List of winners of J3 League and predecessors

Summary

A national third tier of Japanese league football was first established in 1992, as the second division of former Japan Football League, though it only lasted for two seasons. In 1999, following the establishment of J.League Division 2, a new Japan Football League was created, fulfilling the third tier until a fully professional J3 League was launched in 2014.

Japanese League (3rd tier)
(former) Japan Football League Division 2 (1992–1993)
Japan Football League (1999–2013)
J3 League (2014–present)
Country
 Japan
Founded
1992
Number of teams
20 (2024 season)
Current champions
Ehime FC (2023)
Most successful club
Honda FC (5 titles)

(former) Japan Football League Division 2 (1992–1993) edit

The old Japan Football League was established simultaneously with creation of J.League and was initially a two-level tournament but that lasted only for two inaugural seasons.

Season Winner Runner-up
Chuo Bohan Kyoto Shiko
Honda Motors PJM Futures

Japan Football League (JFL) (1999–2013) edit

With the establishment of J.League Division 2, the new Japan Football League was automatically moved a tier down the pyramid comparing to its discontinued namesake.

Season Winner Runner-up (Also) promoted
Yokohama FC Honda Motors Mito HollyHock (3rd)
Yokohama FC (2) Honda Motors
Honda Motors (2) Otsuka Pharmaceutical
Honda Motors (3) Sagawa Express Tokyo
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Honda FC
Otsuka Pharmaceutical (2) Honda FC Thespa Kusatsu (3rd)
Ehime FC YKK AP
Honda FC (4) Sagawa Express Tokyo
Sagawa Express Rosso Kumamoto FC Gifu (3rd)
Honda FC (5) Tochigi SC Kataller Toyama (3rd)
Fagiano Okayama (4th)
Sagawa Shiga (2) Yokogawa Musashino New Wave Kitakyushu (4th)
Gainare Tottori Sagawa Shiga
Sagawa Shiga (3) Nagano Parceiro Machida Zelvia (3rd)
Matsumoto Yamaga (4th)
V-Varen Nagasaki Nagano Parceiro
Nagano Parceiro Kamatamare Sanuki

Not promoted to J2
For additional promoted teams, the number in parentheses indicates their position after the end of the season.

J3 League (2014–present) edit

In 2014, J. League launched a fully professional third division.

Season Winner Runner-up
Zweigen Kanazawa Nagano Parceiro
Renofa Yamaguchi Machida Zelvia
Oita Trinita Tochigi SC
Blaublitz Akita Tochigi SC
FC Ryukyu Kagoshima United
Giravanz Kitakyushu Thespakusatsu Gunma
Blaublitz Akita (2) SC Sagamihara
Roasso Kumamoto Iwate Grulla Morioka
Iwaki FC Fujieda MYFC
Ehime FC (2) Kagoshima United

Not promoted to J2.
Not promoted to J2 due to a loss in the play-off series.

Total wins edit

Clubs in bold compete in J3 as of 2024 season. Clubs in italic no longer exist.
Years in italic indicate seasons of amateur football (former and new Japan Football League).

Club Winners Runners-up Winning seasons Runners-up seasons
Honda FC
5
4
1993, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004
Sagawa Shiga
3
1
2007, 2009, 2011 2010
Tokushima Vortis
2
1
2003, 2004 2001
Yokohama FC
2
0
1999, 2000
Ehime FC
2
0
2005, 2023
Blaublitz Akita
2
0
2017, 2020
Nagano Parceiro
1
3
2013 2011, 2012, 2014
Roasso Kumamoto
1
1
2021 2007
Avispa Fukuoka
1
0
1992
Gainare Tottori
1
0
2010
V-Varen Nagasaki
1
0
2012
Zweigen Kanazawa
1
0
2014
Renofa Yamaguchi
1
0
2015
Oita Trinita
1
0
2016
FC Ryukyu
1
0
2018
Giravanz Kitakyushu
1
0
2019
Iwaki FC
1
0
2022
Tochigi SC 0 3 2008, 2016, 2017
Sagawa Express Tokyo
0
2
2002, 2006
Kagoshima United
0
2
2018, 2023
Kyoto Sanga
0
1
1992
Tosu Futures
0
1
1993
YKK AP
0
1
2005
Tokyo Musashino United
0
1
2009
Kamatamare Sanuki
0
1
2013
Machida Zelvia
0
1
2015
Thespakusatsu Gunma
0
1
2019
SC Sagamihara
0
1
2020
Iwate Grulla Morioka
0
1
2021
Fujieda MyFC
0
1
2022

See also edit

Sources edit

  • Contents of Domestic Competition of Football in Japan