| Japanese Regional Leagues | |
| Pixels: | 150px |
| Country: | Japan |
| Confed: | AFC (Asia) |
| Founded: | (Kansai and Tokai) (Kanto) (Chugoku and Kyushu) (Hokushin'etsu) (Shikoku and Tohoku) (Hokkaido) |
| Divisions: | 5 (first level) 6 (second level) |
| Teams: | 134 |
| Promotion: | Japan Soccer League (1966–1991) Japan Football League (1992–1998) Japan Football League (1999–present) |
| Levels: | 5–6 |
| Domest Cup: | Emperor's Cup Shakaijin Cup |
| Current: | Japanese Regional Leagues |
are a group of parallel association football leagues in Japan that are organized on the regional basis. They form the fifth and sixth tier of the Japanese association football league system below the nationwide Japan Football 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:
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:
| width=25% | League ! | width=10% | Division ! | width=45% | Teams[2] ! | width=20% | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tohoku Member-of-Society Soccer League 東北社会人サッカーリーグ | Division 1 | Blancdieu Hirosaki FC | Hirosaki, Aomori | ||||
| Tsugaru, Aomori | |||||||
| Fuji Club 2003 (ja) | Hanamaki, Iwate | ||||||
| Ganju Iwate | Morioka, Iwate | ||||||
| Morioka, Iwate | |||||||
| Cobaltore Onagawa | Onagawa, Miyagi | ||||||
| Hitome Senbonzakura SUFT (ja) | Sendai, Miyagi | ||||||
| FC LA U. de Sendai (ja) | Sendai, Miyagi | ||||||
| Iwanuma, Miyagi | |||||||
| Shichigahama, Miyagi | |||||||
| Division 2 North [3] | Akita FC Cambiare | Akita, Akita | |||||
| Shichinohe, Aomori | |||||||
| Saruta Kogyo | Akita, Akita | ||||||
| TDK Shinwakai | Nikaho, Akita | ||||||
| Kuzumaki, Iwate | |||||||
| Nippon Steel Corp. Kamaishi (ja) | Kamaishi, Iwate | ||||||
| Morioka, Iwate | |||||||
| Ōshū, Iwate | |||||||
| Tono, Iwate | |||||||
| Division 2 South[4] | FC La U. de Sendai Second (ja) | Sendai, Miyagi | |||||
| Kami, Miyagi | |||||||
| Shibata, Miyagi | |||||||
| Sendai, Miyagi | |||||||
| Oyama SC | Tsuruoka, Yamagata | ||||||
| Kōriyama, Fukushima | |||||||
| Iwaki, Fukushima | |||||||
| Fukushima, Fukushima | |||||||
| Kōriyama, Fukushima | |||||||
| width=25% | League[7] ! | width=10% | Division ! | width=45% | Teams ! | width=20% | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokushinetsu Football League 北信越フットボールリーグ | Division 1 | Niigata University of Management FC (ja) | Kamo, Niigata | ||||
| Japan Soccer College | Seiro, Niigata | ||||||
| Niigata University of Health and Welfare FC (ja) | Niigata, Niigata | ||||||
| Artista Asama | Tōmi, Nagano | ||||||
| Toyama Shinjo Club | Toyama, Toyama | ||||||
| Komatsu, Ishikawa | |||||||
| Fukui United FC | Fukui, Fukui | ||||||
| Sakai, Fukui | |||||||
| Division 2[8] | CUPS Seiro | Seiro, Niigata | |||||
| NUHW FC (ja) | Niigata, Niigata | ||||||
| Shiojiri, Nagano | |||||||
| Chikuma, Nagano | |||||||
| FC Matsucelona (ja) | Matsumoto, Nagano | ||||||
| Toyama, Toyama | |||||||
| FC Hokuriku (ja) | Kanazawa, Ishikawa | ||||||
| Komatsu, Ishikawa | |||||||
| width=25% | League | width=10% | Division | width=45% | Teams[9] | width=20% | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tōkai Adult Soccer League 東海社会人サッカーリーグ | Division 1 | Fujieda City Hall SC | Fujieda, Shizuoka | ||||
| Fuji, Shizuoka and Fujinomiya, Shizuoka | |||||||
| Izu, Shizuoka | |||||||
| Shimada, Shizuoka | |||||||
| Chukyo University FC (ja) | Nagoya, Aichi | ||||||
| FC Kariya | Kariya, Aichi | ||||||
| Wyvern FC | Kariya, Aichi | ||||||
| FC Ise-Shima | Shima, Mie | ||||||
| Division 2[10] | Tokoha University FC (ja) | Hamamatsu, Shizuoka | |||||
| Kariya, Aichi | |||||||
| Chukyo Univ.FC (ja) | Toyota, Aichi | ||||||
| Tokai Gakuen University FC (ja) | Miyoshi, Aichi | ||||||
| Yatomi, Aichi | |||||||
| FC Gifu SECOND (ja) | Gifu, Gifu | ||||||
| Gifu, Gifu | |||||||
| Tsu, Mie | |||||||
| width=25% | League | width=10% | Division | width=45% | Teams[11] | width=20% | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansai Soccer League 関西サッカーリーグ | Division 1 | Lagend Shiga FC | Moriyama, Shiga | ||||
| Moriyama, Shiga | |||||||
| Hannan University Club (ja) | Matsubara, Osaka | ||||||
| Awaji Island | |||||||
| Akashi, Hyōgo | |||||||
| Cento Cuore Harima | Kakogawa, Hyogo | ||||||
| Kashihara, Nara | |||||||
| Arterivo Wakayama | Wakayama, Wakayama | ||||||
| Division 2[12] | AS Laranja Kyoto | Kyoto, Kyoto | |||||
| Kyoto, Kyoto | |||||||
| Kyoto, Kyoto | |||||||
| Kandai FC 2008 (ja) | Suita, Osaka | ||||||
| Osaka, Osaka | |||||||
| Osaka, Osaka | |||||||
| St.Andrew's FC (ja) | Izumi, Osaka | ||||||
| Kobe, Hyogo | |||||||
| width=35% | League | width=45% | Teams[14] | width=20% | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shikoku Soccer League 四国サッカーリーグ | Takamatsu, Kagawa | ||||
| Takamatsu, Kagawa | |||||
| Tadotsu, Kagawa | |||||
| FC Tokushima | Tokushima, Tokushima | ||||
| Niihama, Ehime | |||||
| KUFC Nankoku (ja) | Nankoku, Kōchi | ||||
| Kōchi, Kōchi | |||||
| Shimanto, Kōchi | |||||
| width=35% | League ! | width=45% | Teams[15] ! | width=20% | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyushu Soccer League 九州サッカーリーグ | |||||
| Fukuoka, Fukuoka | |||||
| Fukuoka, Fukuoka | |||||
| Brew Kashima | Kashima, Saga | ||||
| Kawasoe, Saga | |||||
| J-Lease FC | Oita, Oita | ||||
| Nippon Steel Oita SC (ja) | Ōita, Ōita | ||||
| FC Nobeoka Agata | Nobeoka, Miyazaki | ||||
| Veroskronos Tsuno | Tsuno, Miyazaki | ||||
| NIFS Kanoya FC (ja) | Kanoya, Kagoshima | ||||
| Naha, Okinawa | |||||