Japan Football League (former)

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 does not exist any more and is the subject of this article while the other

Japan Football League

The is the 3rd tier of the Japanese association football league system, following J. League Division 1 and J. League Division 2. Also known as the JFL, it is generally considered as the top amateur league in Japan although in reality it is a semi-professional league as many full-time footballers...

  is still alive and kicking. In this page, the former is referred to as "the former JFL," and the latter as "the new JFL."

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. 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...

.

History

When the Japan Football Association

Japan Football Association

The Japan Football Association, sometimes known as the Japan Soccer Association , is the governing body responsible for the administration of association football in Japan. It is responsible for the national team as well as club competitions....

 decided to found a professional football league, 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...

 (JSL), the top-flight league until the 1991/92 season, was reorganised into two newly formed leagues. One was the Japan Professional Football League as known as J. League, the first-ever professional football league in Japan. The other was the former Japan Football League.

Out of twenty eight clubs who were the members of the JSL division 1 and 2, nine along with independent 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...

 formed J. League, one (Yomiuri Junior) was merged with their parent club, and the other eighteen chose not to be professional, at least at that time. They played the inaugural 1992 season of the former JFL together with Osaka Gas and Seino Transportation, the winners of the regional league play-offs. The initial configuration was two divisions of 10 clubs each, but from 1994, the format was changed to a single division of 16 clubs.

The former JFL ceased to exist at the end of the 1998 season when J. League Division 2 was formed. 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 joined the new JFL

Japan Football League

The is the 3rd tier of the Japanese association football league system, following J. League Division 1 and J. League Division 2. Also known as the JFL, it is generally considered as the top amateur league in Japan although in reality it is a semi-professional league as many full-time footballers...

.

Results

Season	Champions	Runners-up	Promoted to J. League after the season	Promoted from Regional Leagues before the season	Relegated to Regional Leagues after the season
1992 Japan Football League 1992 -First Division:-Second Division:Seino Unyu and Osaka Gas had been promoted automatically after winning the Regional Playoffs....	Div. 1-Yamaha 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... Div. 2-Chuo Bohan Fujieda 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...	Div. 1-Hitachi S.C. 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... Div. 2-Kyoto Shiko Club 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...	None	Toyota Higashifuji PJM	Tanabe Pharmaceutical S.C. Osaka Gas S.C.
1993 Japan Football League 1993 -League Standings:-League Standings:...	Div. 1-Bellmare Hiratsuka 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"... Div. 2-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...	Div. 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... Div. 2-PJM Sagan Tosu is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Tosu, Saga Prefecture.Sagan is a coined word with a couple of meanings behind it. One of its homophones is in Japanese. This symbolises many small elements uniting to form one...	Hiratsuka Iwata	NEC Yamagata S.C. Montedio Yamagata Montedio Yamagata is a professional association football club based in Yamagata Prefecture in Japan. The club plays in J. League Division 1.Montedio is a coined word combining two Italian words Monte and Dio .-History:...	Toho Titanium S.C. NKK F.C. NKK F.C. Nippon Kokan Soccer Club, or NKK Soccer Club was a Japanese football club which operated from 1912 to 1994. It played in the old Japan Soccer League since 1967 until its closing...  (disbanded) Toyota Higashifuji (disbanded)
1994 Japan Football League 1994 -Overview:It was contested by 16 teams, and Cerezo Osaka won the championship. Along with Kashiwa Reysol they were promoted to the J. League.NEC Yamagata, the future Montedio Yamagata, were promoted to the JFL before the season, having won the Regional Promotion Series.-League standings:...	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....	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...	Cerezo Kashiwa	Brummell Sendai Vegalta Sendai is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in J. League Division 1. The team is located in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. Their home stadium is Yurtec Stadium Sendai, in Izumi-ku, Sendai, although a few home games have also been played at nearby Miyagi Stadium.-History:Founded in 1988... Fukushima F.C.	None
1995 Japan Football League 1995 -Overview:It was contested by 16 teams, and Fukuoka Blux won the championship. They were promoted to the J. League along with Kyoto Purple Sanga.-League standings:...	Fukuoka Blux 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...	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...	Fukuoka Kyoto	Nippon Denso F.C. F.C. Kariya are a football club based in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. They play in the Tokai Regional League Division 1. Their team colours are white and red.- History :The club was founded in 1949 as Nippon Denso Soccer Club... Oita F.C. Oita Trinita is a J. League Division 2 team. The team name Trinita can be considered either a combination of the English word trinity and Ōita, or the Italian word trinità. The dual meaning expresses the will of the citizens, companies, and local governments to support the team.The team's home town is Ōita...	None
1996 Japan Football League 1996 -League standings:...	Honda F.C.	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...	Kobe	Prima Ham F.C. Tsuchiura 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.... Jatco F.C. Sagan Tosu Sagan Tosu is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Tosu, Saga Prefecture.Sagan is a coined word with a couple of meanings behind it. One of its homophones is in Japanese. This symbolises many small elements uniting to form one... (Special step)	Cosmo Oil Yokkaichi (disbanded) Tosu Futures Tosu Futures was a Japanese football club that played in the former Japan Football League between 1993 and 1997.-History:PJM Futures was originally founded in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka in 1987 and moved to Tosu, Saga in 1995, changing its name to Tosu Futures. This happened one year after joining the former Japan...  (disbanded)
1997 Japan Football League 1997 -League standings:...	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....	Tokyo Gas F.C.	Sapporo	Albirex Niigata Albirex Niigata is a Japanese J. League Division 1 association football team. Despite the club's relative youth, only joining the J. League in 1999, Albirex are one of Japan's best supported teams. In 2003, while still playing in the second tier of Japanese football , Albirex attracted the best average crowd in... 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:... , Kokushikan Univ. S.C. (recommended by Univ. Assoc.)	Fukushima F.C. (disbanded) Seino Transportation F.C. (disbanded)
1998 Japan Football League 1998 -Overview:The 1998 season was the seventh and the last of the former Japan Football League. It was contested by 16 teams, and won the championship. After the season, nine teams together with J. League Promotion and Relegation series' losers formed the second division of J. League...	Tokyo Gas F.C.	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:...	*The following clubs were accepted by J. League Div. 2: Brummell Sendai (Vegalta Sendai Vegalta Sendai is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in J. League Division 1. The team is located in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. Their home stadium is Yurtec Stadium Sendai, in Izumi-ku, Sendai, although a few home games have also been played at nearby Miyagi Stadium.-History:Founded in 1988... ), Montedio Yamagata Montedio Yamagata Montedio Yamagata is a professional association football club based in Yamagata Prefecture in Japan. The club plays in J. League Division 1.Montedio is a coined word combining two Italian words Monte and Dio .-History:... , Omiya Ardija Omiya Ardija is a professional football club which play in the J. League Division 1, and are based in Ōmiya-ku in Saitama, Japan. Its "hometown" as designated by the league is the whole of Saitama city, which is shared with neighbours Urawa Red Diamonds... , Tokyo Gas F.C. (F.C. Tokyo), 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:... , Ventforet Kofu Ventforet Kofu are a Japanese football club from Kofu. They compete in the J. League Division 1, and their home ground is the Kose Sports Stadium.The word "Ventforet" is coined combining two French words Vent and Forêt... , Albirex Niigata Albirex Niigata is a Japanese J. League Division 1 association football team. Despite the club's relative youth, only joining the J. League in 1999, Albirex are one of Japan's best supported teams. In 2003, while still playing in the second tier of Japanese football , Albirex attracted the best average crowd in... , Sagan Tosu Sagan Tosu is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 2. The team is located in Tosu, Saga Prefecture.Sagan is a coined word with a couple of meanings behind it. One of its homophones is in Japanese. This symbolises many small elements uniting to form one... , Oita F.C. (Oita Trinita Oita Trinita is a J. League Division 2 team. The team name Trinita can be considered either a combination of the English word trinity and Ōita, or the Italian word trinità. The dual meaning expresses the will of the citizens, companies, and local governments to support the team.The team's home town is Ōita... )

see also