2025 Japan Football League

Japan Football League
Season2025
Dates8 March – 23 November 2025
← 2024
2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 29 February 2025.

The 2025 Japan Football League (Japanese: 第27回日本フットボールリーグ[第27回 JFL 2025], Hepburn: Dai Nijūnana Nihon Futtobōru Rīgu [Dai Nijūnana JFL 2025]) will be the 27th season of JFL, since its establishment in 1999. This will be the twelfth season of the league having a fourth-tier status in Japanese football since 2014.

Overview

This marks the final Japan Football League season scheduled within a single calendar year, running from late winter to early winter, as future seasons will shift to a summer-to-spring format.

The number of teams has stayed the same at 16 for the 2025 season, just as it was in 2024.

The league's champion team earns automatic promotion to the J3 League, while the 2nd place team competes in a promotion/relegation play-off against the 19th-placed team from the J3 League.

Schedule

The league and match format was revealed on December 21, 2024. The league kicked off on March 8 and is set to wrap up on November 23. The format consists of a round-robin with 30 matches.

The J3/JFL play-offs will be held over two legs, with the dates to be confirmed in December.

Changes from the previous season

Iwate Grulla Morioka and YSCC Yokohama were relegated from the J3 League 2024 after finished 19th and 20th, respectively. Iwate will play in JFL for the first time in their history for this season while YSCC Yokohama will return to the fourth tier after 12 years' absence.

Asuka FC, 2024 Kansai Soccer League Division 1 champion, was the sole promoted team to the JFL as they won the 2024 Regional Champions League.[1][2] Asuka will play in JFL for the first time in their history for this season.

Vonds Ichihara could have joined Briobecca Urayasu as Chiba's representatives in the JFL, had they won the 2024 JFL play-off against Minebea Mitsumi.

Sony Sendai withdrew from the JFL due to dissolution after financial troubles and ended 25 years in the fourth tier.[3]

On 1 January 2025, Briobecca Urayasu was renamed Briobecca Urayasu Ichikawa for this season due to aiming for the J.League.[4]

Participating clubs

The teams which possess (or are applicants of) promotion-enabling licenses are highlighted in green in the following table.

Club name Home town Stadium Capacity Position Notes
Asuka FC Kashihara, Nara Nara Prefectural Kashihara Park Athletics Stadium 5,000 JRCL (1st)
Atletico Suzuka Suzuka, Mie AGF Suzuka Athletic Stadium 1,450 11th
Briobecca Urayasu Ichikawa Urayasu, Chiba Daiichi Cutter Field 2,100 8th
Criacao Shinjuku Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka 7,258 14th 100 Year Plan status
J3 license holders
Honda FC Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium 2,506 7th
Iwate Grulla Morioka Morioka, Iwate Iwagin Stadium 9,892 J3 (20th) J1 license holders
Maruyasu Okazaki Okazaki, Aichi Maruyasu Okazaki Ryuhoku Stadium 5,000 13th
Minebea Mitsumi Miyazaki, Miyazaki Hinata Athletic Stadium 20,000 16th
Okinawa SV All cities/towns in Okinawa[a] Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium 10,189 9th
Reilac Shiga Kusatsu, Shiga Heiwado HATO Stadium 15,000 4th 100 Year Plan status applicants
J3 license holders
ReinMeer Aomori Aomori, Aomori Kakuhiro Group Athletic Stadium 20,809 10th J3 license holders
Tiamo Hirakata Hirakata, Osaka Tamayura Athletic Stadium 2,500 3rd
Veertien Mie All cities/towns in Mie[b] La Pita Toin Stadium 5,077 5th J3 license holders
Verspah Oita Yufu, Beppu & Ōita, Ōita Resonac Soccer/Rugby Field 4,700 6th J3 license holders
Yokogawa Musashino Musashino, Tokyo Musashino Municipal Athletic Stadium 5,188 15th
YSCC Yokohama Yokohama, Kanagawa Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium 15,454 J3 (19th) J2 license holders
  1. ^ centering on Tomigusuku, Uruma, and Okinawa
  2. ^ centering on Kuwana & Yokkaichi

Personnel and kits

Club Manager Kit manufacturer Main shirt sponsor
Asuka FC Japan Naohiko Minobe Japan Squadra Maru Industry
Atletico Suzuka Japan Fujio Yamamoto Brazil Athleta Topia
Briobecca Urayasu Ichikawa Japan Satoshi Tsunami Japan soccer junky Urata
Criacao Shinjuku Japan Hideaki Kitajima Japan Mitsubishi Fashion Assetlead
Honda FC Japan Shota Itokazu England Umbro Honda
Iwate Grulla Morioka Japan Kei Hoshikawa Spain Kelme NOVA
Maruyasu Okazaki Japan Hiroyasu Ibata Brazil Athleta Maruyasu
Minebea Mitsumi Japan Yōsuke Miyaji England Umbro MinebeaMitsumi
Okinawa SV Japan Rei Onogi Japan XF Nescafé
Reilac Shiga Japan Makoto Kakuda Japan DEZ Rei Beauty
Dermatology Clinic
ReinMeer Aomori Japan Masato Harasaki England Umbro Towa
Tiamo Hirakata Japan Takahiro Futagawa Japan Jogarbola Izawa Towel
Veertien Mie Japan Shuichi Mase Japan Sfida Cosmo Oil
Verspah Oita Japan Gen Nakamura Japan Yasuda Hoyo Group
Yokogawa Musashino Japan Takanori Kanamori Germany Puma Yokogawa Electric
YSCC Yokohama Japan Tsuyoshi Omatsu Brazil Penalty My Basket

Managerial changes

Team Outgoing Manner Exit date Position in table Incoming Incoming date Ref.
Announced on Departed on Announced on Arrived on
YSCC Yokohama Hiroaki Nagamine Contract terminated 11 July 2025 10 July 2025 13th Yuya Shiga (Interim) 11 July 2025 10 July 2025 [5]
Yuya Shiga (Interim) Full time coach appointed 17 July 2025 17 July 2025 14th Tsuyoshi Omatsu 17 July 2025 17 July 2025 [6]

Foreign players

Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Former players
Asuka FC
Atletico Suzuka Brazil Diego Washington Ghana Mohammed Lamine
Briobecca Urayasu Ichikawa
Criacao Shinjuku
Honda FC
Iwate Grulla Morioka Brazil Sillas Haiti Cédric Toussaint South Korea Ryu Se-gun South Korea Won Tae-rang South Korea Kim Sung-kon
Maruyasu Okazaki
Minebea Mitsumi
Okinawa SV
Reilac Shiga
ReinMeer Aomori Brazil Arthur Bessa Brazil Luiz Fernando South Korea Han Yong-gi South Korea Park Yong-ji
Tiamo Hirakata South Korea Kim Sung-kon Thailand Thanakrit Laorkai South Korea Kim Ji-myung
Thailand Thitipat Ekarunpong
Veertien Mie North Korea Kim Song-sun North Korea Ryang Hyon-ju
Verspah Oita
Yokogawa Musashino South Korea Kim Tae-uk South Korea Park Kwan-gyu
YSCC Yokohama Nigeria Onye Ogochukwu South Korea Kim Yong-u South Korea Park Si-eon South Korea Lee Yoon-sung

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Reilac Shiga 18 10 4 4 28 21 +7 34 Promotion to 2026–27 J3 League
2 Verspah Oita 18 9 6 3 23 12 +11 33 Qualification for promotion playoffs
3 ReinMeer Aomori 18 8 8 2 24 13 +11 32
4 Okinawa SV 18 9 5 4 23 18 +5 32
5 Honda FC 18 8 7 3 27 17 +10 31
6 Briobecca Urayasu Ichikawa 18 8 6 4 17 14 +3 30
7 Tiamo Hirakata 18 8 4 6 30 26 +4 28
8 Iwate Grulla Morioka 18 7 4 7 26 22 +4 25
9 Minebea Mitsumi 18 6 4 8 21 18 +3 22
10 Veertien Mie 18 4 9 5 18 20 −2 21
11 Atletico Suzuka 18 5 5 8 17 28 −11 20
12 Maruyasu Okazaki 18 5 4 9 15 24 −9 19
13 YSCC Yokohama 18 4 5 9 17 31 −14 17
14 Criacao Shinjuku 18 4 4 10 12 17 −5 16
15 Yokogawa Musashino 18 4 4 10 9 19 −10 16 Qualification for relegation playoffs
16 Asuka FC 18 2 7 9 10 17 −7 13 Relegation to 2026–27 Japanese Regional Leagues
Updated to match(es) played on 27 July 2025. Source: Japan Football League Soccerway
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 goal scored; 7) Fair-play points.

J3/JFL Play-offs

The play-offs, officially called the 2025 J3/JFL Play-offs (Japanese: 2025 J3・JFL入れ替え戦[A]), will take place on 7 and 14 December 2025. If the two teams were equal on the scoreboard, the match would go to extra time and penalties. Away goals rule would not be applied.

JFL/Regional Leagues promotion/relegation playoff

Top scorers

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ The logo and signage reads 2025 J.League J3・JFL入れ替え戦

References

  1. ^ "第27回日本フットボールリーグ新入会チームについて" (Press release). 日本フットボールリーグ. 2024-12-05. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
  2. ^ "お知らせ「第27回日本フットボールリーグ新入会チームについて」（2）" (Press release). 日本フットボールリーグ. 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
  3. ^ ソニー仙台FC、JFLからの退会と来季の編成について - JFLオフィシャルサイト 2024年10月3日
  4. ^ "「ブリオベッカ浦安・市川」にチーム名を変更～併せてパーパス（存在意義）を策定～" (Press release). ブリオベッカ浦安. 2024-12-06. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
  5. ^ "Director Hiroaki Nagamine's Contract Cancellation Notice". www.yscc1986.net. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Announcement of the appointment of Mr. Tsuyoshi Omatsu as Head Coach". www.yscc1986.net. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
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