A national second tier of Japanese league football was first established in 1972, as the Japan Soccer League Second Division. In 1992, with the breakup of the JSL and restructuring of the top flight into the J.League, the (former) Japan Football League became the second tier. In 1999 the J.League has established a second division (officially known as J2 League).
Japan Soccer League Second Division (1972–1992) Numbers in parentheses indicate number of wins at the date. SeasonChampionsRunners-up Toyota Motors Tanabe Pharmaceuticals Eidai Industries Kofu SC† Yomiuri SC† Fujitsu† Tanabe Pharmaceuticals† Yomiuri SC† Fujitsu Yomiuri SC† Yomiuri SC (2) Nissan Motors† Honda Motors† Nissan Motors Toshiba Horikawacho† Yamaha Motors Honda Motors (2) Fujitsu† Nippon Kokan Nissan Motors Yamaha Motors Toshiba SC† Nippon Kokan (2) Sumitomo Metal Industries† Sumitomo Metal Industries ANA Yokohama Matsushita Electric Mazda SC Sumitomo Metal Industries (2) Toyota Motors ANA Yokohama Matsushita Electric Toshiba SC (2) Hitachi Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Toyota Motors Hitachi Mazda SC Fujita SC‡ Sumitomo Metal Industries † Not promoted to Division 1 due to losing promotion/relegation series‡ Not promoted to the newly formed J.League
(former) Japan Football League Division 1 (1992–1993) An extra season of Japanese football was done by the Japan Football League in late 1992, as the top flight clubs were still re-organizing and adopting new identities before the J.League kicked off in 1993. SeasonChampionsRunners-up Yamaha Motors† (2) Hitachi† Shonan Bellmare (2) Júbilo Iwata † Not promoted to J.League
(former) Japan Football League (1994–1998) In 1994, the Japan Football League Division 2 was abolished. SeasonChampionsRunners-up Cerezo Osaka Kashiwa Reysol Fukuoka Blux Kyoto Purple Sanga Honda Motors† (3) Vissel Kobe Consadole Sapporo (3) Tokyo Gas† Tokyo Gas† Kawasaki Frontale† † Not promoted to J.League (J1 after 1998)
J2 League (1999–present) From 1999 to 2014 the league was known as J.League Division 2. SeasonChampionsRunners-upThird placePlayoff winners Kawasaki Frontale (2) FC Tokyo Oita Trinita† Consadole Sapporo (4) Urawa Red Diamonds Oita Trinita† Kyoto Purple Sanga Vegalta Sendai Montedio Yamagata† Oita Trinita Cerezo Osaka Albirex Niigata† Albirex Niigata Sanfrecce Hiroshima Kawasaki Frontale† Kawasaki Frontale (3) Omiya Ardija Avispa Fukuoka‡ Kyoto Purple Sanga (2) Avispa Fukuoka Ventforet Kofu Yokohama FC Kashiwa Reysol Vissel Kobe Consadole Sapporo (5) Tokyo Verdy 1969 Kyoto Sanga Sanfrecce Hiroshima Montedio Yamagata Vegalta Sendai‡ Vegalta Sendai Cerezo Osaka Shonan Bellmare Kashiwa Reysol (2) Ventforet Kofu Avispa Fukuoka FC Tokyo (2) Sagan Tosu Consadole Sapporo Ventforet Kofu Shonan Bellmare Kyoto Sanga† Oita Trinita (6th) Gamba Osaka (2) Vissel Kobe Kyoto Sanga† Tokushima Vortis (4th) Shonan Bellmare (3) Matsumoto Yamaga JEF United Chiba† Montedio Yamagata (6th) Omiya Ardija Júbilo Iwata Avispa Fukuoka (3rd) Consadole Sapporo (6) Shimizu S-Pulse Matsumoto Yamaga† Cerezo Osaka (4th) Shonan Bellmare (4) V-Varen Nagasaki Nagoya Grampus (3rd) Matsumoto Yamaga Oita Trinita Yokohama FC† Kashiwa Reysol (3) Yokohama FC Omiya Ardija† Tokushima Vortis Avispa Fukuoka V-Varen Nagasaki† Júbilo Iwata (3) Kyoto Sanga Ventforet Kofu† Albirex Niigata (2)Yokohama FC Fagiano Okayama† Machida Zelvia Júbilo Iwata Tokyo Verdy (3rd) Shimizu S-Pulse Yokohama FC V-Varen Nagasaki† Fagiano Okayama (5th) Mito HollyHock V-Varen Nagasaki JEF United Chiba (3rd) † Not promoted to J1‡ Not promoted to J1 due to losing promotion/relegation seriesFor play-off winners, the number in parentheses indicates their position after the end of the season.
Total wins Clubs in bold compete in J2 as of 2025 season. Clubs in italic no longer exist.Years in italic indicate seasons of amateur football (Japan Soccer League D2 and former Japan Football League). Club Winners Runners-up Winning seasons Runners-up seasons Consadole Sapporo 1979, 1988–89, 1997, 2000, 2007, 2016 1982 Shonan Bellmare 1991–92, 1993, 2014, 2017 2012 Kashiwa Reysol 1990–91, 2010, 2019 1988–89, 1992, 1994, 2006 Júbilo Iwata 1982, 1992, 2021 1979, 1993, 2015, 2023 Kawasaki Frontale 1976, 1999, 2004 1974, 1980, 1998 Honda FC 1978, 1980, 1996 — Tokyo Verdy 1974, 1977 1975, 1976, 2007 Kashima Antlers 1984, 1986–87 1983, 1991–92 FC Tokyo 1998, 2011 1997, 1999 Kyoto Sanga 2001, 2005 1995, 2021 Gamba Osaka 1985, 2013 1987–88 NKK SC 1981, 1983 —Albirex Niigata 2003, 2022 — Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2008 1985, 1990–91, 2003 Yokohama FC 2006 2019, 2022, 2024 Nagoya Grampus 1972 1986–87, 1989–90 Cerezo Osaka 1994 2002, 2009 Ventforet Kofu 2012 1973, 2010 Avispa Fukuoka 1995 2005, 2020 Tanabe Pharmaceuticals 1975 1972 Yokohama Flügels 1987–88 1984 Urawa Red Diamonds 1989–90 2000 Vegalta Sendai 2009 2001 Omiya Ardija 2015 2004 Oita Trinita 2002 2018 Matsumoto Yamaga 2018 2014 Shimizu S-Pulse 2024 2016 Eidai Industries 1973 — Tokushima Vortis 2020 — Machida Zelvia 2023 — Mito HollyHock 2025 — Yokohama F. Marinos 0 3 — 1977, 1978, 1981 Vissel Kobe — 1996, 2013V-Varen Nagasaki — 2017, 2025 Montedio Yamagata — 2008 Sagan Tosu — 2011
See also Japan Soccer League Japan Football League (1992–1998) J2 League List of Japanese football champions List of winners of J3 League and predecessors
Sources Contents of Domestic Competition of Football in Japan