Sports (Soccer)

On July 1, 1991 the Japan Soccer Association and the professional soccer league started preparations and officially announced the establishment of a professional league officially termed "Japan Soccer League" (J-League) for spring 1993. On November 1 of the same year the Japanese Professional Soccer League Corporation was founded.
The professional Japanese soccer league has been termed in English "Japanese Professional Football League". While the Japanese expression preserved the familiar term "soccer", the internationally and universally used term "football" has been chosen for the English expression.
Similar to the German "Bundesliga" and the Italian "Selie" the Japanese league also chose the capital letter of Japan and termed its professional league the now well known "J-League".
With the J-League Japanese teams reached such a high level, that they now participate in the Olympics, the World Cup and many international matches throughout worldwide. Also, aiming at a rapid increase in the amateur soccer population, soccer is now managed and promoted, including adolescent soccer teams, home town systems and clubs, to promote its regional spread.
The children enjoying soccer in Japan play the game according to a global "common language". This also helps to widen the international horizons. With this vision in mind the J-League" continues its activities.

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The J-League Teams

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Presently the J-League includes 16 teams. Each team attaches great importance to its home town and builds the team in close relationship with the local people. Thus, the level of these teams may be expected to rise, while building a national network.
Each team tries to improve its competitiveness and has many top players from abroad playing on the team. Top class Japanese athletes have reached the level of world class players and already participated in the World Cup or the Olympics. Always having these top players in the neighborhood is also a major fun aspect of the J-League.

1	Kashima Antlers	Ibaragi Prefecture, Kashima City, centering around Kamisu Town, Namisaki Town and adjoining areas.
2	Kashiwa Reysol	Chiba Prefecture, Kashiwa City
3	Jef United Ichihara	Chiba Prefecture, Ichihara City
4	Urawa Red Diamonds	Saitama Prefecture, Urawa City
5	Verdy Kawasaki	Kanagawa Prefecture, Kawasaki City
6	Yokohama Marinos	Kanagawa Prefecture, Yokohama City
7	Yokohama Flugels	Kanagawa Prefecture, Yokohama City * Regions of special activities: Kyushu area (Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Kagoshima Prefecture)
8	Bellmare Hiratsuka	Kanagawa Prefecture, Hiratsuka City
9	Shimizu S-Pulse	Shizuoka Prefecture, Shimizu City
10	Jubilo Iwata	Shizuoka Prefecture, Iwata City
11	Nagoya Grampus	Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya City
12	Kyoto Purple Sanga	Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto City
13	Cerezo Osaka	Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City
14	Gamba Osaka	Osaka Prefecture, Suita City
15	Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C.	Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima City
16	Avispa Fukuoka	Fukuoka Prefecture, Fukuoka City

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