Japanese Regional Football Champions League

History

Main article: Japanese football league system

Until 1976, the main entrance route for regional clubs to the Japan Soccer League was the All Japan Senior Football Championship, a cup competition. In 1977, to test clubs in a league environment before entrance to the league, the Japan Football Association devised this tournament.

In 1984 and 1985 more promotion places were added due to the JSL, expanding its divisions. In 1992 it began promoting clubs to the former JFL's second division and, from 1994 to 1998, to its single division. In 1999 and 2000 it added extra promotion places due to the formation and expansion of the new JFL.

Yamaha Motors (Júbilo Iwata) are, thus far, the only Regional Series champions to later become First Division champions. They are also the only club to retain the title, as they failed to be promoted in their first attempt due to losing a playoff series. Since 1980 every champion has been automatically promoted, exceptions being in 1993 (Nippon Denso/FC Kariya lost a playoff) and in 2002 (Ain Foods requested not to be promoted as they lacked the resources to compete at the national level).

Qualification

Until 2009, the number of places in the tournament was 16, distributed as follows:

• All regional league champions (9 clubs)
• Four regional leagues runners-up (4 clubs)
• University club recommended by the All Japan University Football Association (1 club)
• Club recommended by the JFA (1 club)
• Shakaijin Cup winner (1 club)
• Other clubs (other league runners-up, Shakaijin Cup runners-up or third places, etc.) (0-3 clubs) – more allowed if Shakaijin Cup holder has won a regional league or been runner-up

As of 2024, the regional leagues runners-up are no longer eligible, and the All Japan University Football Association is no longer allowed to make recommendations, reducing the number of places to 12.

• All regional league champions (9 clubs)
• Shakaijin Cup semi-finalists not qualified yet by regional league title (3 clubs)

Format

Preliminary round

The clubs are grouped in three groups of four teams, playing at a centralised venue (no home-and-away format is followed). The winners of each group and the best-ranked runners-up qualifies for the final round.

Final round

As of 2025, the four remaining teams plays in the same round-robin format, with all four teams being on a single group. The group winner guarantees promotion for the Japan Football League, whereas the second-placed team plays a promotion/relegation match against the 15th-placed JFL club. If the group winner can't or don't want to join the JFL, the group runners-up goes on to the promotion/relegation match against the bottom-ranked the JFL club. If the group runners-up or both group winners and runners-up are not eligible or don't want to join the JFL, there will be no promotion/relegation match.

Winners

Teams in bold were promoted.

Source: JFA

Wins by region

Clubs in bold compete in the J.League (any division) in the 2025 season. Clubs in italics no longer exist. A dagger (†) indicates clubs that moved away from the region after winning the title.

References

• Contents of Domestic Competition of Football in Japan