The 2024 Emperor's Cup or the JFA 104th Japan Football Championship (Japanese: 天皇杯 JFA 第104回全日本サッカー選手権大会) was the 104th edition of the annually known contested cup. As usual it featured 88 teams representing the prefectural football associations, university football federation, J1 League, J2 League and Japan Football League. The winner qualified to the group stage of the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite.
Kawasaki Frontale were the defending champions, winning the 2023 final on penalties against Kashiwa Reysol.
On 19 September 2023, it was announced by JFA that Urawa Red Diamonds was banned from participating in this tournament following supporters clash after a 0–3 loss against Nagoya Grampus in the 4th round of the previous year's edition. For this reason, instead of one, two specially designated amateur clubs were designated by JFA, being them 2023 Japan Football League champions Honda FC and 2023 University Championship winners Meiji University. Both teams were given a bye from prefectural qualifications, as usual.
Calendar The schedule for the first round to the quarter-finals was announced on 15 December 2023 in JFA's 12th Board of Directors meeting.
Round Date Backup date(s) Matches Clubs New entries this round First round 25–26 May 29 May 24 1 specially designated team 47 prefectural qualification cup winners Second round 12 June 19 June 32 64 (24+20+19+1) → 3219 2024 J1 League clubs 20 2024 J2 League clubs 1 specially designated team Third round 10 July 17 July 16 32 → 16 None Round of 16 21 August 28 August 8 16 → 8 Quarter-finals 18 September 11 and 25 September 4 8 → 4 Semi-finals 27 October – 2 4 → 2 Final 23 November – 1 2 → 1
Qualifying rounds
As only J1 and J2 League clubs qualify directly for the first round, teams from outside of it who wants to qualify to the Emperor's Cup (exception being made to the JFA-seeded team), have to undergo a prefectural qualification, with regulations and schedules varying from one association to another. In total, there are 47 prefectural cup qualifications, with the winners of each prefectural cup earning their right to play in the Emperor's Cup, with all of them assigned to start the competition in the first round.
In bold, it's displayed the teams that won each final, and not necessarily the home team.
Participating clubs J1 League All teams playing in the 2024 J1 League (except Urawa Red Diamonds, who were disqualified) join in the second round. ClubApps.PrefectureHokkaido Consadole Sapporo43rdHokkaidoKashima Antlers40thIbarakiKashiwa Reysol56thChibaFC Tokyo30thTokyoTokyo Verdy49thTokyoMachida Zelvia12thTokyoKawasaki Frontale41stKanagawaYokohama F. Marinos46thKanagawaShonan Bellmare52ndKanagawaAlbirex Niigata32ndNiigataClubApps.PrefectureJúbilo Iwata47thShizuokaNagoya Grampus47thAichiKyoto Sanga41stKyotoGamba Osaka44thOsakaCerezo Osaka55thOsakaVissel Kobe37thHyogoSanfrecce Hiroshima72ndHiroshimaAvispa Fukuoka32ndFukuokaSagan Tosu32ndSaga
J2 League All 20 teams playing in the 2024 J2 League join in the second round. ClubApps.PrefectureVegalta Sendai30thMiyagiBlaublitz Akita31stAkitaMontedio Yamagata32ndYamagataIwaki FC7thFukushimaMito HollyHock28thIbarakiTochigi SC24thTochigiThespa Gunma21stGunmaJEF United Chiba59thChibaYokohama FC25thKanagawaVentforet Kofu32ndYamanashiClubApps.PrefectureShimizu S-Pulse32ndShizuokaFujieda MYFC6thShizuokaFagiano Okayama16thOkayamaRenofa Yamaguchi20thYamaguchiTokushima Vortis36thTokushimaEhime FC22ndEhimeV-Varen Nagasaki17thNagasakiRoasso Kumamoto24thKumamotoOita Trinita28thOitaKagoshima United10thKagoshima
Amateur Designated Teams Urawa Red Diamonds, as a J1 club, would be automatically assigned to the second round. As they were excluded from this year's cup, 2023 Japan Football League winners Honda FC filled the automatic entry slots for the second round. Another team was then, needed to fill the automatic entry slots of the first round. JFA assigned for this slot the 2023 University Championship winners, Meiji University.
Meiji University is the last university team to be awarded a direct entry since Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, who were specially designated to the 2011 Emperor's Cup. Until 2011, it was an annual practice by JFA to give an automatic entry to Prime Minister's Cup champions.
TeamPrefectureLeagueApps.Meiji UniversityTokyoKanto University League D1UL115thHonda FCShizuokaJapan Football League444th
Prefectural Representatives All the 47 prefectural tournaments winners (prefectural representatives) joins in the first round. PrefectureTeamLeagueApps.HokkaidoHokkaido Tokachi Sky Earth Hokkaido Soccer League 5 2ndAomoriVanraure Hachinohe J3 League 3 12thIwateIwate Grulla Morioka J3 League 3 12thMiyagiSony Sendai Japan Football League 4 25thAkitaSaruta Kogyo Tohoku Soccer League D2 North 6 3rdYamagataOyama SC Tohoku Soccer League D2 South 6 3rdFukushimaFukushima United J3 League 3 12thIbarakiUniversity of Tsukuba Kanto University League D1 UL1 34thTochigiTochigi City Japan Football League 4 14thGunmaTonan Maebashi Kanto Soccer League D2 6 8thSaitamaOmiya Ardija J3 League 3 29thChibaBriobecca UrayasuJapan Football League 4 7thTokyoYokogawa Musashino Japan Football League 4 6thKanagawaSC Sagamihara J3 League 3 3rdYamanashiYamanashi Gakuin University Pegasus Yamanashi Football League 7 6thNaganoNagano Parceiro J3 League 3 12thNiigataJapan Soccer College Hokushinetsu Football League D1 5 14thToyamaKataller Toyama J3 League 3 15thIshikawaZweigen Kanazawa J3 League 3 20thFukuiFukui United Hokushinetsu Football League D1 5 16thShizuokaAzul Claro Numazu J3 League 3 3rdAichiChukyo University Tokai University League D1 UL1 8thMieVeertien Mie Japan Football League 4 4thGifuFC Gifu J3 League 3 18thShigaBiwako Seikei Sport College Kansai University League D1 UL1 7thKyotoKyoto Sangyo University Kansai University League D1 UL1 6thOsakaKansai University Kansai University League D1 UL1 19thHyogoKonan University Kansai University League D1 UL1 2ndNaraNara Club J3 League 3 15thWakayamaArterivo Wakayama Kansai Soccer League D1 5 16thTottoriGainare Tottori J3 League 3 26thShimaneBelugarosso Iwami Chugoku Soccer League 5 3rdOkayamaMitsubishi Mizushima Chugoku Soccer League 5 16thHiroshimaFukuyama City Chugoku Soccer League 5 4thYamaguchiBaleine Shimonoseki Chugoku Soccer League 5 4thKagawaKamatamare Sanuki J3 League 3 24thTokushimaFC Tokushima Shikoku Soccer League 5 9thEhimeFC Imabari J3 League 3 12thKochiKochi United Japan Football League 4 9thFukuokaGiravanz Kitakyushu J3 League 3 15thSaga Kyushu Soccer League 5 4thNagasaki Nagasaki Football League 7 11thKumamotoTokai University Kumamoto Kyushu University League D1 UL1 5thOitaJ-Lease FC Kyushu Soccer League 5 1stMiyazakiTegevajaro Miyazaki J3 League 3 4thKagoshimaNIFS Kanoya Kyushu University League D1 UL1 13thOkinawaOkinawa SV Japan Football League 4 5th
Note: In the sections below, club tiers (league levels) are presented as follows: National: (1): J1 League; (2): J2 League; (3): J3 League; (4): Japan Football League Regional (senior): (5): Regional Leagues 1st Divs.; (6): Regional Leagues 2nd Divs. Regional (university): (UL): University Regional Leagues Prefectural (senior): (7): Prefectural Leagues 1st Divs. Others (7+): Below the cited club tiers, unknown or not affiliated with any league.
Schedule On 12 March 2024, the JFA announced the schedule from the first to the third round. First round + Number of teams per tier in this round J3 League (3) Japan Football League (4) Regional 1st Divs. (5) Regional 2nd Divs. (6) Prefectural leagues (7) University Leagues (UL) Total
Second round + Number of teams per tier in this round J1 League (1) J2 League (2) J3 League (3) Japan Football League (4) Regional 1st divs. (5) Prefectural leagues (7) University Leagues (UL) Total
Third round + Number of teams per tier in this round J1 League (1) J2 League (2) J3 League (3) Regional 1st divs. (5) University Leagues (UL) Total
Round of 16 A draw was held on 12 July to determine the pairings for this round onwards.
+ Number of teams per tier in this round J1 League (1) J2 League (2) Lower leagues Total
Quarter-finals + Number of teams per tier in this round J1 League (1) J2 League (2) Other leagues (3+) Total
Semi-finals + Number of teams per tier in this round J1 League (1) Total
Final + Number of teams per tier in this round J1 League (1) Total
Top scorers
RankPlayerTeamGoals1 Riku GunjiShimizu S-Pulse4 JuanmaV-Varen Nagasaki Daiju SasakiVissel Kobe4 Motoki OharaSanfrecce Hiroshima3 Peter UtakaVentforet Kofu Kazumasa ShimizuFukushima United Douglas VieiraSanfrecce Hiroshima Vinícius AraújoSagan Tosu Asahi UenakaYokohama F. Marinos Kyota FunahashiEhime FC
References
See also 2024 J1 League 2024 J2 League 2024 J3 League 2024 Japan Football League 2024 Japanese Super Cup
External links Emperor's Cup 2024, JFA.jp