The J1 Suntory Championship, the J1 play-outs to determine relegations, the J2 play-offs and play-outs system. It’s been flying back and forth, but a new piece of history will be written tomorrow – the J3 is having for the first as well.
Just to give you some taste of records that happened in the J2 play-offs:
- The highest victory in a J2 play-offs game came in 2012 and were never beaten.
- 53,264 people watched the last play-offs final at the stadium in Tokyo.
- 20 teams featured in the history of the play-offs, with Tokushima Vortis played the highest amount of undefeated matches (5), the same matches played by Kyoto Sanga, who NEVER won a match in the play-offs.
- Yudai Konishi is the man who played most matches in the play-offs (6) and he’s there again in 2024 with Montedio Yamagata.
- Same for Takashi Kiyama, who had already the play-offs in FOUR different seasons with FOUR different clubs for a total of seven matches and zero promotions.
These are just some of the records and the stories that the J2 play-offs accumulated – let alone what J3 could put together in the next decade, now that their debut play-offs and play-outs are finally starting.
2012-13: The Beginning
The playoffs started finally in 2012, when J2 reached the maximum of 22 teams, and the play-outs between the 16th in J1 and the 3rd team in J2 were momentarily dropped (they’ll be back in 2018 for a couple of seasons), but at the same time direct promotion of three teams were implemented. That lasted only three seasons – from 2009 to 2011 – before 2012 introduced the playoffs.
The system was clearly inspired to the EFL in England – from 3rd to 6th, the teams would have squared off in a bracket, single games and advantage to the best placed-team in the league. The final would have been played in a neutral venue – often Tokyo – to see who would have make it to J1. And we saw as well the introduction of play-outs, since relegations expanded to two possible ones with the newly-born J3. But we had to wait 2013 for that.
2012 saw immediately some surprises. Ventforet Kofu dominated the league, Shonan Bellmare came second, and the Kyoto Sanga missed promotion for one point. With them, Yokohama FC, JEF United Chiba, and Oita Trinita took part into the play-offs. With great surprise of everyone, Oita won 4-0 in Kyoto and then defeated JEF 1-0 in the grand final – not only that: both favourites team lost the semifinals 4-0 at home.
And if 2012 couldn’t allow play-outs – Nagano Parceiro didn’t have then a license for J2 -, it happened in 2013. Back then, Gainare Tottori came last and had to face Kamatamare Sanuki for a spot in the next year’s J2. 1-1 in Kagawa, then Sanuki snatched a 1-0 win in Tottori to get their place in the second division – incredibly, they’ll get a hold of that spot for FIVE years.
2013-23: The Classics
When we think about play-offs and play-outs in J2, we need to pick some classics:
1. 2012, Kyoto Sanga v. Oita Trinita 0-4 (SF)
Yasuhito Morishima destroying the opponents’ defence by scoring a poker. As today, Morishima is still the all-time top scorer of the J2 playoffs.
2. 2014, Júbilo Iwata v. Montedio Yamagata 1-2 (SF)
Just like Oita Trinita, Montedio Yamagata got sixth in 2014 and won the playoffs… and they overcame Iwata with a stoppage time goal by goalkeeper Norihiro Yamagishi. A header that didn’t leave any chance.
3. 2016, Matsumoto Yamaga v. Fagiano Okayama 1-2 (SF)
Fagiano qualified this year for their second play-offs appearance, but their first was memorable. They snatched a play-offs spot as sixth and then defeated surprisingly Yamaga away with a stoppage time-goal by Shingo Akamine – the same Matsumoto who was in the Top 2 that season for HALF of the year. Top bottling job.
4. 2018, Yokohama FC v. Tokyo Verdy 0-1 (SF)
Semifinals are always more fun, aren’t they? Tokyo Verdy reached sixth place and then defeated both Omiya Ardija and Yokohama FC – unfortunately, J1 had advantage for the 16th placed team, and Iwata avoided the drop by defeating Verdy 2-0 at home. Nevertheless, Naoki Kamifukumoto almost scoring and basically creating Douglas Vieira’s goal was something.
5. 2023, Tokyo Verdy v. Shimizu S-Pulse 1-1 (F)
Finally a final! The last moment slip by Yuji Takahashi forced Shimizu S-Pulse to another year of J2 – with a goal from the penalty spot by Itsuki Someno. Now they’re out, and they’ll find again Tokyo Verdy, who came back to J1 after a long drought and had a wonderful 2024.
We didn’t have too many play-outs, but we’d still highlight one moment in particular:
2014, Kamatamare Sanuki v. Nagano Parceiro 1-0 (2nd Leg)
If Nagano Parceiro can fail at something, they will, won’t they? In 2014, after coming second in the inaugural J3 season, they had to face Kamatamare Sanuki in a two legged-context. They had the upper hand squad-wise, but it wasn’t enough – as Sanuki won with a goal from club-legend Ryosuke Kijima.
2024: The Status
J3 will see a new time – we’re gonna witness both play-offs and play-outs for the first time. Matsumoto Yamaga will have the uncomfortable record of becoming the first team ever in Japanese football to have played play-offs in two different leagues, while it’s a first time for Kataller Toyama, FC Osaka, and Fukushima United FC. Yamaga will square off against Fukushima, while Kataller will host the Osaka-bound side.
At the same time, Iwate Grulla Morioka – yeah, the same squad who played in the second tier just two years ago – got relegated to JFL with an infamous season. And YSCC Yokohama – the squad which we often identify with the J3 League – could go down. They faced a double-legged play-out against Kochi United SC: if they make it, it would bring a new prefecture to the pro-world.
We don’t wanna do any forecast, although this page has some clear beloved options – Yamaga for J2, Kochi to make it in the JFL. Just enjoy the ride, because the play-offs are an unpredictable tool to use, and the play-outs give a lifeline to terrible seasons (YSCC can still avoid relegation, and Kochi can still avoid calling this season a bottle job – they were first for most of the season in the JFL).
You’re all witness to history – please enjoy it.
