Japan - Regional Analysis


Below you find a regionwise analysis of the J.League - which regions provided how many teams to the league, and titles won per region. This data is counted as per Feb 1, 2008.


Population data bases on the National Sensus on Oct 1, 2005.
This was collected by the Statistics Bureau, 
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC).


Information is prepared as follows:

Name  Joining to J.League   
J1 (Champion / Stage winner (in 1993-95, 97-2004)) - 
J2 (Champion) / Emperor's Cup Winner - 
League Cup Winner (both after 1992 season)

- Name of the region

- Population (2005, National Total = 127,756,815).

- For all clubs:
	in the first column, date of joining J.League
        then: J1 (Champion in 1993-2007 / Stage winner in 1993-95, 97-2004) 
              J2 (Champion in 1999-2007) 
              Emperor's Cup Winner (after 1992 season)
              League Cup Winner (after 1992 season)


Hokkaido (pop. 5,627,424; WC 2002 Venue - Sapporo City) 

Consadole Sapporo             1998       4      -  7(1) /  0 -  0

Tohoku (total pop. 9,634,466)

Miyagi (2,359,991, WC)

Vegalta Sendai                1999(J2)   2      -  8(0) /  0 -  0

Yamagata (1,216,116)

Montedio Yamagata             1999(J2)   0      - 10(0) /  0 -  0

Aomori (1,436,628), Iwate (1,385,037), Akita (1,145,471), 
Fukushima (2,091,223): none


Kanto (42,371,702)

Ibaraki (2,975,023, WC)

Kashima Antlers               1992      17(5/4) -  0    /  3 -  3
Mito Hollyhock                2000(J2)   0      -  9(0) /  0 -  0
-----------------------------------------------------------------
total                                   17(5/4) -  9(0) /  3 -  3

Gunma (2,024,044)

Thaspa Kusatsu                2005(J2)   0      -  4(0) /  0 -  0

Saitama (7,053,689, WC)

Urawa Red Diamonds            1992      16(1/1) -  1(0) /  2 -  1
Omiya Ardija                  1999(J2)   4(0/0) -  6(0) /  0 -  0
-----------------------------------------------------------------
total                                   20(1/1) -  7(0) /  2 -  1

Chiba (6,056,159)

JEF United Ichihara Chiba *1  1992      17(0/0) -  0    /  0 -  2
Kashiwa Reysol                1995      13(0/0) -  1    /  0 -  1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
total                                   30(0/0) -  1    /  0 -  3

Tokyo (12,570,904)

Tokyo Verdy 1969 *2           1992      15(2/3) -  2    /  2 -  3
FC Tokyo                      1999(J2)   9(0/0) -  1(0) /  0 -  1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
total *2                                24(2/4) -  3(0) /  2 -  4

Kanagawa (8,790,900, WC - Yokohama City)

Yokohama F. Marinos *3        1992      17(3/5) -  0    /  1 -  1
Yokohama Flugels *4           1992(-98)  7(0/0) -  0    /  2 -  0
Shonan Bellmare *5            1994       6(0/0) -  9(0) /  1 -  0
Kawasaki Frontale             1999(J2)   5(0/0) -  5(2) /  0 -  0
Yokohama FC                   2001(J2)   1      -  7(1) /  0 -  0
-----------------------------------------------------------------
total *6                                36(3/5) - 21(3) /  4 -  1

Yamanashi (884,531)

Ventforet Kofu                1999(J2)   2      -  8(0) /  0 -  0

Tochigi (2,016,452): none, but Tochigi SC is a semi-member of J.League.


Hokushin-etsu (7,734,593)

Niigata (2,431,396, WC)

Albirex Niigata               1999(J2)   5(0/0) -  5(1) /  0 -  0

Toyama (1,111,602): none, but Kataller Toyama is a semi-member of J.League. 
Ishikawa (1,173,994), Fukui (821,589), Nagano (2,196,012): none

Tokai (15,021,348)

Shizuoka (3,792,457, WC)

Shimizu S-Pulse               1992      17(0/1) -  0    /  1 -  1
Jubilo Iwata                  1994      15(3/6) -  0    /  1 -  1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
total                                   30(3/7) -  0    /  2 -  2

Aichi (7,254,432)

Nagoya Grampus *7             1992      17(0/0) -  0    /  2 -  0

Gifu (2,107,293)

FC Gifu                       2008(J2)   0      -  1(0) /  0 -  0

Mie (1,867,166): none


Kansai (20,892,685)

Kyoto (2,647,523)

Kyoto Sanga FC *8             1996       9(0/0) -  4(2) /  1 -  0

Osaka (8,817,010, WC - Osaka city)

Gamba Osaka                   1992      17(1/0) -  0    /  0 -  1
Cerezo Osaka                  1995      11(0/0) -  3(0) /  0 -  0
-----------------------------------------------------------------
total                                   28(1/0) -  3(0) /  0 -  1

Hyogo (5,590,381, WC - Kobe city)

Vissel Kobe                   1997      11(0/0) -  1    /  0 -  0

Shiga (1,380,343), Nara (1,421,367), Wakayama (1,036,061): none


Chugoku (7,675,475)

Hiroshima (2,876,762)

Sanfrecce Hiroshima           1992      15(0/1) -  2(0) /  0 -  0

Tottori (606,947): none, but Gainare Tottori is a semi-member of J.League.
Okayama (1,957,056): none, but Fagiano Okayama is a semi-member of J.League.
Shimane (742,135), Yamaguchi (1,492,575): none


Shuikoku (4,086,270)

Tokushima (809,974)

Tokushima Vortis              2005(J2)   0      -  4(0) /  0 -  0

Ehime (1,467,824)

Ehime FC                      2006(J2)   0      -  3(0) /  0 -  0

Kagawa (1,012,261), Kochi (796,211): none


Kyusyu (14,712,852)

Fukuoka (5,049,126)

Avispa Fukuoka                1996       7(0/0) -  6(0) /  0 -  0

Saga (866,402)

Sagan Tosu                    1999(J2)   0      - 10(0) /  0 -  0

Oita (1,209,587, WC)

Oita Trinita                  1999(J2)   6(0/0) -  4(1) /  0 -  0

Kumamoto (1,842,140)

Roasso Kumamoto               2008(J2)   0      -  1(0) /  0 -  0

Nagasaki (1,478,630), Miyazaki (1,152,993), Kagoshima (1,753,144), 
Okinawa (1,360,830): none.

In Okinawa, FC Ryukyu (JFL) has shown its intention to join J.League, but 
its admission was claimed from J.League, need to more reliable plan in 
several points.

In Fukuoka, newly promoted JFL club, New Wave Kitakyushu has a license 
of J.League semi-menber.




Region        Population   J.League Total  J.League Division 1 *8      J.League Division 2        EC   LC   WC'02
                           Clubs Seasons   Year Clubs Seasons Champ.   Year Clubs Seasons Champ.  Win  Win  Venue
Hokkaido        5,627,424      1      11   1998     1       4     0    1999     1       7     2     0    0      1
Tohoku          9,634,466      2      20   2002     1       2     0    1999     2      18     0     0    0      1
Kanto          42,371,702     15     182   1992    13     129    11    1999    11      53     3    11   12      3
Hokushin-etsu   7,734,593      1      10   2004     1       5     0    1999     1       5     1     0    0      1
Tokai          15,021,348      4      50   1992     3      49     3    2008*10  1       1     0     4    3      1
Kansai         20,892,685      4      56   1992     4      48     1    2001*11  3       8     2     1    0      2
Chugoku         7,675,475      1      17   1992     1      15     0    2003*11  1       2     0     0    0      0
Shikoku         4,086,270      2       7   none     0       0     0    2005*10  2       7     0     0    0      0
Kyushu         14,712,852      4      34   1996     2      13     0    1999     4      21     1     0    0      1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
total         127,756,815     34     388   1992    26     247    15    1999    23     122     9    16   15     10

 *1 It was JEF United Ichihara in 1992-2004.
 *2 It was Verdy Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture, in 1992-2000.
    After this, in Tokyo, it was Tokyo Verdy 1969 in 2001-2007.
    Verdy Kawasaki played in 9 seasons, and got 2 League Championships,
    3 stage winnings, 1 Emperor's Cup and 3 League Cups.
 *3 It was Yokohama Marinos in 1992-98, till it combined with Yokohama Flugels.
 *4 After 1998 season, it was merged into Yokohama Marinos.
    And it used new name Yokohama "F." Marinos.
 *5 It was Bellmare Hiratsuka in 1994-99.
 *6 Without Verdy Kawasaki. (*2)
 *7 It was Nagoya Grampus Eight in 1996-2007.
 *8 It was Kyoto Purple Sanga in 1996-2006.
 *9 It includes "J.League" in 1992-98, before changed itself to two
    division system. Only League Cup was played in 1992 season.
*10 Promotion from JFL.
*11 Relegation from J1.







About this document

Prepared and maintained by Masanori "Komabano" Nakanishi for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Author: Masanori "Komabano" Nakanishi (HQM07536@nifty.ne.jp)
Last updated: 14 Mar 2008

(C) Copyright Masanori "Komabano" Nakanishi and RSSSF 2005/08
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.