Japanese Regional Leagues

Japanese Regional Leagues (Japanese: 地域リーグ, Hepburn: Chiiki Rīgu) are a group of parallel association football leagues in Japan that are organised on the regional basis. They form the fifth and sixth tier of the Japanese association football league system below the nationwide Japan Football League.

Japanese Regional Leagues

Founded	1966; 59 years ago (1966) (Kansai and Tokai) 1967; 58 years ago (1967) (Kanto) 1973; 52 years ago (1973) (Chugoku and Kyushu) 1975; 50 years ago (1975) (Hokushin'etsu) 1977; 48 years ago (1977) (Shikoku and Tohoku) 1978; 47 years ago (1978) (Hokkaido)
Country	Japan
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Divisions	5 (first level) 6 (second level)
Number of clubs	130
Level on pyramid	5–6
Promotion to	Japan Soccer League (1966–1991) Japan Football League (1992–1998) Japan Football League (1999–present)
Relegation to	Japanese Prefectural Leagues (ja)
Domestic cup(s)	Emperor's Cup Shakaijin Cup
Current: 2026–27 Japanese Regional Leagues

Overview

Football regions in Japan:
  Hokkaido   Tōhoku   Kantō   Hokushinetsu   Tōkai   Kansai   Chūgoku   Shikoku   Kyushu
Hokkaido subdivision boundaries are by Block League.

Japan is divided regionally in a variety of ways, some of them administrative and some more historical. For football purposes, the country is divided into nine regions. All regional league champions earn the right to participate in the Regional Football League Competition (since 2016 renamed Japanese Regional Football Champions League) at the end of the year. Runners-up may also qualify according to criteria set by the Japan Football Association.

Regional league clubs also compete in the All Japan Senior Football Championship, a cup competition. The winner of this cup also earns a berth in the Regional League promotion series, and the runner-up may also qualify depending on space and JFA criteria.

Regional league clubs must win the qualifying cup in their home prefecture in order to compete in the Emperor's Cup.

Since the divisions rarely go over 10 members, the season is shorter and long summer breaks may be taken.

Among the existing Japanese clubs there are ten that have never played in the regional leagues. They are:

• Japan Soccer League co-founders Urawa Red Diamonds, JEF United Chiba, Kashiwa Reysol, Cerezo Osaka, Sanfrecce Hiroshima (listed under current names, all formed the old league in 1965);
• Independent club Shimizu S-Pulse, established as a professional club upon J. League creation in 1992;
• Sagan Tosu, took over the folded Tosu Futures in the former JFL in 1997;
• Yokohama FC, directly admitted into the Japan Football League in 1999 upon their formation;
• Kataller Toyama, formed in 2008 as a result of the fusion of JFL clubs ALO's Hokuriku and YKK AP.
• Kagoshima United FC, formed in 2014 as a result of the fusion of Kyushu League clubs Volca Kagoshima and FC Kagoshima, top two in the 2013 Regional Promotion Series, and which joined the JFL as a merged club

Additionally, the forerunners to Tosu Futures, Kashima Antlers, Avispa Fukuoka and Vissel Kobe were originally based in different regions (and won or were promoted from those regions) from where they, or their successors, are based today:

• Kashima Antlers were originally based in Kansai but moved to Kantō in 1975 after reaching the JSL;
• Tosu Futures were originally based in Tōkai but moved to Kyushu in 1994 after reaching the former JFL;
• Avispa Fukuoka was originally based in Tōkai but moved to Kyushu in 1994 after reaching the former JFL;
• Vissel Kobe was originally based in Chūgoku but moved to Kansai in 1995 after reaching the former JFL.

Regional Leagues clubs, 2025

Hokkaido Soccer League

League	Teams	Hometown
Hokkaido Soccer League 北海道サッカーリーグ	ASC Hokkaido (ja)	Tomakomai, Hokkaido
	BTOP Hokkaido	Kuriyama, Hokkaido
	Canale Otaru (ja)	Otaru City, Hokkaido
	Hokkaido Tokachi Sky Earth	Obihiro, Hokkaido
	Japan Steel Muroran (ja)	Asahikawa, Hokkaido
	Norbritz Hokkaido	Ebetsu, Hokkaido
	Sabas FC	Sapporo, Hokkaido
	Sapporo University Goal Plunderers (ja)	Sapporo, Hokkaido

Tohoku Member-of-Society Soccer League

League	Division	Teams[1]	Hometown
Tohoku Member-of-Society Soccer League 東北社会人サッカーリーグ	Division 1	Blancdieu Hirosaki	Hirosaki, Aomori
		Cobaltore Onagawa	Onagawa, Miyagi
		Fuji Club 2003 (ja)	Hanamaki, Iwate
		Ganju Iwate	Morioka, Iwate
		Hitome Senbonzakura SUFT (ja)	Sendai, Miyagi
		FC LA U. de Sendai (ja)	Sendai, Miyagi
		Michinoku Sendai (ja)	Iwanuma, Miyagi
		Sendai Sasuke (ja)	Sendai, Miyagi
		Shichigahama SC (ja)	Shichigahama, Miyagi
		Shichinohe SC (ja)	Shichinohe, Aomori
	Division 2 North [2]	Bogolle D. Tsugaru (ja)	Tsugaru, Aomori
		Morioka Zebra (ja)	Morioka, Iwate
		Saruta Kogyo	Akita, Akita
		TDK Shinwakai	Nikaho, Akita
		Nippon Steel Corp. Kamaishi (ja)	Kamaishi, Iwate
		Omiya SC (ja)	Morioka, Iwate
		Oshu United (ja)	Ōshū, Iwate
		Nu Perle Hiraizumi Maesawa	Hiraizumi, Iwate
	Division 2 South[3]	Chaneaule Koriyama (ja)	Kōriyama, Fukushima
		Iwaki Furukawa (ja)	Iwaki, Fukushima
		FC La U. de Sendai Second (ja)	Sendai, Miyagi
		Merry FC (ja)	Fukushima, Fukushima
		Parafrente Yonezawa (ja)	Yamagata
		Oyama SC	Tsuruoka, Yamagata
		Primeiro Fukushima (ja)	Kōriyama, Fukushima
		RICOH Industry Tohoku (ja)	Shibata, Miyagi

Kantō Soccer League

League	Division	Teams[4]	Hometown
Kanto Soccer League 関東サッカーリーグ	Division 1	Aries Toshima (ja)	Toshima, Tokyo
		Joyful Honda Tsukuba	Tsukuba, Ibaraki
		Nankatsu SC	Katsushika, Tokyo
		Nihon University N. (ja)	Inagi, Tokyo
		RKD Ryugasaki	Ryūgasaki, Ibaraki
		Toho Titanium SC	Chigasaki, Kanagawa
		Toin University of Yokohama FC (ja)	Yokohama, Kanagawa
		Tokyo 23	Special wards of Tokyo
		Tokyo United	Bunkyō, Tokyo
		Vonds Ichihara	Ichihara, Chiba
	Division 2 [5]	Atsugi Hayabusa FC (ja)	Atsugi, Kanagawa
		Coedo Kawagoe (ja)	Kawagoe, Saitama
		Edo All United (ja)	Chūō, Kōtō, Tokyo
		Esperanza SC (ja)	Yokohama, Kanagawa
		Hitachi Building System SC (ja)	Chiyoda, Tokyo
		Shibuya City FC (ja)	Shibuya, Tokyo
		Tokyo International University FC (ja)	Sakado, Saitama
		Tonan Maebashi	Maebashi, Gunma
		Vertfee Yaita	Yaita, Tochigi
		Yokohama Takeru (ja)	Yokohama, Kanagawa

Hokushinetsu Football League

League[6]	Division	Teams	Hometown
Hokushinetsu Football League 北信越フットボールリーグ	Division 1	Artista Asama	Tōmi, Nagano
		Fukui United	Fukui, Fukui
		FC Hokuriku (ja)	Kanazawa, Ishikawa
		Japan Soccer College	Seiro, Niigata
		Niigata University of Health and Welfare FC (ja)	Niigata, Niigata
		Niigata University of Management FC (ja)	Kamo, Niigata
		SR Komatsu (ja)	Komatsu, Ishikawa
		Toyama Shinjo Club	Toyama, Toyama
	Division 2[7]	FC Abies (ja)	Chino, Nagano
		Antelope Shiojiri (ja)	Shiojiri, Nagano
		CUPS Seiro	Seiro, Niigata
		Kanazawa Gakuin University FC (ja)	Kanazawa, Ishikawa
		FC Matsucelona (ja)	Matsumoto, Nagano
		N-Style (ja)	Toyama, Toyama
		NUHW FC (ja)	Niigata, Niigata
		Sakai Phoenix (ja)	Sakai, Fukui

Tōkai Soccer League

League	Division	Teams[8]	Hometown
Tōkai Soccer League 東海サッカーリーグ	Division 1	Chukyo University FC (ja)	Nagoya, Aichi
		Fujieda City Hall SC	Fujieda, Shizuoka
		Gakunan F. Mosuperio (ja)	Fuji, Shizuoka and Fujinomiya, Shizuoka
		FC Ise-Shima	Shima, Mie
		AS Kariya (ja)	Kariya, Aichi
		FC Kariya	Kariya, Aichi
		Vencedor Mie (ja)	Tsu, Mie
		Wyvern FC	Kariya, Aichi
	Division 2[9]	Chukyo Univ.FC (ja)	Toyota, Aichi
		FC Gifu SECOND (ja)	Gifu, Gifu
		Nagoya SC	Nagoya, Aichi
		Rajil FC Higashimikawa (ja)	Toyokawa, Toyohashi, Aichi
		Sports & Society Izu (ja)	Izu, Shizuoka
		Tokai FC (ja)	Yatomi, Aichi
		Tokai Gakuen University FC (ja)	Miyoshi, Aichi
		Yazaki Valente (ja)	Shimada, Shizuoka

Kansai Soccer League

League	Division	Teams[10]	Hometown
Kansai Soccer League 関西サッカーリーグ	Division 1	Arterivo Wakayama	Wakayama, Wakayama
		FC AWJ (ja)	Awaji Island
		FC Basara Hyogo (ja)	Akashi, Hyōgo
		Cento Cuore Harima	Kakogawa, Hyogo
		Kobe FC 1970 (ja)	Kobe, Hyogo
		Laranja Kyoto	Kyoto, Kyoto
		Moriyama Samurai 2000 (ja)	Moriyama, Shiga
		Velago Ikoma (ja)	Ikoma, Nara
	Division 2[11]	Hannan University Club (ja)	Matsubara, Osaka
		Kandai FC 2008 (ja)	Suita, Osaka
		Kyoto Shiko Club (ja)	Kyoto, Kyoto
		AC Middle Range (ja)	Osaka, Osaka
		Ococias Kyoto	Kyoto, Kyoto
		Osaka Korean FC (ja)	Osaka, Osaka
		Route 11 (ja)	Kishiwada, Osaka
		St.Andrew's FC (ja)	Izumi, Osaka

Chūgoku Soccer League

League	Teams[12]	Hometown
Chūgoku Soccer League 中国サッカーリーグ	Baleine Shimonoseki	Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi
	Banmel Tottori (ja)	Tottori, Tottori
	Belugarosso Iwami	Iwami, Shimane
	ENEOS Mizushima (ja)	Kurashiki, Okayama
	Fukuyama City FC	Fukuyama, Hiroshima
	Hatsukaichi FC (ja)	Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima
	International Pacific University FC (ja)	Okayama, Okayama
	Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima FC	Kurashiki, Okayama
	SRC Hiroshima	Hiroshima, Hiroshima
	Yonago Genki SC (ja)	Yonago, Tottori

Shikoku Soccer League

League	Teams[13]	Hometown
Shikoku Soccer League 四国サッカーリーグ	KUFC Nankoku (ja)	Nankoku, Kōchi
	Llamas Kochi (ja)	Kōchi, Kōchi
	Lvnirosso NC (ja)	Niihama, Ehime
	Alverio Takamatsu (ja)	Takamatsu, Kagawa
	Sonio Takamatsu (ja)	Takamatsu, Kagawa
	Tadotsu FC (ja)	Tadotsu, Kagawa
	FC Tokushima	Tokushima, Tokushima
	YFC Shikoku Central (ja)	Shikokuchūō, Ehime

Kyushu Soccer League

League	Teams[14]	Hometown
Kyushu Soccer League 九州サッカーリーグ
	Brew Kashima	Kashima, Saga
	FC Hakata (ja)	Fukuoka, Fukuoka
	Kawasoe Club (ja)	Kawasoe, Saga
	KMG Holdings FC (ja)	Fukuoka, Fukuoka
	J-Lease FC	Oita, Oita
	MHI Nagasaki SC (ja)	Nagasaki, Nagasaki
	NIFS Kanoya FC (ja)	Kanoya, Kagoshima
	Nippon Steel Oita SC (ja)	Ōita, Ōita
	Nobeoka Agata	Nobeoka, Miyazaki
	Veroskronos Tsuno	Tsuno, Miyazaki

See also

• Sport in Japan
  • Football in Japan
    • Women's football in Japan
• Japan Football Association (JFA)