Japan - J1 League

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The J1 League is the top-tier category in Japanese football. This league is regarded by many as one of the most successful championships in Asia. The league held its inaugural season in 1993, with ten teams playing for the title. Nowadays, 18 teams play every season in a relegation-promotion format that has changed throughout the years.

The tournament is usually played from February to December, in order to avoid the harsh weather conditions in this country. The Japanese top-flight follows the typical double round-robin format, with teams facing off twice per season – both home and away – for a total of 34 Matchdays. The team that earns the most number of points is declared the champion.

Added to a hefty cash bonus and the trophy, the winner of the J1 League enters the group stage of the AFC Champions League, with the runner-up and the third-placed team joining them in that competition. On the other side of the table, two clubs are immediately relegated to the J2 League, with two more clubs from that league earning their promotion. A third relegation spot is fought for between the 16th-ranked team in the J1 League and the third-best team in the J2 league.

In 2020, the J1 League was one of many championships to be forced into suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the halt in play, the J.League announced in March of that year that no relegation would take place for the 2020 season. As a result, the organizers decided that the 2021 campaign would be contested by 20 clubs – the previous 18 sides plus the two teams promoted from the second division.

As mentioned above, the Japanese top-flight is one of the most popular and most respected leagues in all of Asia. One huge factor behind this is the success J1 outfits have experienced in continental competitions, namely the AFC Champions League. Hence it comes as little surprise that TV broadcasts and live streaming options exist for fans to catch the action live, both domestically and internationally.