Japanese association football league system

Japanese football league system
CountryJapan
SportAssociation football
Promotion and relegationYes
National system
FederationJapan Football Association
ConfederationAFC
Top division
Second division
Cup competition
Association football in Japan

The Japanese association football league system is organized in a pyramidal shape similar to football league systems in many other countries around the world. The leagues are bound by the principle of promotion and relegation; however, there are stringent criteria for promotion from the JFL to J3, which demands a club being backed by the town itself including the local government, a community of fans and corporate sponsors rather than a parent company or a corporation.