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2026–27 J1 League

J1 League
Season2026–27
DatesAugust 2026 – May 2027
2027–28 →

The 2026–27 J1 League will be the 34th season of J1 League, the top Japanese professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992. This is the 12th season of the league since its rebrand from J.League Division 1 and the first to have encompassed two calendar years, having switched from the single-year season format.

Kashima Antlers are the defending champions, having won a record-extending ninth J.League title on the last matchday of the 2025 season. It was their record-breaking ninth top flight title, their first trophy since winning the 2018 AFC Champions League, and the first league title since 2016.[1]

Overview

This is the first J.League season played in two calendar years from summer to spring, having always played in a whole calendar year from late winter to early winter since its inaugural season in 1993.[2]

Changes from the previous season

There were three teams relegated to the 2026–27 J2 League. Yokohama FC, Shonan Bellmare, and Albirex Niigata, were relegated as they finished 18th, 19th, and 20th respectively in the 2025 season, ending their one, eight, and three-year stays in the top flight respectively.

Three teams were promoted from the 2025 J2 League: Mito HollyHock, who won the title and will play top flight football for the first time ever, V-Varen Nagasaki, who finished second, will play only its second ever season in the J1 after seven seasons playing in the J2 League, and JEF United Chiba, who finished third and won the play-offs to play their first season in the top tier since their most recent relegation in 2008.

Clubs

Locations of the teams
Teams in Keihanshin
Teams in Greater Tokyo Area
Teams in Tokyo and its immediate surrounding areas
Club Location Stadium Capacity
Kashima Antlers Ibaraki Prefecture Kashima Soccer Stadium 39,095
Mito HollyHock K's denki Stadium Mito 10,152
Urawa Red Diamonds Saitama Prefecture Saitama Stadium 2002 62,040
JEF United Chiba Chiba Prefecture Fukuda Denshi Arena 19,470
Kashiwa Reysol Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium 15,109
FC Tokyo Tokyo Ajinomoto Stadium 47,851
Tokyo Verdy
Machida Zelvia Machida GION Stadium 15,320
Kawasaki Frontale Kanagawa Prefecture Uvance Todoroki Stadium by Fujitsu 26,827
Yokohama F. Marinos Nissan Stadium 71,624
Shimizu S-Pulse Shizuoka Prefecture IAI Stadium Nihondaira 19,594
Nagoya Grampus Aichi Prefecture Toyota Stadium 42,753
Kyoto Sanga Kyoto Prefecture Sanga Stadium by Kyocera 21,269
Gamba Osaka Osaka Prefecture Panasonic Stadium Suita 39,694
Cerezo Osaka Yodoko Sakura Stadium 24,481
Vissel Kobe Hyōgo Prefecture Noevir Stadium Kobe 27,974
Fagiano Okayama Okayama Prefecture JFE Harenokuni Stadium 15,479
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Hiroshima Prefecture Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima 28,407
Avispa Fukuoka Fukuoka Prefecture Best Denki Stadium 21,546
V-Varen Nagasaki Nagasaki Prefecture Peace Stadium Connected by SoftBank 20,268

Personnel and kits

Club Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Kit sponsors
Main Other(s)
Avispa Fukuoka Japan Shinya Tsukahara (interim) Japan Tatsuki Nara Japan Yonex Shin Nihon Seiyaku
List
    • Front: Agekke Corporation, Hakata Green Hotel
    • Back: Apaman Property, Septeni
    • Sleeves: Oral Care Clinic, Fukuoka
    • Shorts: Pietro Dressings
Cerezo Osaka Australia Arthur Papas Japan Shunta Tanaka Japan Mizuno Yanmar
List
Fagiano Okayama Japan Takashi Kiyama Japan Ryo Takeuchi Brazil Penalty GROP
List
    • Front: Healthy Home Inc., Serio Inc.
    • Back: un-deux Co., Okanetsu
    • Sleeves: Okayama Shinkin Bank
    • Shorts: Sanyo Shimbun, Bisho Co., Ltd.
FC Tokyo Japan Rikizo Matsuhashi Japan Kei Koizumi United States New Balance Tokyo Gas
List
Gamba Osaka Germany Jens Wissing Japan Takashi Usami Denmark Hummel Panasonic
List
JEF United Chiba Japan Yoshiyuki Kobayashi Japan Daisuke Suzuki Denmark Hummel Fuji Electric
List
Kashima Antlers Japan Toru Oniki Japan Gaku Shibasaki United States Nike LIXIL
List
Kashiwa Reysol Spain Ricardo Rodríguez Japan Tomoya Inukai Japan Yonex Hitachi
List
Kawasaki Frontale Japan Shigetoshi Hasebe Japan Yasuto Wakizaka Germany Puma Fujitsu
List
Kyoto Sanga South Korea Cho Kwi-jae Japan Sota Kawasaki Germany Puma Kyocera
List
Machida Zelvia Japan Go Kuroda Japan Gen Shoji Germany Adidas CyberAgent
List
Mito HollyHock Japan Daisuke Kimori Japan Takeshi Ushizawa Japan Soccer Junky K's Holdings
List
Nagoya Grampus Serbia Mihailo Petrović Japan Ryuji Izumi Japan Mizuno Toyota GR Yaris
List
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Germany Bartosch Gaul Japan Sho Sasaki United States Nike EDION
List
Shimizu S-Pulse Japan Takayuki Yoshida Japan Koya Kitagawa Germany Puma Suzuyo (Home & Away) / Star Micronics (Third)
List
Tokyo Verdy Japan Hiroshi Jofuku Japan Koki Morita Brazil Athleta Nicigas
List
    • Front: The Super Sports XEBIO
    • Back: Miroku Jyoho Service, Classmethod
    • Sleeves: Good Com Asset, Tokyo
    • Shorts: BRI Group
Urawa Red Diamonds Poland Maciej Skorża Japan Takahiro Sekine United States Nike Polus
List
Vissel Kobe Germany Michael Skibbe Japan Tetsushi Yamakawa Japan Asics Rakuten Mobile
List
    • Front: Danton, Seiban
    • Back: Kawasaki, Henri Charpentier
    • Sleeves: Noevir, Kobe
    • Shorts:
V-Varen Nagasaki Japan Takuya Takagi Japan Hiroki Akino United States Fanatics Japanet
List
Yokohama F. Marinos Japan Hideo Ōshima Japan Takuya Kida Germany Adidas Nissan
List

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Avispa Fukuoka 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for the AFC Champions League Elite league stage
2 Cerezo Osaka 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Fagiano Okayama 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Gamba Osaka 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 JEF United Chiba 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Kashima Antlers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Kashiwa Reysol 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Kawasaki Frontale 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Machida Zelvia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 Mito HollyHock 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 Nagoya Grampus 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 Kyoto Sanga 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 Shimizu S-Pulse 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 FC Tokyo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 Tokyo Verdy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
17 Urawa Red Diamonds 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
18 V-Varen Nagasaki 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegation to the J2 League
19 Vissel Kobe 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 Yokohama F. Marinos 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played: August 2026. Source: JLeague.co, JLeague.jp
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head goals scored; 7) Fewer disciplinary points.

Results

Home \ Away AFU COS FOK GOS JEF KSA KSR KWF KYS MCZ MIH NGR SHI SSP TOK TOV URD VVN VKO YFM
Avispa Fukuoka —
Cerezo Osaka — a
Fagiano Okayama —
Gamba Osaka a —
JEF United Chiba —
Kashima Antlers —
Kashiwa Reysol —
Kawasaki Frontale —
Kyoto Sanga —
Machida Zelvia —
Mito HollyHock —
Nagoya Grampus —
Sanfrecce Hiroshima —
Shimizu S-Pulse —
FC Tokyo — a
Tokyo Verdy a —
Urawa Red Diamonds —
V-Varen Nagasaki —
Vissel Kobe —
Yokohama F. Marinos —
First match(es) will be played: August 2026. Source: J.League
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

See also

  • 2026 Japanese Super Cup
  • 2026–27 Emperor's Cup
  • 2026–27 J.League Cup
  • 2026–27 J2 League
  • 2026–27 J3 League
  • 2026–27 Japan Football League
  • 2026–27 Japanese Regional Leagues

References

  1. ^ "J1 League Match Week 38 Recap: Kashima celebrate ninth title after victory over Yokohama F･M". JLeague.co. Japan Professional Football League. 7 December 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  2. ^ "J.League season timing to transition from 2026/27 season". JLeague.co. Japan Professional Football League. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
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