# 2024 Emperor's Cup

The 2024 Emperor's Cup or the JFA 104th Japan Football Championship (Japanese: 天皇杯 JFA 第104回全日本サッカー選手権大会) was the 104th edition of the annually known contested cup. As usual it featured 88 teams representing the prefectural football associations, university football federation, J1 League, J2 League and Japan Football League.
Kawasaki Frontale were the defending champions, winning the 2023 final on penalties against Kashiwa Reysol.
On 19 September 2023, it was announced by JFA that Urawa Red Diamonds was banned from participating in this tournament following supporters clash after a 0–3 loss against Nagoya Grampus in the 4th round of the previous year's edition. For this reason, instead of one, two specially-designated amateur clubs were designated by JFA, being them 2023 Japan Football League champions Honda FC and 2023 University Championship winners Meiji University. Both teams were given a bye from prefectural qualifications, as usual.

## Calendar

The schedule for the first round to the quarter-finals was announced on 15 December 2023 in JFA's 12th Board of Directors meeting.
| Round | Date | Backup date(s) | Matches | Clubs | New entries this round |
| First round | 25–26 May | 29 May | 24 | 48 (47+1) → 24 | 1 specially designated team 47 prefectural qualification cup winners |
| Second round | 12 June | 19 June | 32 | 64 (24+20+19+1) → 32 | 19 2024 J1 League clubs 20 2024 J2 League clubs 1 specially designated team |
| Third round | 10 July | 17 July | 16 | 32 → 16 | None |
| Round of 16 | 21 August | 28 August | 8 | 16 → 8 | None |
| Quarter-finals | 18 September | 11 and 25 September | 4 | 8 → 4 | None |
| Semi-finals | 27 October | – | 2 | 4 → 2 | None |
| Final | 23 November | – | 1 | 2 → 1 | None |

## Qualifying rounds

As only J1 and J2 League clubs qualify directly for the first round, teams from outside of it who wants to qualify to the Emperor's Cup (exception being made to the JFA-seeded team), have to undergo a prefectural qualification, with regulations and schedules varying from one association to another. In total, there are 47 prefectural cup qualifications, with the winners of each prefectural cup earning their right to play in the Emperor's Cup, with all of them assigned to start the competition in the first round.
In bold, it's displayed the teams that won each final, and not necessarily the home team.

## Participating clubs
### J1 League

All teams playing in the 2024 J1 League (except Urawa Red Diamonds, who were disqualified) join in the second round.
| Club | Apps. | Prefecture |
| Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 43rd | Hokkaido |
| Kashima Antlers | 40th | Ibaraki |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 56th | Chiba |
| FC Tokyo | 30th | Tokyo |
| Tokyo Verdy | 49th | Tokyo |
| Machida Zelvia | 12th | Tokyo |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 41st | Kanagawa |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 46th | Kanagawa |
| Shonan Bellmare | 52nd | Kanagawa |
| Albirex Niigata | 32nd | Niigata |
| Club | Apps. | Prefecture |
| Júbilo Iwata | 47th | Shizuoka |
| Nagoya Grampus | 47th | Aichi |
| Kyoto Sanga | 41st | Kyoto |
| Gamba Osaka | 44th | Osaka |
| Cerezo Osaka | 55th | Osaka |
| Vissel Kobe | 37th | Hyogo |
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 72nd | Hiroshima |
| Avispa Fukuoka | 32nd | Fukuoka |
| Sagan Tosu | 32nd | Saga |

### J2 League

All 20 teams playing in the 2024 J2 League join in the second round.
| Club | Apps. | Prefecture |
| Vegalta Sendai | 30th | Miyagi |
| Blaublitz Akita | 31st | Akita |
| Montedio Yamagata | 32nd | Yamagata |
| Iwaki FC | 7th | Fukushima |
| Mito HollyHock | 28th | Ibaraki |
| Tochigi SC | 24th | Tochigi |
| Thespa Gunma | 21st | Gunma |
| JEF United Chiba | 59th | Chiba |
| Yokohama FC | 25th | Kanagawa |
| Ventforet Kofu | 32nd | Yamanashi |
| Club | Apps. | Prefecture |
| Shimizu S-Pulse | 32nd | Shizuoka |
| Fujieda MYFC | 6th | Shizuoka |
| Fagiano Okayama | 16th | Okayama |
| Renofa Yamaguchi | 20th | Yamaguchi |
| Tokushima Vortis | 36th | Tokushima |
| Ehime FC | 22nd | Ehime |
| V-Varen Nagasaki | 17th | Nagasaki |
| Roasso Kumamoto | 24th | Kumamoto |
| Oita Trinita | 28th | Oita |
| Kagoshima United | 10th | Kagoshima |

### Amateur Designated Teams

Urawa Red Diamonds, as a J1 club, would be automatically assigned to the second round. As they were excluded from this year's cup, 2023 Japan Football League winners Honda FC filled the automatic entry slots for the second round. Another team was then, needed to fill the automatic entry slots of the first round. JFA assigned for this slot the 2023 University Championship winners, Meiji University.
Meiji University is the last university team to be awarded a direct entry since Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, who were specially designated to the 2011 Emperor's Cup. Until 2011, it was an annual practice by JFA to give an automatic entry to Prime Minister's Cup champions.
| Team | Prefecture | League | L. | Apps. |
| Meiji University | Tokyo | Kanto University League D1 | 5 | 15th |
| Honda FC | Shizuoka | Japan Football League | 4 | 44th |

### Prefectural Representatives

All the 47 prefectural tournaments winners (prefectural representatives) joins in the first round.
| Prefecture | Team | League | L. | Apps. |
| Hokkaido | Hokkaido Tokachi Sky Earth | Hokkaido Soccer League | 5 | 2nd |
| Aomori | Vanraure Hachinohe | J3 League | 3 | 12th |
| Iwate | Iwate Grulla Morioka | J3 League | 3 | 12th |
| Miyagi | Sony Sendai | Japan Football League | 4 | 25th |
| Akita | Saruta Kogyo | Tohoku Soccer League D2 North | 6 | 3rd |
| Yamagata | Oyama SC | Tohoku Soccer League D2 South | 6 | 3rd |
| Fukushima | Fukushima United | J3 League | 3 | 12th |
| Ibaraki | University of Tsukuba | Kanto University League D1 | 5 | 34th |
| Tochigi | Tochigi City | Japan Football League | 4 | 14th |
| Gunma | Tonan Maebashi | Kanto Soccer League D2 | 6 | 8th |
| Saitama | Omiya Ardija | J3 League | 3 | 29th |
| Chiba | Briobecca Urayasu | Japan Football League | 4 | 7th |
| Tokyo | Yokogawa Musashino | Japan Football League | 4 | 6th |
| Kanagawa | SC Sagamihara | J3 League | 3 | 3rd |
| Yamanashi | Yamanashi Gakuin University Pegasus | Yamanashi Football League | 7 | 6th |
| Nagano | Nagano Parceiro | J3 League | 3 | 12th |
| Niigata | Japan Soccer College | Hokushinetsu Football League D1 | 5 | 14th |
| Toyama | Kataller Toyama | J3 League | 3 | 15th |
| Ishikawa | Zweigen Kanazawa | J3 League | 3 | 20th |
| Fukui | Fukui United | Hokushinetsu Football League D1 | 5 | 16th |
| Shizuoka | Azul Claro Numazu | J3 League | 3 | 3rd |
| Aichi | Chukyo University | Tokai University League D1 | 5 | 8th |
| Mie | Veertien Mie | Japan Football League | 4 | 4th |
| Gifu | FC Gifu | J3 League | 3 | 18th |
| Shiga | Biwako Seikei Sport College | Kansai University League D1 | 5 | 7th |
| Kyoto | Kyoto Sangyo University | Kansai University League D1 | 5 | 6th |
| Osaka | Kansai University | Kansai University League D1 | 5 | 19th |
| Hyogo | Konan University | Kansai University League D1 | 5 | 2nd |
| Nara | Nara Club | J3 League | 3 | 15th |
| Wakayama | Arterivo Wakayama | Kansai Soccer League D1 | 5 | 16th |
| Tottori | Gainare Tottori | J3 League | 3 | 26th |
| Shimane | Belugarosso Iwami | Chugoku Soccer League | 5 | 3rd |
| Okayama | Mitsubishi Mizushima | Chugoku Soccer League | 5 | 16th |
| Hiroshima | Fukuyama City | Chugoku Soccer League | 5 | 4th |
| Yamaguchi | Baleine Shimonoseki | Chugoku Soccer League | 5 | 4th |
| Kagawa | Kamatamare Sanuki | J3 League | 3 | 24th |
| Tokushima | FC Tokushima | Shikoku Soccer League | 5 | 9th |
| Ehime | FC Imabari | J3 League | 3 | 12th |
| Kochi | Kochi United | Japan Football League | 4 | 9th |
| Fukuoka | Giravanz Kitakyushu | J3 League | 3 | 15th |
| Saga | Kawasoe Club [ja] | Kyushu Soccer League | 5 | 4th |
| Nagasaki | Mitsubishi Nagasaki SC [ja] | Nagasaki Football League | 7 | 11th |
| Kumamoto | Tokai University Kumamoto | Kyushu University League D1 | 5 | 5th |
| Oita | J-Lease FC | Kyushu Soccer League | 5 | 1st |
| Miyazaki | Tegevajaro Miyazaki | J3 League | 3 | 4th |
| Kagoshima | NIFS Kanoya | Kyushu University League D1 | 5 | 13th |
| Okinawa | Okinawa SV | Japan Football League | 4 | 5th |
* Note: In the sections below, club tiers (league levels) are presented as follows:
** National: (1): J1 League; (2): J2 League; (3): J3 League; (4): Japan Football League
** Regional (senior): (5): Regional Leagues 1st Divs.; (6): Regional Leagues 2nd Divs.
*** Regional (university): (5): University Regional Leagues 1st Divs.; (6): University Regional Leagues 2nd and 3rd Divs.
** Prefectural (senior): (7): Prefectural Leagues 1st Divs.
*** Prefectural (university): (7): University league below their respective Regional Leagues.
** Others (7+): Below the cited club tiers, unknown or not affiliated with any league.

## Schedule

On 12 March 2024, the JFA announced the schedule from the first to the third round.

### First round

Number of teams per tier in this round :
| J3 League (3) | Japan Football League (4) | Regional 1st Divs. (5) | Regional 2nd Divs. (6) | Prefectural leagues (7 or 7+) | Total |
| 16 / 16 | 7 / 7 | 20 / 20 | 3 / 3 | 2 / 2 | 48 / 88 |
* ↑ Includes the University Leagues

### Second round

Number of teams per tier in this round :
| J1 League (1) | J2 League (2) | J3 League (3) | Japan Football League (4) | Regional 1st divs. (5) | Prefectural leagues (7 or 7+) | Total |
| 19 / 19 | 20 / 20 | 12 / 16 | 5 / 7 | 7 / 20 | 1 / 2 | 64 / 88 |
* ↑ Includes the University Leagues

### Third round

Number of teams per tier in this round :
| J1 League (1) | J2 League (2) | J3 League (3) | Regional 1st divs. (5) | Lower leagues (6+) | Total |
| 16 / 19 | 13 / 20 | 1 / 16 | 2 / 20 | 0 / 5 | 32 / 88 |
* ↑ Includes the University Leagues

### Round of 16

A draw was held on 12 July to determine the pairings for this round onwards.
Number of teams per tier in this round :
| J1 League (1) | J2 League (2) | Other leagues (3+) | Total |
| 10 / 19 | 6 / 20 | 0 / 48 | 16 / 88 |

### Quarter-finals

Number of teams per tier in this round :
| J1 League (1) | J2 League (2) | Other leagues (3+) | Total |
| 6 / 19 | 2 / 20 | 0 / 48 | 8 / 88 |

### Semi-finals

Number of teams per tier in this round :
| J1 League (1) | Total |
| 4 / 19 | 4 / 88 |

### Final

Number of teams per tier in this round :
| J1 League (1) | Total |
| 2 / 19 | 2 / 88 |

## Top scorers

    As of 27 October 2024.
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals |
| 1 | Riku Gunji | Shimizu S-Pulse | 4 |
| 1 | Juanma | V-Varen Nagasaki | 4 |
| 1 | Daiju Sasaki | Vissel Kobe | 4 |
| 4 | Motoki Ohara | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 3 |
| 4 | Peter Utaka | Ventforet Kofu | 3 |
| 4 | Kazumasa Shimizu | Fukushima United | 3 |
| 4 | Douglas Vieira | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 3 |
| 4 | Vinícius Araújo | Sagan Tosu | 3 |
| 4 | Asahi Uenaka | Yokohama F. Marinos | 3 |
| 4 | Kyota Funahashi | Ehime FC | 3 |