J.League awards
# J.League awards

The J.League awards are represented by a ceremony, which is hosted every year in December, at the end of the season. This ceremony was inducted to award the best players of J.League. To win this award, the nominees had to play at least 17 matches of the season. All awards are updated to 2021.

## Player of the Year

The J.League Player of the Year (formerly known as the "J.League Most Valuable Player Award" from 1993 to 2020) is awarded by the J.League to the most valuable player of the season.

| Year | Footballer | Club | Nationality |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1993 | Kazuyoshi Miura | Verdy Kawasaki | Japan |
| 1994 | Pereira | Verdy Kawasaki | Brazil |
| 1995 | Dragan Stojković | Nagoya Grampus Eight | FR Yugoslavia |
| 1996 | Jorginho | Kashima Antlers | Brazil |
| 1997 | Dunga | Júbilo Iwata | Brazil |
| 1998 | Masashi Nakayama | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| 1999 | Alessandro Santos | Shimizu S-Pulse | Japan |
| 2000 | Shunsuke Nakamura | Yokohama F. Marinos | Japan |
| 2001 | Toshiya Fujita | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| 2002 | Naohiro Takahara | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| 2003 | Emerson | Urawa Red Diamonds | Brazil |
| 2004 | Yuji Nakazawa | Yokohama F. Marinos | Japan |
| 2005 | Araújo | Gamba Osaka | Brazil |
| 2006 | Marcus Tulio Tanaka | Urawa Red Diamonds | Japan |
| 2007 | Robson Ponte | Urawa Red Diamonds | Brazil |
| 2008 | Marquinhos | Kashima Antlers | Brazil |
| 2009 | Mitsuo Ogasawara | Kashima Antlers | Japan |
| 2010 | Seigo Narazaki | Nagoya Grampus | Japan |
| 2011 | Leandro Domingues | Kashiwa Reysol | Brazil |
| 2012 | Hisato Satō | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |
| 2013 | Shunsuke Nakamura | Yokohama F. Marinos | Japan |
| 2014 | Yasuhito Endō | Gamba Osaka | Japan |
| 2015 | Toshihiro Aoyama | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |
| 2016 | Kengo Nakamura | Kawasaki Frontale | Japan |
| 2017 | Yū Kobayashi | Kawasaki Frontale | Japan |
| 2018 | Akihiro Ienaga | Kawasaki Frontale | Japan |
| 2019 | Teruhito Nakagawa | Yokohama F. Marinos | Japan |
| 2020 | Michael Olunga | Kashiwa Reysol | Kenya |
| 2021 | Leandro Damião | Kawasaki Frontale | Brazil |
| 2022 | Tomoki Iwata | Yokohama F. Marinos | Japan |

## Top scorer

The J.League Top Scorer is awarded by the J.League to the top scoring player of the season.

Only five players won this award twice: Masashi Nakayama, Ryoichi Maeda, Joshua Kennedy and Yoshito Okubo. Other four players won both the top-scorer award and the one for Most Valuable Player: Masashi Nakayama in 1998, Naohiro Takahara in 2002, Marquinhos in 2008, Hisato Sato in 2012 and Yu Kobayashi in 2017.

| Year | Player | Goals | Club | Nationality |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1993 | Ramón Díaz | 28 | Yokohama Marinos | Argentina |
| 1994 | Frank Ordenewitz | 30 | JEF United Ichihara | Germany |
| 1995 | Masahiro Fukuda | 32 | Urawa Red Diamonds | Japan |
| 1996 | Kazuyoshi Miura | 23 | Verdy Kawasaki | Japan |
| 1997 | Patrick Mboma | 25 | Gamba Osaka | Cameroon |
| 1998 | Masashi Nakayama | 36 | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| 1999 | Hwang Sun-Hong | 24 | Cerezo Osaka | South Korea |
| 2000 | Masashi Nakayama | 20 | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| 2001 | Will | 24 | Consadole Sapporo | Brazil |
| 2002 | Naohiro Takahara | 26 | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| 2003 | Ueslei | 22 | Nagoya Grampus Eight | Brazil |
| 2004 | Emerson | 27 | Urawa Red Diamonds | Brazil |
| 2005 | Araújo | 33 | Gamba Osaka | Brazil |
| 2006 | Washington | 26 | Urawa Red Diamonds | Brazil |
| 2006 | Magno Alves | 26 | Gamba Osaka | Brazil |
| 2007 | Juninho | 22 | Kawasaki Frontale | Brazil |
| 2008 | Marquinhos | 21 | Kashima Antlers | Brazil |
| 2009 | Ryoichi Maeda | 20 | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| 2010 | Ryoichi Maeda | 17 | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| 2010 | Joshua Kennedy | 17 | Nagoya Grampus | Australia |
| 2011 | Joshua Kennedy | 19 | Nagoya Grampus | Australia |
| 2012 | Hisato Satō | 22 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |
| 2013 | Yoshito Ōkubo | 26 | Kawasaki Frontale | Japan |
| 2014 | Yoshito Ōkubo | 18 | Kawasaki Frontale | Japan |
| 2015 | Yoshito Ōkubo | 23 | Kawasaki Frontale | Japan |
| 2016 | Peter Utaka | 19 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Nigeria |
| 2016 | Leandro | 19 | Vissel Kobe | Brazil |
| 2017 | Yū Kobayashi | 23 | Kawasaki Frontale | Japan |
| 2018 | Jô | 24 | Nagoya Grampus | Brazil |
| 2019 | Teruhito Nakagawa | 15 | Yokohama F. Marinos | Japan |
| 2019 | Marcos Júnior | 15 | Yokohama F. Marinos | Brazil |
| 2020 | Michael Olunga | 28 | Kashiwa Reysol | Kenya |
| 2021 | Leandro Damião | 23 | Kawasaki Frontale | Brazil |
| 2021 | Daizen Maeda | 23 | Yokohama F. Marinos | Japan |
| 2022 | Thiago Santana | 14 | Shimizu S-Pulse | Brazil |

## Best Young Player

The J.League Best Young Player (formerly known as the "J.League Rookie of the Year" from 1993 to 2019) is awarded by the J.League to the most outstanding rookie of the season. To be considered a rookie, there are some criteria to meet:

* a player must be in his first professional year of football (domestically or abroad);
* a player must have played more than half of the season;
* in date 2 April of the incumbent season, he has to be under 21 years old;
* whoever has already won this award, he's excluded from running for it again.

The youngest-ever winner is Takayuki Morimoto: he won the award in 2004 at the age of 16.

Players names shown in bold were also named in the best eleven for that season.

| Year | Footballer | Club | Position | Nationality |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1993 | Masaaki Sawanobori | Shimizu S-Pulse | MF | Japan |
| 1994 | Kazuaki Tasaka | Bellmare Hiratsuka | MF | Japan |
| 1995 | Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi | Yokohama Marinos | GK | Japan |
| 1996 | Toshihide Saito | Shimizu S-Pulse | DF | Japan |
| 1997 | Atsushi Yanagisawa | Kashima Antlers | FW | Japan |
| 1998 | Shinji Ono | Urawa Red Diamonds | MF | Japan |
| 1999 | Yuji Nakazawa | Verdy Kawasaki | DF | Japan |
| 2000 | Kazuyuki Morisaki | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | DF | Japan |
| 2001 | Koji Yamase | Consadole Sapporo | MF | Japan |
| 2002 | Keisuke Tsuboi | Urawa Red Diamonds | DF | Japan |
| 2003 | Daisuke Nasu | Yokohama F. Marinos | DF | Japan |
| 2004 | Takayuki Morimoto | Tokyo Verdy 1969 | FW | Japan |
| 2005 | Robert Cullen | Júbilo Iwata | FW | Japan |
| 2006 | Jungo Fujimoto | Shimizu S-Pulse | MF | Japan |
| 2007 | Takanori Sugeno | Yokohama FC | GK | Japan |
| 2008 | Yoshizumi Ogawa | Nagoya Grampus | MF | Japan |
| 2009 | Kazuma Watanabe | Yokohama F. Marinos | FW | Japan |
| 2010 | Takashi Usami | Gamba Osaka | MF | Japan |
| 2011 | Hiroki Sakai | Kashiwa Reysol | DF | Japan |
| 2012 | Gaku Shibasaki | Kashima Antlers | MF | Japan |
| 2013 | Takumi Minamino | Cerezo Osaka | FW | Japan |
| 2014 | Caio | Kashima Antlers | MF | Brazil |
| 2015 | Takuma Asano | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | FW | Japan |
| 2016 | Yosuke Ideguchi | Gamba Osaka | MF | Japan |
| 2017 | Yuta Nakayama | Kashiwa Reysol | DF | Japan |
| 2018 | Hiroki Abe | Kashima Antlers | MF | Japan |
| 2019 | Ao Tanaka | Kawasaki Frontale | MF | Japan |
| 2020 | Ayumu Seko | Cerezo Osaka | DF | Japan |
| 2021 | Ryotaro Araki | Kashima Antlers | MF | Japan |
| 2022 | Mao Hosoya | Kashiwa Reysol | FW | Japan |

## Manager of the year

The J.League Manager of the Year is an annual award given to one manager by the J.League based on their performance during the season. In the past, the award usually went to the manager of the champions, though this has varied somewhat over the years. From 2017, the award was modified so that the Manager of the J.League champion wins the J.League Champion Manager of the Year, and a separate J.League Manager of the Year award is given to a Manager from each of the J.Leagues (J1, J2 and J3). The list below reflects the award for J1 League Manager of the Year award only.

| Year | Manager | Club | Nationality |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1993 | Yasutaro Matsuki | Verdy Kawasaki | Japan |
| 1994 | Yasutaro Matsuki | Verdy Kawasaki | Japan |
| 1995 | Arsène Wenger | Nagoya Grampus Eight | France |
| 1996 | Nicanor | Kashiwa Reysol | Brazil |
| 1997 | João Carlos | Kashima Antlers | Brazil |
| 1998 | Osvaldo Ardiles | Shimizu S-Pulse | Argentina |
| 1999 | Steve Perryman | Shimizu S-Pulse | England |
| 2000 | Akira Nishino | Kashiwa Reysol | Japan |
| 2001 | Masakazu Suzuki | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| 2002 | Masakazu Suzuki | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| 2003 | Takeshi Okada | Yokohama F. Marinos | Japan |
| 2004 | Takeshi Okada | Yokohama F. Marinos | Japan |
| 2005 | Akira Nishino | Gamba Osaka | Japan |
| 2006 | Guido Buchwald | Urawa Red Diamonds | Germany |
| 2007 | Oswaldo de Oliveira | Kashima Antlers | Brazil |
| 2008 | Oswaldo de Oliveira | Kashima Antlers | Brazil |
| 2009 | Oswaldo de Oliveira | Kashima Antlers | Brazil |
| 2010 | Dragan Stojković | Nagoya Grampus | Serbia |
| 2011 | Nelsinho Baptista | Kashiwa Reysol | Brazil |
| 2012 | Hajime Moriyasu | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |
| 2013 | Hajime Moriyasu | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |
| 2014 | Kenta Hasegawa | Gamba Osaka | Japan |
| 2015 | Hajime Moriyasu | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |
| 2016 | Masatada Ishii | Kashima Antlers | Japan |
| 2017 | Yoon Jong-hwan | Cerezo Osaka | South Korea |
| 2018 | Mihailo Petrović | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | Serbia |
| 2019 | Tomohiro Katanosaka | Oita Trinita | Japan |
| 2020 | Tsuneyasu Miyamoto | Gamba Osaka | Japan |
| 2021 | Ricardo Rodríguez | Urawa Red Diamonds | Spain |
| 2022 | Michael Skibbe | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Germany |

## Goal of the Year

### J1 League winners

| Season | Player | Club | Nationality |
| - | - | - | - |
| 2013 | | | |
| 2014 | | | |
| 2015 | | | |
| 2016 | | | |
| 2017 | | | |
| 2018 | | | |
| 2019 | | | |
| 2020 | | | |
| 2021 | | | |
| 2022 | Takumu Kawamura | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |

## Fair Play Award

The goal is to be under the 1 point-media to win the award. For J.League the limit is 34, while in J.League 2 and J3 League the limit is respectively 42 and 33. In bold the winners of Prince Takamado Cup.

| Year | J1-winning team | J2-winning team | J3-winning team |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1993 | not assigned | League non-existing | League non-existing |
| 1994 | not assigned | League non-existing | League non-existing |
| 1995 | not assigned | League non-existing | League non-existing |
| 1996 | not assigned | League non-existing | League non-existing |
| 1997 | Vissel Kobe | League non-existing | League non-existing |
| 1998 | not assigned | League non-existing | League non-existing |
| 1999 | not assigned | not assigned | League non-existing |
| 2000 | not assigned | not assigned | League non-existing |
| 2001 | not assigned | not assigned | League non-existing |
| 2002 | not assigned | not assigned | League non-existing |
| 2003 | not assigned | not assigned | League non-existing |
| 2004 | not assigned | not assigned | League non-existing |
| 2005 | not assigned | not assigned | League non-existing |
| 2006 | not assigned | not assigned | League non-existing |
| 2007 | Gamba Osaka | not assigned | League non-existing |
| 2008 | Shimizu S-Pulse, Gamba Osaka | Vegalta Sendai | League non-existing |
| 2009 | Júbilo Iwata, Montedio Yamagata | Vegalta Sendai | League non-existing |
| 2010 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Montedio Yamagata, Yokohama F. Marinos | not assigned | League non-existing |
| 2011 | Gamba Osaka, Montedio Yamagata | FC Tokyo | League non-existing |
| 2012 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Kawasaki Frontale | not assigned | League non-existing |
| 2013 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Vegalta Sendai | Gamba Osaka, Vissel Kobe, Matsumoto Yamaga, Fagiano Okayama | League non-existing |
| 2014 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Vegalta Sendai, Urawa Red Diamonds, Yokohama F. Marinos, Albirex Niigata, Tokushima Vortis | Montedio Yamagata, Thespakusatsu Gunma, Shonan Bellmare, Matsumoto Yamaga, Júbilo Iwata, Kyoto Sanga, Fagiano Okayama, Giravanz Kitakyushu | Fukushima United, Fujieda MYFC, Nagano Parceiro |
| 2015 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Montedio Yamagata, Kawasaki Frontale, Yokohama F. Marinos, Ventforet Kofu, Matsumoto Yamaga, Gamba Osaka, Sagan Tosu | Zweigen Kanazawa, Fagiano Okayama, Tokushima Vortis, Ehime FC, Giravanz Kitakyushu | Grulla Morioka, Blaublitz Akita, Nagano Parceiro |
| 2016 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Urawa Red Diamonds, Sagan Tosu, Kashima Antlers, Kawasaki Frontale | Shimizu S-Pulse, Giravanz Kitakyushu, Tokushima Vortis, Thespakusatsu Gunma, Fagiano Okayama | Grulla Morioka, YSCC Yokohama, Oita Trinita, Fujieda MYFC |
| 2017 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Vegalta Sendai, Cerezo Osaka, FC Tokyo, Sagan Tosu, Kawasaki Frontale, Gamba Osaka, Júbilo Iwata | Oita Trinita, Matsumoto Yamaga FC, Ehime FC, Tokyo Verdy, Fagiano Okayama, Montedio Yamagata, Zweigen Kanazawa | Blaublitz Akita, Azul Claro Numazu, YSCC Yokohama, Cerezo Osaka U-23, Grulla Morioka, Nagano Parceiro, Fukushima United FC |
| 2018 | Cerezo Osaka, Urawa Red Diamonds, Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Oita Trinita | Blaublitz Akita |
| 2019 | FC Tokyo, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Oita Trinita | Fagiano Okayama | Cerezo Osaka U-23 |
| 2020 | Oita Trinita, Kawasaki Frontale, Gamba Osaka | Giravanz Kitakyushu | Blaublitz Akita |
| 2021 | Kawasaki Frontale, Urawa Red Diamonds, Oita Trinita | Montedio Yamagata | Gainare Tottori |
| 2022 | Urawa Red Diamonds, Vissel Kobe, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Nagoya Grampus, Cerezo Osaka, Shonan Bellmare, FC Tokyo | Albirex Niigata, Omiya Ardija, V-Varen Nagasaki, Thespakusatsu Gunma, Ventforet Kofu, Fagiano Okayama, JEF United Chiba, Roasso Kumamoto, Tokyo Verdy, Zweigen Kanazawa, Blaublitz Akita, Oita Trinita, Yokohama FC, Montedio Yamagata | Kataller Toyama, Vanraure Hachinohe, Tegevajaro Miyazaki, Iwaki FC, Kamatamare Sanuki, Fukushima United, Azul Claro Numazu, Ehime FC, Gainare Tottori, Giravanz Kitakyushu |

## Individual Fair Play Award

This award was established since 1996.

| Year | Footballer | Position | Club | Nationality |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1996 | Masayuki Okano | FW | Urawa Reds | Japan |
| 1997 | Akihiro Nagashima | FW | Vissel Kobe | Japan |
| 1998 | Naoki Soma | DF | Kashima Antlers | Japan |
| 1999 | Not assigned | Not assigned | Not assigned | Not assigned |
| 2000 | Atsushi Yoneyama | DF | Tokyo Verdy | Japan |
| 2001 | Yuta Minami | GK | Kashiwa Reysol | Japan |
| 2002 | Keisuke Tsuboi | DF | Urawa Reds | Japan |
| 2003 | Yuichi Nemoto | DF | Vegalta Sendai | Japan |
| 2003 | Hitoshi Sogahata | GK | Kashima Antlers | Japan |
| 2003 | Naohiro Ishikawa | MF | FC Tokyo | Japan |
| 2003 | Shohei Ikeda | DF | Shimizu S-Pulse | Japan |
| 2004 | Takashi Shimoda | GK | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |
| 2004 | Yoshinari Takagi | GK | Yokohama F. Marinos | Japan |
| 2005 | Teruyuki Moniwa | DF | FC Tokyo | Japan |
| 2005 | Masashi Oguro | FW | Gamba Osaka | Japan |
| 2006 | Satoru Yamagishi | MF | JEF United Chiba | Japan |
| 2006 | Yuichi Nemoto | DF | Oita Trinita | Japan |
| 2007 | Daisuke Sakata | FW | Yokohama F. Marinos | Japan |
| 2007 | Hisato Sato | FW | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |
| 2007 | Teruyoshi Ito | MF | Shimizu S-Pulse | Japan |
| 2008 | Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi | GK | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| 2009 | Eiji Kawashima | GK | Kawasaki Frontale | Japan |
| 2009 | Kota Hattori | MF | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |
| 2010 | Tomoaki Makino | DF | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |
| 2011 | Ryang Yong-gi | MF | Vegalta Sendai | North Korea |
| 2011 | Kosuke Ota | DF | Shimizu S-Pulse | Japan |
| 2012 | Hisato Satō | FW | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |
| 2013 | Yoichiro Kakitani | FW | Cerezo Osaka | Japan |
| 2013 | Hisato Satō | FW | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |
| 2014 | Shusaku Nishikawa | GK | Urawa Reds | Japan |
| 2014 | Masato Kudo | FW | Kashiwa Reysol | Japan |
| 2014 | Ryota Morioka | MF | Vissel Kobe | Japan |
| 2014 | Yohei Toyoda | FW | Sagan Tosu | Japan |
| 2014 | Hiroki Mizumoto | DF | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |
| 2014 | Yasuhiro Hiraoka | DF | Shimizu S-Pulse | Japan |
| 2015 | Shogo Taniguchi | MF | Kawasaki Frontale | Japan |
| 2015 | Yuji Nakazawa | DF | Yokohama F. Marinos | Japan |
| 2016 | Yota Akimoto | GK | FC Tokyo | Japan |
| 2016 | Yūsuke Tanaka | MF | Ventforet Kofu | Japan |
| 2017 | Yuji Nakazawa | DF | Yokohama F. Marinos | Japan |
| 2017 | Yoichiro Kakitani | FW | Cerezo Osaka | Japan |
| 2017 | Hiroki Mizumoto | DF | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Japan |
| 2018 | Shusaku Nishikawa | GK | Urawa Reds | Japan |
| 2018 | Yota Akimoto | GK | Shonan Bellmare | Japan |
| 2018 | Takashi Sawada | FW | V-Varen Nagasaki | Japan |
| 2019 | Not assigned | Not assigned | Not assigned | Not assigned |
| 2020 | Hotaru Yamaguchi | MF | Vissel Kobe | Japan |
| 2021 | Miki Yamane | DF | Kawasaki Frontale | Japan |
| 2022 | Not assigned | Not assigned | Not assigned | Not assigned |

## Referees of the Year

| Year | Referee | Assistant Referee |
| - | - | - |
| 2013 | Yuichi Nishimura | Toru Sagara |
| 2014 | Yuichi Nishimura | Toru Sagara |
| 2015 | Yuichi Nishimura | Toru Sagara |
| 2016 | Yuichi Nishimura | Toshiyuki Nagi |
| 2017 | Yuichi Nishimura | Toru Sagara |
| 2018 | Ryuji Sato | Hiroshi Yamauchi |
| 2019 | Yuichi Nishimura | Shinji Ochi |
| 2020 | Yuichi Nishimura | Yosuke Takebe |
| 2021 | Jumpei Iida | Isao Nishihashi |
| 2022 | Ryuji Sato | Takumi Takagi |
