The , commonly known as the , is a women's association football league in Japan.
The Nadeshiko League consists of two divisions that correspond to the second and third levels of the Japanese women's football pyramid respectively. Teams are promoted and relegated between the divisions, and between the Nadeshiko League Division 2 and the fourth-level Japanese regional leagues, based on performance in the previous season. Prior to 2021, the Nadeshiko League occupied the top level of the Japanese women's football pyramid as well; that level is now represented by the fully professional WE League.
Since 2008, the Nadeshiko League has been sponsored by , a fast food (bento) company based in Fukuoka.
History The Japan Women's Football League, or the L. League, was founded in 1989. The founding six clubs were Yomiuri SC Ladies Beleza, Shinko Seiko FC Clair, Nissan FC Ladies, Shimizu FC Ladies, Prima Ham FC Kunoichi, and Tasaki-Shinju Kobe Ladies. From 1993 to 1999 it adopted an Apertura and Clausura system, similar to the J. League system of that era. From 2000 to 2003 the clubs were divided into East and West groups and then the top clubs of each would go into a championship group, with the bottom clubs in a relegation group. In 2004 the single-table format was brought back. Teams from this early era would host annual training camps to build skills and relationships with international women's football clubs, such as those in the United States and Australia.
In 2004 the L. League acquired the nickname the Nadeshiko League. Nadeshiko is the name of the dianthus flower and was chosen from suggestions by fans, signifying an ideal of a dutiful Japanese woman.Alisa Freedman, Laura Miller, Christine R. Yano. . Stanford University Press, 2013.Gregory G. Reck, Bruce Allen Dick. McFarland, 2015.
In the 2004 season, the L. League added a second division, and until 2009 the league operated in the same way as the old Japan Soccer League for men where the bottom club in the second division playing off against a regional league playoff winner. In 2010, the second division was divided into east and west groups of six teams each; the winners of each group were promoted to the first division.
After Japan's World Cup win in 2011, the L. League saw an upsurge in popularity. In 2015, the league added a third division called the Nadeshiko was added, and the first and second divisions now had 10 teams each.
In 2020, the Japan Football Association announced that the newly established WE League will become the top level for women's football in Japan in 2021. The Nadeshiko League would then become the second to fourth levels of the Japanese women's football pyramid. After many top teams left for the WE League, the Nadeshiko League abolished the third division in 2021.
Structure
Since 2021, the Nadeshiko League consists of two divisions: Level on the pyramid Division II Nadeshiko League Division 1 (Plenus Nadeshiko League Division 1)12 clubs ↓ 1 relegation spot III Nadeshiko League Division 2 (Plenus Nadeshiko League Division 2)12 clubs ↑ 1 promotion spot ↓ 2 promotion/relegation series spot
Clubs Champions Division 1 Bold indicate doubles with the Empress's Cup.
YearClub1989Shimizu FC Ladies1990Yomiuri SC Ladies Beleza1991Yomiuri SC Ladies Beleza 1992Yomiuri Nippon SC Ladies Beleza1993Yomiuri Nippon SC Ladies Beleza1994Matsushita Electric LSC Bambina1995Prima Ham FC Kunoichi1996Nikko Securities Dream Ladies1997Nikko Securities Dream Ladies1998Nikko Securities Dream Ladies 1999Prima Ham FC Kunoichi2000Nippon TV Beleza2001Nippon TV Beleza2002Nippon TV Beleza 2003Tasaki Perule FC2004Saitama Reinas FC2005Nippon TV Beleza2006Nippon TV Beleza2007Nippon TV Beleza
YearClub2008Nippon TV Beleza2009Urawa Reds Ladies 2010Nippon TV Beleza2011INAC Kobe Leonessa 2012INAC Kobe Leonessa2013INAC Kobe Leonessa2014Urawa Reds Ladies2015Nippon TV Beleza2016Nippon TV Beleza2017Nippon TV Beleza2018Nippon TV Beleza2019Nippon TV Beleza2020Urawa Reds Ladies2021Iga FC Kunoichi Mie2022Sfida Setagaya FC2023Orca Kamogawa FC2024Viamaterras Miyazaki2025Asahi Intecc Loveledge Nagoya
Wins by club Clubs in bold are those competing in Division 1 as of the 2023 season. Clubs in italics no longer exist.
Club Championships YearsNippon TV BelezaYomiuri Beleza was renamed to Nippon TV Beleza in 1999 and to Tokyo Verdy Beleza in 2011, when the Yomiuri Group sold its stake. 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019Urawa Reds LadiesSaitama Reinas were absorbed by Urawa Red Diamonds in 2005. 2004, 2009, 2014, 2020Nikko Securities Dream Ladies 1996, 1997, 1998Iga FC KunoichiPrima Ham FC Kunoichi was renamed to Iga FC Kunoichi in 2000. 1995, 1999, 2021INAC Kobe Leonessa 2011, 2012, 2013Shimizu FC Ladies 1989Matsushita Electric LSC BambinaMatsushita LSC Bambina was renamed to Speranza FC Takatsuki in 2000. Then, renamed to Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki in 2012. 1994Tasaki Perule FC2003Sfida Setagaya FC2022Orca Kamogawa FC2023Viamaterras Miyazaki2024Asahi Intecc Loveledge Nagoya2025
Notes
Wins by region Region Total ClubsKantō26Nippon TV Beleza (17), Nikko Securities Dream Ladies (3), Urawa Reds Ladies (4), Sfida Setagaya FC (1), Orca Kamogawa FC (1)Kansai5INAC Kobe Leonessa (3), Matsushita Electric LSC Bambina (1), Tasaki Perule FC (1)Tōkai4Iga FC Kunoichi (3), Shimizu FC Ladies (1)
Division 2 YearClub2004Okayama Yunogo Belle2005INAC Kobe Leonessa2006Albirex Niigata Ladies2007TEPCO Mareeze2008JEF United Chiba Ladies2009AS Elfen Sayama FCYearEastWest2010Tokiwagi Gakuen HSSperanza FC Takatsuki2011FC Kibi International University CharmeYearClub2012Vegalta Sendai Ladies2013Tokiwagi Gakuen HS2014Speranza FC Osaka-Takatsuki2015AC Nagano Parceiro Ladies2016Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara2017Nippon Sport Science University Fields Yokohama2018Iga FC Kunoichi2019Ehime FC Ladies2020Sfida Setagaya FC2021 JFA Academy Fukushima2022 Shizuoka SSU Bonita2023 Viamaterras Miyazaki2024 Okayama Yunogo Belle2025 VONDS Ichihara FC Ladies
Challenge League
YearClub2015Tokiwagi Gakuen HS2016Orca Kamogawa FC2017Shizuoka Sangyo University Iwata Bonita2018Yamato Sylphid2019FC Jumonji Ventus2020JFA Academy Fukushima
2024 season
Division 1 ClubHometownCurrent spell in D1 Bunnys Gunma FC White Star Maebashi 2022– Orca Kamogawa FC Kamogawa 2021– Sfida Setagaya FC Setagaya 2021– Nittaidai SMG Yokohama Yokohama 2021– Yokohama FC Seagulls Yokohama 2021– Shizuoka SSU Bonita Iwata 2023– NGU Loveledge Nagoya Nagoya 2021– Iga FC Kunoichi Iga 2019– Speranza Osaka Takatsuki 2021– AS Harima Albion Himeji 2021– Ehime FC Ladies Matsuyama 2020– Viamaterras Miyazaki Shintomi 2024–
Division 2 ClubsHometown JFA Academy Fukushima LSC Susono Tsukuba FC Ladies Tsukuba Yamato Sylphid Yamato SEISA OSA Rhea Shonan FC Ōiso FC Fujizakura Yamanashi Narusawa Veertien Mie Ladies Kuwana Diosa Izumo FC Izumo Okayama Yunogo Belle Mimasaka KIU Charme Takahashi Diavorosso Hiroshima Kumano FC Imabari Ladies Imabari Fukuoka J. Anclas Fukuoka
Previous clubs The following clubs have previously competed in the Nadeshiko League for at least one season.
Joined WE League in 2021
Mynavi Sendai Urawa Reds Omiya Ardija Ventus (formerly FC Jumonji Ventus) Elfen Saitama JEF United Chiba NTV Tokyo Verdy Beleza Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara AC Nagano Parceiro Albirex Niigata INAC Kobe Leonessa
Joined WE League in 2023 Cerezo Osaka Yanmar Ladies
Relegated to regional leagues Je Vrille Kagoshima: relegated to Kyushu League from 2014 Shimizudaihachi Pleiades: relegated to Tokai League from 2015 Mashiki Renaissance Kumamoto F.C.: relegated to Kyushu League from 2016
Defunct Fujita Soccer Club Mercury (affiliated with Shonan Bellmare) Nikko Securities Dream Ladies Nissan F.C. Ladies (affiliated with Yokohama Marinos) OKI F.C. Winds Shiroki F.C. Serena Suzuyo Shimizu F.C. Lovely Ladies (affiliated with Shimizu S-Pulse) Tasaki Perule F.C. Tokyo Shidax L.S.C. (formerly Shinko Seiko F.C. Clair) Urawa Ladies F.C. TEPCO Mareeze (dissolved after Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster; many of the players moved to Vegalta Sendai Ladies) Aguilas Kobe Hoyo Sukarabu F.C.
Division 1 awards
Most Valuable Player YearPlayerClub2002Tomoe SakaiNTV Beleza2003Mio OtaniTasaki Perule F.C.2004Kozue AndoSaitama Reinas F.C.2005Shinobu OhnoNTV Beleza2006Homare SawaNTV Beleza2007Shinobu OhnoNTV Beleza2008Homare SawaNTV Beleza2009Kozue AndoUrawa Reds Ladies2010Shinobu OhnoNTV Beleza2011Nahomi KawasumiINAC Kobe Leonessa2012Megumi TakaseINAC Kobe Leonessa2013Nahomi KawasumiINAC Kobe Leonessa2014Michi GotoUrawa Reds Ladies2015Mizuho SakaguchiNTV Beleza2016Mizuho SakaguchiNTV Beleza2017Mizuho SakaguchiNTV Beleza2018Mina TanakaNTV Beleza 2019Mina TanakaNTV Beleza 2020 Yuika SugasawaUrawa Reds Ladies 2021 Ami Sugita Iga FC Kunoichi Mie 2022 Mayu Otake Sfida Setagaya FC 2023 Haruhi Suzuki Orca Kamogawa FC
Top Goalscorers YearPlayerGoalsClub2002Mio Otani5Tasaki Perule F.C.2003Mio Otani33Tasaki Perule F.C.2004Kozue Ando12Saitama Reinas F.C.2005Mio Otani25Tasaki Perule F.C.2006Yūki Nagasato18NTV Beleza2007Shinobu Ohno23NTV Beleza2008Shinobu Ohno20NTV Beleza2009Kozue Ando18Urawa Reds Ladies2010Shinobu Ohno13NTV Beleza2011Nahomi Kawasumi12INAC Kobe LeonessaShinobu OhnoINAC Kobe Leonessa2012Megumi Takase20INAC Kobe Leonessa2013Beverly Goebel15INAC Kobe Leonessa2014Yuika Sugasawa20JEF United Chiba Ladies2015Yuika Sugasawa15JEF United Chiba Ladies2016Mina Tanaka18NTV Beleza2017Mina Tanaka15NTV Beleza2018Mina Tanaka15NTV Beleza 2019 Mina Tanaka 20 NTV Beleza 2020 Yuika Sugasawa 17 Urawa Reds Ladies 2021 Asuka Nishikawa 19 Iga FC Kunoichi Mie 2022 Sonoko Chiba 14 AS Harima Albion 2023 Chiina Kamiya 14 Asahi Intecc Loveledge Nagoya
Best Young Player YearPlayerClub2002Kozue AndoSaitama Reinas F.C.2003Yukari KingaNTV Beleza2004Natsuki MuraokaIga FC Kunoichi2005Karina MaruyamaTEPCO Mareeze2006Noriko MatsudaUrawa Reds Ladies2007Kyoko YanoUrawa Reds Ladies2008Mana IwabuchiNTV Beleza2009Megumi TakaseINAC Kobe Leonessa2010Nozomi FujitaUrawa Reds Ladies2011Chinatsu KiraUrawa Reds Ladies2012Shiho KohataUrawa Reds Ladies2013Saki UenoJEF Chiba Ladies2014Ruka NorimatsuUrawa Reds Ladies2015Kiko SeikeUrawa Reds Ladies2016Hina SugitaINAC Kobe Leonessa2017Yui FukutaINAC Kobe Leonessa2018Hinata MiyazawaNTV Beleza 2019 Satsuki Miura INAC Kobe Leonessa 2020 Fukina Mizuno INAC Kobe Leonessa 2021 Nina Yamada Ehime FC Ladies 2022 Yuka Kuratomi Sfida Setagaya FC 2023 Natsumi Tago Ehime FC Ladies
See also
Football in Japan Women's football in Japan Japan Football Association (JFA) Japanese association football league system WE League (I) Japanese Regional Leagues (women) (IV) Empress's Cup (National Cup) Nadeshiko League Cup (League Cup)
References
External links Nadeshiko League Official website NADESHIKO LEAGUE 1 at women.soccerway.com NADESHIKO LEAGUE 2 at women.soccerway.com