2015 in Japanese football

2015 season

Japanese football in 2015.

J1 League

• Main article : 2015 J1 League

Template:Fb team Sanfrecce won the Clausura title, accumulating the most points in the overall table and thus getting a bye to the Championship final, where they met third-place Template:Fb team Gamba, who had defeated Apertura champions Template:Fb team Red Diamonds in the semifinal. Hiroshima won the two-legged final for their eighth overall Japanese title, regaining the record position they had set in 1970 and which they had held until the old Japan Soccer League folded.

Template:Fb team S-Pulse was relegated to the second tier for the first time, after being one of the co-founders of the J. League back in 1993 (a placement that was deemed questionable in many quarters due to their lack of JSL record). Following after cameo appearances were Template:Fb team Montedio, in their fourth season, and Template:Fb team Yamaga, who was debuting in the top flight only four years after being promoted from what was the third tier at the time, the Japan Football League.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Urawa Red Diamonds (Q)	17	12	5	0	39	17	+22	41	Qualification to J.League Championship Stage
2	FC Tokyo	17	11	2	4	24	18	+6	35
3	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	17	10	4	3	29	16	+13	34
4	Gamba Osaka	17	9	5	3	24	13	+11	32
5	Kawasaki Frontale	17	9	3	5	32	26	+6	30
6	Yokohama F. Marinos	17	7	5	5	21	17	+4	26
7	Vegalta Sendai	17	6	5	6	27	20	+7	23
8	Kashima Antlers	17	6	4	7	27	25	+2	22
9	Nagoya Grampus	17	6	4	7	18	18	0	22
10	Shonan Bellmare	17	6	4	7	20	24	−4	22
11	Sagan Tosu	17	5	5	7	22	32	−10	20
12	Ventforet Kofu	17	6	2	9	12	22	−10	20
13	Vissel Kobe	17	4	7	6	17	19	−2	19
14	Kashiwa Reysol	17	4	6	7	22	25	−3	18
15	Matsumoto Yamaga	17	4	3	10	17	26	−9	15
16	Montedio Yamagata	17	3	5	9	14	24	−10	14
17	Albirex Niigata	17	3	5	9	20	33	−13	14
18	Shimizu S-Pulse	17	3	4	10	22	32	−10	13

Updated to match(es) played on 27 June 2015. Source: Meiji Yasuda J1 League Standings
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Q)	17	13	1	3	44	14	+30	40	Qualification to J.League Championship Stage
2	Kashima Antlers	17	12	1	4	30	16	+14	37
3	Gamba Osaka	17	9	4	4	32	24	+8	31
4	Urawa Red Diamonds	17	9	4	4	30	23	+7	31
5	Yokohama F. Marinos	17	8	5	4	24	15	+9	29
6	FC Tokyo	17	8	4	5	21	15	+6	28
7	Kawasaki Frontale	17	8	3	6	30	22	+8	27
8	Kashiwa Reysol	17	8	3	6	24	18	+6	27
9	Shonan Bellmare	17	7	5	5	20	20	0	26
10	Nagoya Grampus	17	7	3	7	26	30	−4	24
11	Albirex Niigata	17	5	5	7	21	25	−4	20
12	Sagan Tosu	17	4	8	5	15	22	−7	20
13	Vissel Kobe	17	6	1	10	27	30	−3	19
14	Ventforet Kofu	17	4	5	8	14	21	−7	17
15	Matsumoto Yamaga	17	3	4	10	13	28	−15	13
16	Vegalta Sendai	17	3	3	11	17	28	−11	12
17	Shimizu S-Pulse	17	2	6	9	15	33	−18	12
18	Montedio Yamagata	17	1	7	9	10	29	−19	10

Updated to match(es) played on 22 November 2015. Source: Meiji Yasuda J1 League 2nd Stage Standings
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Sanfrecce Hiroshima (C)	34	23	5	6	73	30	+43	74	Club World Cup, Champions League group stage and J.League Championship Final
2	Urawa Red Diamonds	34	21	9	4	69	40	+29	72	Champions League group stage and J.League Championship 1st Round
3	Gamba Osaka	34	18	9	7	56	37	+19	63
4	FC Tokyo	34	19	6	9	45	33	+12	63	Champions League qualifying play-off
5	Kashima Antlers	34	18	5	11	57	41	+16	59
6	Kawasaki Frontale	34	17	6	11	62	48	+14	57
7	Yokohama F. Marinos	34	15	10	9	45	32	+13	55
8	Shonan Bellmare	34	13	9	12	40	44	−4	48
9	Nagoya Grampus	34	13	7	14	44	48	−4	46
10	Kashiwa Reysol	34	12	9	13	46	43	+3	45
11	Sagan Tosu	34	9	13	12	37	54	−17	40
12	Vissel Kobe	34	10	8	16	44	49	−5	38
13	Ventforet Kofu	34	10	7	17	26	43	−17	37
14	Vegalta Sendai	34	9	8	17	44	48	−4	35
15	Albirex Niigata	34	8	10	16	41	58	−17	34
16	Matsumoto Yamaga (R)	34	7	7	20	30	54	−24	28	Relegation to 2016 J2 League
17	Shimizu S-Pulse (R)	34	5	10	19	37	65	−28	25
18	Montedio Yamagata (R)	34	4	12	18	24	53	−29	24

Updated to match(es) played on 28 November 2015. Source: Meiji Yasuda J1 League Standings
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:

J2 League

• Main article : 2015 J2 League

Template:Fb team Ardija won the title and returned to the top flight at the first attempt. Template:Fb team Jubilo followed after two years of second-tier football. In the playoffs, Template:Fb team Avispa survived the final against fourth-placed Template:Fb team Cerezo with a draw and was promoted, putting an end to four years of second-tier wilderness.

At the bottom, Template:Fb team Tochigi SC were relegated after 6 years in the second division, while Template:Fb team Trinita had the most shocking downfall, being a former J. League Cup winner and having played first-tier football only two seasons before, and losing a test-match series to Template:Fb team Zelvia. Template:2015 J2 League table

J3 League

• Main article : 2015 J3 League

Only one season after being promoted from the fourth-tier JFL, Template:Fb team Renofa won the third tier at the first attempt. Template:Fb team Zelvia settled for second place but won the test match series easily against a crestfallen Template:Fb team Trinita.

There was no relegation from this division, but the Japan Football Association folded the U-22 team. Template:2015 J3 League table

Japan Football League

• Main article : 2015 Japan Football League

Template:Fb team Vanraure won the Apertura title and an entry to the 2015 Emperor's Cup but fell in the Clausura stage to eventual winner Template:Fb team Sony as well as to Template:Fb team Kagoshima Utd, who won fourth-place overall, good enough for promotion to the J3 League.

There was no relegation, but Template:Fb team Printing K withdrew after the season. They will be replaced by Regional Promotion Series finalists ReinMeer Aomori and Template:Fb team Briobecca. Template:2015 Japan Football League table