place name and "F.C."... NTT West Japan-Kumamoto	None
2002	Honda F.C. Honda F.C. are a Japanese football club based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League.-History:The club was founded as in 1971. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1975 and to the JSL Division 1 in 1981; the closest they came to the title was in...	Sagawa Express Tokyo S.C. Sagawa Express Tokyo S.C. Sagawa Express Tokyo S.C. was an industrial-league association football team based in the Kōtō, Tokyo. The team was founded in 1991 and was a member of the Japan Football League from 2001–2007, when it merged with Sagawa Express Osaka S.C. to form Sagawa Shiga F.C...	None	Sagawa Express Osaka S.C. Sagawa Express Osaka S.C. Sagawa Express Osaka Soccer Club were a Japanese soccer team based in Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka. They were founded in 1965 and played in the Japan Football League from 2002–2007, when they merged with Sagawa Express Tokyo S.C. to form what is now Sagawa Shiga F.C... Professor Miyazaki	Shizuoka Kengyo University F.C. Alouette Kumamoto Professor Miyazaki
2003	Otsuka Pharmaceutical F.C. Tokushima VORTIS is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Tokushima, Tokushima Prefecture...	Honda F.C. Honda F.C. are a Japanese football club based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League.-History:The club was founded as in 1971. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1975 and to the JSL Division 1 in 1981; the closest they came to the title was in...	None	Sagawa Printing S.C. Sagawa Printing S.C. are an association football club based in Muko, Kyoto, Japan. They play in the Japan Football League.-History:The club was founded in 1986 and started to compete in the Kyoto Prefecture Division 4. They were promoted to Division 1 in 1999 and again to the Kansai Regional League in 2000...	Jatco F.C. F.C. Kyoto BAMB 1993 (F.C. Kyoken)
2004	Otsuka Pharmaceutical F.C. Tokushima VORTIS is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Tokushima, Tokushima Prefecture...	Honda F.C. Honda F.C. are a Japanese football club based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League.-History:The club was founded as in 1971. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1975 and to the JSL Division 1 in 1981; the closest they came to the title was in...	Otsuka (Tokushima Vortis Tokushima VORTIS is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Tokushima, Tokushima Prefecture... ) Thespa Kusatsu Thespa Kusatsu is a professional football club based in Gunma Prefecture in Japan. The club plays in J. League Division 2. J. League Division 2 is the second professional football league in Japan....	Thespa Kusatsu Thespa Kusatsu is a professional football club based in Gunma Prefecture in Japan. The club plays in J. League Division 2. J. League Division 2 is the second professional football league in Japan.... Gunma Horikoshi Arte Takasaki are a football club based in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. They play in the Japan Football League. Their team colours are black and red.Arte means art in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.-History:...	Kokushikan University F.C. (forced to withdraw due to scandal)
2005	Ehime F.C. Ehime F.C. Ehime F.C. is a professional football club based in Matsuyama, the capital city of Ehime Prefecture of Japan. After winning the JFL championship in 2005, the club now plays in J. League Division 2. Ehime F.C. is one of only four J. League clubs whose names simply consist of a place name and "F.C."...	YKK AP F.C. YKK AP F.C. is a Japanese football club based in Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture. They play in Toyama Prefectural League. Their team colour is blue.-History:The club was founded as the football club of YKK in 1962...	Ehime	Ryutsu Keizai University F.C. Ryutsu Keizai University F.C. are a Japanese football club based in Ryugasaki, Ibaraki Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League as well as the Kantō University league Division 1. Their team colours are grey and navy.-History:... Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima F.C. Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima F.C. are a football club based in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. They play in the Okayama Prefectural League Division 1.-History:The club was founded in 1946 to provide recreational activities in the war-torn Mizushima area of Kurashiki city... Honda Lock S.C. Honda Lock S.C. are a Japanese football club based in Miyazaki, the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League. Their team colour is red.-History:...	None
2006	Honda F.C. Honda F.C. are a Japanese football club based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League.-History:The club was founded as in 1971. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1975 and to the JSL Division 1 in 1981; the closest they came to the title was in...	Sagawa Express Tokyo S.C. Sagawa Express Tokyo S.C. Sagawa Express Tokyo S.C. was an industrial-league association football team based in the Kōtō, Tokyo. The team was founded in 1991 and was a member of the Japan Football League from 2001–2007, when it merged with Sagawa Express Osaka S.C. to form Sagawa Shiga F.C...	None	JEF United Ichihara Chiba B Rosso Kumamoto F.C. Ryukyu F.C. Ryukyu are a football club from Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. They currently play in the Japan Football League.The word Ryūkyū is Okinawa Prefecture's historical name. The club also has futsal and handball teams.-History:...	Honda Lock S.C. (Sagawa Express Tokyo and Osaka clubs merge to form a single club Sagawa Shiga F.C. , formerly , is an amateur Japanese association football club based in Moriyama, Shiga. They are members of the Japan Football League . The club formed in 2007 from a merger of two Sagawa Express corporation football clubs in JFL; Sagawa Express Tokyo S.C. and Sagawa Express Osaka S.C.. The Tokyo... )
2007	Sagawa Express S.C.	Rosso Kumamoto	Kumamoto Gifu	TDK S.C. TDK S.C. are a Japanese association football team based in Nikaho, Akita. They play in the Japan Football League, the third tier of the Japanese association football league system. Due to the club's former ownership by TDK, most of players are the employees of TDK's Akita factory.-History:The club was... F.C. Gifu F.C. Gifu is a Japanese football club based in Gifu Prefecture. Gifu were promoted to J. League Division 2 for the first time at the end of 2007, and played their first season in 2008 where they finished 13th. The team colour is green.-History:...	(Alo's Hokuriku and YKK AP merge to form Kataller Toyama Kataller Toyama Kataller Toyama is a football club in Japan that was formed from the merger of the old ALO's Hokuriku and YKK AP F.C. clubs. They currently play in J... )
2008					None
2009					(voluntary withdrawal)
2010 2010 Japan Football League -Overview:At the end of the 2009 season, three new clubs were promoted from the Japanese Regional Leagues by virtue of their final placing in the All Japan Regional Football Promotion League Series:...
2011 2011 Japan Football League The 2011 Japan Football League is the twelfth season of the Japan Football League, the third tier of the Japanese football league system. It was scheduled to begin at March 13, 2011 and to end at November 27, 2011; however, the start of the season has been delayed to April 23 due to the aftermath...					(voluntary withdrawal)

External links

• Official Site (in Japanese)
• Unofficial news site (in Japanese)
• 2010 season(in French/English)