Nagoya Grampus; formerly known as Nagoya Grampus Eight is a Japanese association football club that plays in the J1 League, and have for all but one season since the inauguration of the league, following promotion from the J2 League in 2017. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and founded as the company team of the Toyota Motor Corp. in 1939, the club shares its home games between Mizuho Athletic Stadium and the much larger Toyota Stadium in the suburb of Toyota.
Tokyo Verdy is a Japanese professional football club based in Inagi, Tokyo. The club currently competes in the J1 League, following promotion from the J2 League in 2023.
Júbilo Iwata is a Japanese professional football team based in Iwata, located in Shizuoka Prefecture. The club compete in J1 League following promotion from J2 League in 2023.
Kawasaki Frontale is a Japanese professional football club based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. The club currently compete in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. Their home stadium is Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium in Nakahara Ward, located in the central area of Kawasaki.
Shonan Bellmare is a Japanese professional football club based in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. Their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium. Shonan refers to a coastal area along Sagami Bay that includes Hiratsuka. Bellmare is a portmanteau of the Italian words bello and mare, meaning "beautiful sea".
Vissel Kobe is a Japanese professional football club based in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The team's home stadium is Noevir Stadium Kobe, in Hyōgo-ku, though some home matches are played at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium in Suma-ku.
Cerezo Osaka is a Japanese professional football club based in Osaka. The club currently plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name Cerezo is also the flower of the city of Osaka. The official hometowns of the club are Osaka and Sakai. They form a local rivalry with Suita-based Gamba Osaka.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima is a Japanese professional football club based in Hiroshima. The club competes in the J1 League, top flight of the Japanese football league system. Sanfrecce is one of the most successful clubs in Japan. The club is the joint fourth in most J1 League titles with three, the joint first in most top-flight titles, with eight, and the club with the most participations in Emperor's Cup finals, with 15.
The Emperor's Cup JFA All-Japan Football Championship Tournament, commonly known as The Emperor's Cup or Japan FA Cup, and rebranded as The JFA Emperor's Cup from 2024 onwards, is a Japanese annual football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football match in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J.League, current JFL and their predecessor, Japan Soccer League.
Kunishige Kamamoto is a former Japanese football player, manager, and politician. He won the bronze medal with the Japan national team at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals, and is the all-time leading goalscorer for Japan.
Kenzo Yokoyama is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for, and then managed, the Japan national team.
Kenta Hasegawa is a Japanese professional football manager and former player who is the manager of J1 League club of Nagoya Grampus.
The Empress's Cup All-Japan Women's Soccer Championship Tournament, since 2018 renamed "Empress's Cup JFA Japan Women's Football Championship" or The The JFA Empress's Cup, is a Japanese Women's football competition. As an elimination tournament, it can be considered the female counterpart to the men's Emperor's Cup in Japan. The name "Empress's Cup" has been used since the 2012 season as the Empress's Cup trophy was founded in that year.
Takaji Mori was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Masakatsu Miyamoto was a Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team.
Ryuichi Sugiyama is a Japanese former professional football player and manager. He played for the Japan national team.
Yukio Shimomura is a former Japanese football player and manager. He played for Japan national team. He also managed Japan national team.
Takashi Mizunuma is a former Japanese football player and manager and football commentator. He played for Japan national team. His son Kota Mizunuma is also a footballer.
Masatada Ishii is a Japanese professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is currently manager of the Thailand national football team.
Nippon Steel Yahata Soccer Club was a Japanese football club based in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture.
Japan