Japan Football League (1992–1998)
# Japan Football League (1992–1998)

The former Japan Football League (ジャパンフットボールリーグ, Japan Futtobōru Līgu) was an association football league that existed from 1992 to 1998. Also known as the JFL, it was the 2nd tier of the Japanese football hierarchy following J.League.

## History

When the Japan Football Association decided to found a professional football league, the Japan Soccer League (JSL), the top-flight league until the 1991/92 season, was reorganised into two newly formed leagues. One was the Japan Professional Football League as known as J. League, the first-ever professional football league in Japan. The other was the former Japan Football League.

Out of twenty eight clubs who were the members of the JSL division 1 and 2, nine along with independent Shimizu S-Pulse formed J.League, one (Yomiuri Junior) was merged with their parent club, and the other eighteen chose not to be professional, at least at that time. They played the inaugural 1992 season of the former JFL together with Osaka Gas and Seino Transportation, the top two places in the Regional League promotion series. The initial configuration was two divisions of 10 clubs each, but from 1994, the format was changed to a single division of 16 clubs.

The former JFL ceased to exist at the end of the 1998 season when J.League Division 2 was formed. Out of 16 teams who played the last season of the former JFL, 9 decided and were accepted to play in J2 and the other 7 teams joined the new JFL.

## Participating clubs

### Division 1

| Club name | First season in JFL | Seasons in JFL | Home town(s) | First season in D2 | Seasons in D2 | Last spell in D2 | Last JFL title | Current league |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Albirex Niigata | 1998 | 1 | Niigata & Seirō, Niigata | 1998 | 1 | 1998 | — | J1 |
| Omiya Ardija | 1994 | 5 | Saitama | 1987/88 | 10 | 1994–1998 | — | J2 |
| Shonan Bellmare | 1992 | 2 | Hiratsuka, Kanagawa | 1990/91 | 4 | 1990/91–1993 | 1993 | J1 |
| Fukuoka Blux | 1993 | 3 | Fukuoka | 1991/92 | 4 | 1993–1995 | 1995 | J1 |
| Brummel Sendai | 1995 | 4 | Sendai, Miyagi | 1995 | 4 | 1995–1998 | — | J2 |
| Cerezo Osaka | 1992 | 3 | Osaka, Osaka | 1991/92 | 4 | 1991/92–1994 | 1994 | J1 |
| Consadole Sapporo | 1992 | 6 | Sapporo, Hokkaido | 1978 | 17 | 1992–1997 | 1997 | J1 |
| Cosmo Oil Yokkaichi | 1994 | 3 | Yokkaichi, Mie | 1980 | 10 | 1994–1996 | — | Defunct |
| Denso | 1996 | 3 | Kariya, Aichi | 1996 | 3 | 1996–1998 | — | New JFL |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 1992 | 7 | Kawasaki, Kanagawa | 1972 | 20 | 1979–1998 | — | J1 |
| Fukushima FC | 1995 | 3 | Fukushima | 1995 | 3 | 1995–1997 | — | Defunct |
| Tosu Futures | 1994 | 3 | Tosu, Saga | 1994 | 3 | 1994–1996 | — | Defunct |
| Mito HollyHock | 1997 | 2 | Mito, Ibaraki | 1997 | 2 | 1997–1998 | — | J2 |
| Honda Motors | 1992 | 6 | Hamamatsu, Shizuoka | 1975 | 12 | 1994–1998 | 1996 | New JFL |
| Jatco SC | 1997 | 2 | Numazu, Shizuoka | 1997 | 2 | 1997–1998 | — | Defunct |
| Kokushikan University | 1998 | 1 | Machida, Tokyo | 1998 | 1 | 1998 | — | Kantō University League |
| Montedio Yamagata | 1994 | 5 | All cities/towns in Yamagata | 1994 | 5 | 1994–1998 | — | J2 |
| NKK SC | 1992 | 1 | Kawasaki, Kanagawa | 1980 | 5 | 1991/92–1992 | — | Defunct |
| Otsuka FC Vortis Tokushima | 1994 | 5 | All cities/towns in Tokushima | 1990/91 | 7 | 1994–1998 | — | J2 |
| Kyoto Purple Sanga | 1993 | 3 | Southwestern cities/towns in Kyoto | 1972 | 13 | 1993–1995 | — | J1 |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 1992 | 3 | Kashiwa, Chiba | 1987/88 | 6 | 1992–1994 | — | J1 |
| Sagan Tosu | 1997 | 2 | Tosu, Saga | 1997 | 2 | 1997–1998 | — | J1 |
| Seino Transportation | 1994 | 4 | All cities/towns in Gifu | 1985 | 7 | 1994–1997 | — | Defunct |
| Sony Sendai | 1998 | 1 | Miyagi | 1998 | 1 | 1998 | — | New JFL |
| Tokyo Gas | 1992 | 7 | Tokyo | 1991/92 | 8 | 1991/92–1998 | 1998 | J1 |
| Oita Trinity | 1996 | 3 | Ōita | 1996 | 3 | 1996–1998 | — | J2 |
| Ventforet Kofu | 1994 | 5 | All cities/towns in Yamanashi | 1972 | 25 | 1994–1998 | — | J2 |
| Vissel Kobe | 1994 | 2 | Kobe, Hyōgo | 1986/87 | 9 | 1994–1995 | — | J1 |
| Yamaha Motors | 1992 | 2 | Iwata, Shizuoka | 1979 | 4 | 1992–1993 | 1992 | J2 |

* "Seasons in D2", "Last spell in D2", and "Last D2 title" include participation in Japan Soccer League D2 and take into account seasons up to 1998, when the league ceased to exist

### Division 2

| Club name | First season in JFL D2 | Seasons in JFL D2 | Home town(s) | Last spell in JFL D2 | Current league |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Fukuoka Blux | 1992 | 1 | Fujieda, Shizuoka | 1992 | J1 |
| Cosmo Oil Yokkaichi | 1992 | 2 | Yokkaichi, Mie | 1992–1993 | Defunct |
| Honda Motors | 1993 | 1 | Hamamatsu, Shizuoka | 1993 | New JFL |
| Kawasaki Steel | 1992 | 2 | Kurashiki, Okayama | 1992–1993 | J1 (as Vissel Kobe) |
| Kofu SC | 1992 | 2 | All cities/towns in Yamanashi | 1992–1993 | J2 |
| Kyoto Shiko | 1992 | 1 | Southwestern cities/towns in Kyoto | 1992 | J1 |
| NKK SC | 1993 | 1 | Kawasaki, Kanagawa | 1993 | Defunct |
| NTT Kanto | 1992 | 2 | Saitama | 1992–1993 | J2 |
| Osaka Gas | 1992 | 1 | Osaka, Osaka | 1992 | Osaka League D1 |
| PJM Futures | 1993 | 1 | Hamamatsu, Shizuoka | 1993 | Defunct |
| Seino Transportation | 1992 | 2 | All cities/towns in Gifu | 1992–1993 | Defunct |
| Tanabe Pharmaceuticals | 1992 | 1 | Osaka, Osaka | 1992 | Defunct |
| Toho Titanium | 1992 | 2 | Chigasaki, Kanagawa | 1992–1993 | Kantō League D2 |
| Toyota Higashi-Fuji | 1993 | 1 | Shizuoka | 1993 | Defunct |

## Championship, promotion and relegation history

| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Promoted to J.League after the season | Promoted from Regional Leagues before the season | Relegated to Regional Leagues after the season |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1992 | Div. 1-Yamaha Div. 2-Chuo Bohan Fujieda | Div. 1-Hitachi Div. 2-Kyoto Shiko Club | None | Osaka Gas Seino Transportation | Tanabe Pharmaceutical S.C. Osaka Gas S.C. |
| 1993 | Div. 1-Bellmare Hiratsuka Div. 2-Honda FC | Div. 1-Júbilo Iwata Div. 2-PJM | Hiratsuka Iwata | Toyota Higashifuji PJM | Toho Titanium SC NKK F.C. (disbanded) Toyota Higashifuji (disbanded) |
| 1994 | Cerezo Osaka | Kashiwa Reysol | Cerezo Kashiwa | NEC Yamagata | None |
| 1995 | Fukuoka Blux | Kyoto Purple Sanga | Fukuoka Kyoto | Brummell Sendai Fukushima FC | None |
| 1996 | Honda FC | Vissel Kobe | Kobe | Nippon Denso Ōita F.C. | Cosmo Oil Yokkaichi (disbanded) Tosu Futures (disbanded) |
| 1997 | Consadole Sapporo | Tokyo Gas | Sapporo | Prima Ham FC Tsuchiura Jatco F.C. Sagan Tosu (new club, replaces Tosu Futures) | Fukushima FC (disbanded) Seino Transportation F.C. (disbanded) |
| 1998 | Tokyo Gas | Kawasaki Frontale | None | Albirex Niigata Sony Sendai FC, Kokushikan Univ. S.C. (recommended by Univ. Assoc.) | None |
| *The following clubs were admitted to the new J.League Division 2: Brummell Sendai (Vegalta Sendai), Montedio Yamagata, Omiya Ardija, Tokyo Gas F.C. (FC Tokyo), Kawasaki Frontale, Ventforet Kofu, Albirex Niigata, Sagan Tosu, Ōita F.C. (Oita Trinita) |||

### Most successful clubs

| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning seasons | Runners-up seasons |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Júbilo Iwata | 1 | 1 | 1992 | 1993 |
| Tokyo Gas | 1 | 1 | 1998 | 1997 |
| Bellmare Hiratsuka | 1 | 0 | 1993 | |
| Cerezo Osaka | 1 | 0 | 1994 | |
| Fukuoka Blux | 1 | 0 | 1995 | |
| Honda FC | 1 | 0 | 1996 | |
| Consadole Sapporo | 1 | 0 | 1997 | |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 0 | 2 | | 1992, 1994 |
| Kyoto Purple Sanga | 0 | 1 | | 1995 |
| Vissel Kobe | 0 | 1 | | 1996 |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 0 | 1 | | 1998 |
