This is a list of J.League designated special players, picked by J.League clubs from universities and high schools all over Japan.

System information The system, in place since 1998, aims to provide high potential players "a suitable environment in accordance with the player's ability." Most young players are registered with their university or high school until they are at least 18 and as such cannot be registered with another team. The 'designated special players' system allows J.League clubs to invite a maximum of three players to train and play in J.League competitions, without changing their registration status from their current registered team. Therefore, during this time, the player is allowed to play for both their educational institution and their J.League club. This provides the players an opportunity to train and play at a higher level, whilst also giving the clubs an opportunity to sell themselves as a potential destination upon completion of their studies. Although most of the time players go on to sign a professional contract with their host club, there is no guarantees or assurances that it will always be the case.

A player is eligible to become a designated special players if they fulfill the following requirements: They have an official offer from a J. League club They have Japanese citizenship or do not apply as a foreign player They registered with teams under the Japan University Football Association, the All Japan High School Athletic Federation, or teams of the Japan Club Youth Federation Level 2 other than J.League club teams.

Once approved, the players can then participate in any of the following competitions: J1, J2, J3 League matches League Cup matches Pre-season matches J.League promotion/relegation play-off matches Other official matches organised by J.League and the Japan FA

Key LegendMeaningHighlighted rowPlayer made appearances whilst registered as a designated special player BoldPlayer has gone on to represent the Japan national football team

Designated special players

1998

PlayerFromToGames playedYear of affiliation Fumiya Iwamaru Maebashi Ikuei High School Urawa Red Diamonds 2000 – Vissel Kobe Tsutomu Fujihara Kobe Koryo Gakuen High School Vissel Kobe 1999 – Cerezo Osaka Masashi Kuwahon Taisha High School Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1999 – Fukuoka University Mitsuru Chiyotanda Higashi Fukuoka High School Avispa Fukuoka 1999 – University of Tsukuba Tomoyuki Yoshino Narashino High School Kashiwa Reysol 1999 – Urawa Red Diamonds Norihiro Nishi Ichiritsu Funabashi High School Yokohama Flügels 1999 – Júbilo Iwata Taichi Hasegawa Mizuhashi High School Nagoya Grampus Eight 1999 – Albirex Niigata Terawaki Kusatsu Higashi High School Kyoto Sanga 1999 – Doshisha University Keiji Tamada Narashino High School Kashiwa Reysol 1999 – Kashiwa Reysol Takuma Sugano Narashino High School JEF United Chiba 1999 – JEF United Chiba

1999

PlayerFromToGames playedYear of affiliation Hideaki Ueno Noboribetsu Otani High School Consadole Sapporo 2000 – Kyoto Sanga Kyohei Noda Nihon University High School Verdy Kawasaki 2000 – Verdy Kawasaki Kenji Haneda Ichiritsu Funabashi High School Urawa Red Diamonds 2000 – Kashima Antlers Takeshi Omoto Yachiyo High School Kashiwa Reysol 2000 – University of Tsukuba Kosuke Yatsuda Yanagawa High School Avispa Fukuoka 2000 – Sanfrecce Hiroshima Koji Yamase Hokkai High School Consadole Sapporo 2000 – Consadole Sapporo Yuki Matsushita Maebashi Ikuei High School Urawa Red Diamonds 2000 – Sanfrecce Hiroshima Ryoichi Maeda Gyosei High School Verdy Kawasaki 2000 – Júbilo Iwata Masamichi Yamada Yamashiro High School Kyoto Sanga 2000 – Waseda University Kyohei Yamagata Higashi Fukuoka High School Avispa Fukuoka 2000 – Sanfrecce Hiroshima Yota Araki Sano Nihon University High School Urawa Red Diamonds 2000 – Hosei University Hayato Yano Teikyo High School Verdy Kawasaki J1: 2 caps, 0 goals 2000 – Verdy Kawasaki Daiki Takamatsu Takagawa Gakuen High School Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2000 – Oita Trinita Genki Nakayama Takagawa Gakuen High School Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2000 – Sanfrecce Hiroshima

2000

PlayerFromToGames playedYear of affiliation Yuki Uekusa Ichiritsu Funabashi High School Kashiwa Reysol 2001 – Waseda University Takuto Hayashi Konko Osaka High School Cerezo Osaka 2001 – Sanfrecce Hiroshima Takeshi Aoki Maebashi Ikuei High School Urawa Red Diamonds 2001 – Kashiwa Reysol Sota Nakazawa Ichiritsu Funabashi High School Kashiwa Reysol 2001 – Kashiwa Reysol Naoya Kikuchi Shimizu Shogyo High School Shimizu S-Pulse 2003 – Júbilo Iwata Shunta Nagai Ichiritsu Funabashi High School JEF United Chiba 2001 – Kashiwa Reysol Takumi Motohashi Ichiritsu Funabashi High School FC Tokyo 2001 – Yokohama F. Marinos Sho Naruoka Fujieda Higashi High School Júbilo Iwata 2003 – Júbilo Iwata Hiroyuki Nishijima Nara Ikuei High School Kyoto Sanga 2001 – Sanfrecce Hiroshima Shunsuke Araki Higashi Fukuoka High School Avispa Fukuoka 2001 – Chuo University Yoshito Ōkubo Kunimi High School Avispa Fukuoka 2001 – Cerezo Osaka Hiroto Mogi Seiko Gakuin High School Vegalta Sendai 2002 – Sanfrecce Hiroshima Tatsuya Tanaka Teikyo High School FC Tokyo 2001 – Urawa Red Diamonds Yuya Sano Shimizu Shogyo High School Shimizu S-Pulse 2001 – Tokyo Verdy Yutaka Tahara Kagoshima Jitsugyo High School Avispa Fukuoka 2001 – Yokohama F. Marinos

2001

PlayerFromToGames playedYear of affiliation Kenta Tokushige Kunimi High School Avispa Fukuoka 2002 – Urawa Red Diamonds Ryota Aoki Ichiritsu Funabashi High School FC Tokyo 2003 – Gamba Osaka Masatomo Kuba Toko Gakuen High School Tokyo Verdy 2003 – Tokyo Verdy Tatsuya Kamohara Kunimi High School Avispa Fukuoka 2002 – Kokushikan University Yutaro Abe Toin Gakuen High School Yokohama F. Marinos 2003 – Yokohama F. Marinos

2002

PlayerFromToGames playedYear of affiliation Ryota Aoki Ichiritsu Funabashi High School FC Tokyo 2003 – Gamba Osaka Masatomo Kuba Toko Gakuen High School Tokyo Verdy 2003 – Tokyo Verdy Sho Naruoka Fujieda Higashi High School Júbilo Iwata 2003 – Júbilo Iwata Yutaro Abe Toin Gakuen High School Yokohama F. Marinos J1: 3 caps, 0 goals 2003 – Yokohama F. Marinos Kentaro Ohi Fujieda Higashi High School Júbilo Iwata 2003 – Júbilo Iwata Akihiro Kusaba Nara Ikuei High School Cerezo Osaka 2004 – Chukyo University Takeshi Nakamura Shiogama FC Youth Vegalta Sendai 2003 – Chuo University Toshiki Chino Nirasaki High School FC Tokyo 2004 – Ventforet Kofu Kazumasa Takagi Kagawa Nishi High School Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2003 – Sanfrecce Hiroshima Tomoya Osawa Teikyo High School Urawa Red Diamonds 2003 – Omiya Ardija Kisho Yano Hamana High School Júbilo Iwata 2003 – Kashiwa Reysol

2003

PlayerFromToGames playedYear of affiliation Hitoshi Shiota Ryutsu Keizai University Yokohama F. Marinos 2004 – FC Tokyo Shogo Tokihisa Waseda University Tokyo Verdy 2007 – Ventforet Kofu Kei Uemura Chuo University Shonan Bellmare 2004 – Shonan Bellmare Satoshi Hashida Doshisha University Vissel Kobe 2004 – Kyoto Sanga Takuya Muro Kansai Gaidai University Tokyo Verdy 2005 – Okinawa Kariyushi FC Daiki Iwamasa Tokyo Gakugei University FC Tokyo 2004 – Kashima Antlers Yuki Fukaya Hannan University Kyoto Sanga 2005 – Oita Trinita Kazuya Kawabata Sapporo University Consadole Sapporo J2: 1 cap, 0 goals 2004 – Consadole Sapporo Kazushi Ueda Nara Ikuei High School Cerezo Osaka 2004 – Chukyo University Mitsuyuki Yoshihiro Hiroshima Minami High School Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2004 – Sanfrecce Hiroshima Tsuyoshi Honda Senshu University Ventforet Kofu 2005 – Yokogawa Musashino FC Hayato Hashimoto Komazawa University Omiya Ardija 2004 – Omiya Ardija Toshihiro Aoyama Sakuyo High School Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2004 – Sanfrecce Hiroshima Akira Takabe Toyo University Tokyo Verdy J1: 2 caps, 0 goals JLC: 1 cap, 0 goals 2005 – Roasso Kumamoto Yuzo Tashiro Fukuoka University Oita Trinita J1: 1 cap, 0 goals 2005 – Kashima Antlers Masafumi Maeda Kansai University Nagoya Grampus Eight 2005 – Gamba Osaka Takuya Kokeguchi Tamano Konan High School Cerezo Osaka 2004 – Cerezo Osaka Kenta Togawa Meiji University Tokyo Verdy EC: 1 cap, 0 goals 2004 – Tokyo Verdy Toshiki Chino Nirasaki High School Ventforet Kofu 2004 – Ventforet Kofu

2004

PlayerFromToGames playedYear of affiliation Shogo Nishikawa Hiroshima Shudo University Sanfrecce Hiroshima J1: 5 caps, 0 goals JLC: 1 cap, 0 goals 2005 – Sanfrecce Hiroshima Yuhei Tokunaga Waseda University FC Tokyo J1: 6 caps, 0 goals JLC: 4 cap, 0 goals 2006 – FC Tokyo Yusuke Gondo Dohto University Consadole Sapporo J2: 15 caps, 1 goals 2004 – Consadole Sapporo Kenjiro Ezoe Momoyama Gakuin University Cerezo Osaka 2005 – Cerezo Osaka Yuki Fukaya Hannan University Kyoto Sanga 2005 – Oita Trinita Naoaki Aoyama Maebashi Ikuei High School Nagoya Grampus Eight 2005 – Shimizu S-Pulse Yusuke Tanaka Toko Gakuen High School Yokohama F. Marinos 2005 – Yokohama F. Marinos Ryoichi Kurisawa Ryutsu Keizai University FC Tokyo J1: 6 caps, 0 goals JLC: 3 cap, 1 goals 2005 – FC Tokyo Takeshi Saito Sapporo University Consadole Sapporo 2005 – Toyota Motors Hokkaido Keisuke Honda Seiryo High School Nagoya Grampus Eight JLC: 1 cap, 0 goals 2005 – Nagoya Grampus Eight Hajime Hosogai Maebashi Ikuei High School Urawa Red Diamonds 2005 – Urawa Red Diamonds Takuro Yajima Waseda University Kawasaki Frontale J2: 1 cap, 0 goals 2006 – Shimizu S-Pulse Yuzo Tashiro Fukuoka University Sagan Tosu J2: 10 cap, 1 goals 2005 – Kashima Antlers Kohei Nishino Nippon Bunri University Oita Trinita 2005 – Oita Trinita Manabu Kubota Tokyo Gakugei University Yokohama FC J2: 4 cap, 0 goals 2005 – Yokohama FC Keita Sugimoto Ryutsu Keizai University Omiya Ardija 2005 – Nagoya Grampus Eight

2005

PlayerFromToGames playedYear of affiliation Nobuyuki Abe Ryutsu Keizai University FC Tokyo 2007 – FC Tokyo Hiroaki Uchiumi Kochi University Tokushima Vortis 2007 – Kamatamare Sanuki Junya Tanaka Doshisha University Vissel Kobe JLC: 1 cap, 0 goals 2006 – JEF United Chiba Ryo Nurishi Waseda University Tokyo Verdy J1: 2 caps, 0 goals 2009 – Okinawa Kariyushi Eiji Naruse Japan University of Economics Oita Trinita Jungo Fujimoto University of Tsukuba Shimizu S-Pulse JLC: 1 cap, 0 goals 2006 – Shimizu S-Pulse Reiichi Ikegami Sendai University FC Tokyo 2006 – FC Tokyo Atomu Tanaka Maebashi Ikuei High School Albirex Niigata J1: 2 caps, 0 goals 2006 – Albirex Niigata Ryuichi Dogaki Kwansei Gakuin High School Cerezo Osaka 2006 – Cerezo Osaka Kazuki Sorimachi Maebashi Ikuei High School Thespa Kusatsu J2: 4 caps, 0 goals 2006 – Waseda University Takuro Yajima Waseda University Kawasaki Frontale 2006 – Shimizu S-Pulse Rui Komatsu Kwansei Gakuin University Cerezo Osaka 2006 – Cerezo Osaka Shingo Akamine Komazawa University FC Tokyo JLC: 1 cap, 0 goals 2006 – FC Tokyo Shogo Shiozawa Yamagata University Montedio Yamagata 2006 – Mito HollyHock Yasuhito Morishima Takigawa Daini High School Cerezo Osaka 2006 – Cerezo Osaka

2006