# 2025 J3 League

The 2025 J3 League, also known as the 2025 Meiji Yasuda J3 League (Japanese: 2025 明治安田J3リーグ, Hepburn: 2025 Meiji Yasuda J3 Rīgu) for sponsorship reasons, is the 12th season of the J3 League, the third-tier Japanese professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 2013.

## Overview

This is the last J.League season played in a whole calendar year from late winter to early winter, with the following season onwards played from summer to spring.
The league continued with 20 teams for 2025 season since 2023.
The top two teams in the league will be automatically promoted to the J2 League, teams ranked 3rd to 6th dispute the promotion play-offs. There is the possibility that as many as two clubs will be relegated to the Japan Football League. Promotion from the JFL is conditional on holding a valid J3 license. If the JFL champions hold a license, the club will be automatically promoted and the J3's 20th-placed team will be automatically relegated. If the JFL runners-up hold a license, the club will need to play promotion/relegation play-offs against J3's 19th or 20th-placed team for the season, depending on whether the JFL champions hold the J3 license. The club(s) who do not hold a license cannot be promoted and no teams will be relegated from the J3 League.

## Schedule

The league and match format was announced on 25 November 2024. The league began on 15 February and ended on 29 November in a round-robin format of 38 matches.
The J3 promotion play-offs were held in a similar manner to the J2 playoffs, with the dates will be confirmed in November

## Changes from the previous season

Tochigi SC, Kagoshima United and Thespakusatsu Gunma were relegated to the J3 League, finishing the previous J2 League season as 18th, 19th and 20th places. Tochigi gets relegated after eight years in the second division. Meanwhile, Kagoshima United come back to the third tier after one season in J2 and Thespa Gunma back to the league after five years in J2 League.
From J3 win promotion RB Omiya Ardija (Formerly only Omiya Ardija) team recently acquired for the Red Bull Group who gets promoted after only one season in J3, runner-up FC Imabari gets promoted for first time ever and will play the Ehime Derby against Ehime FC in J2 League, the last team promoted was Kataller Toyama after eleven seasons in J3 thanks to an epic draw in the play-off final against Matsumoto Yamaga with a double from the striker Shosei Usui in the last ten minutes.
From Japan Football League teams gets promoted after two seasons. 2024 Japan Football League champions, Tochigi City gets promoted for first time ever and will play the Tochigi Derby against Tochigi SC. The second and final team promoted was Kochi United SC finished as runner-up and after won the relegation play-off defeated YSCC Yokohama with a aggregate of 1-3, the first team of Kochi Prefecture who play in the J League.

## Clubs

| Teams | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Position 2024 season | License |
| Azul Claro Numazu | Numazu, Shizuoka | Ashitaka Park Stadium | 5,104 | 10th | J2 |
| Fukushima United | Fukushima, Fukushima | Toho Stadium | 15,454 | 5th | J2 |
| Gainare Tottori | Tottori, Tottori | Axis Bird Stadium | 11,999 | 13th | J2 |
| FC Gifu | Gifu, Gifu | Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium | 16,310 | 8th | J1 |
| Giravanz Kitakyushu | Kitakyushu, Fukuoka | Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu | 15,300 | 7th | J1 |
| Kagoshima United | Kagoshima, Kagoshima | Shiranami Stadium | 19,934 | J2 (19th) | J1 |
| Kamatamare Sanuki | Takamatsu, Kagawa | Pikara Stadium | 30,099 | 16th | J1 |
| Kochi United | Kōchi, Kōchi | Kochi Haruno Athletic Stadium | 25,000 | JFL (2nd) | J3 |
| Matsumoto Yamaga | Matsumoto, Nagano | Sunpro Alwin | 20,000 | 4th | J1 |
| Nagano Parceiro | Nagano, Nagano | Nagano U Stadium | 15,515 | 18th | J2 |
| Nara Club | Nara, Nara | Rohto Field Nara | 30,600 | 17th | J2 |
| FC Osaka | Higashiōsaka, Osaka | Hanazono Rugby Stadium | 27,346 | 6th | J2 |
| Ryukyu Okinawa | Naha, Okinawa | Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium | 15,500 | 14th | J1 |
| SC Sagamihara | Sagamihara, Kanagawa | Sagamihara Gion Stadium | 6,291 | 9th | J2 |
| Tegevajaro Miyazaki | Miyazaki, Miyazaki | Ichigo Miyazaki Shintomi Football Stadium | 5,354 | 15th | J2 |
| Thespa Gunma | Maebashi, Gunma | Shoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma | 15,253 | J2 (20th) | J1 |
| Tochigi City FC | Tochigi, Tochigi | Tochigi Football Station | 5,129 | JFL (1st) | J3 |
| Tochigi SC | Utsunomiya, Tochigi | Kanseki Stadium Tochigi | 25,244 | J2 (18th) | J1 |
| Vanraure Hachinohe | Hachinohe, Aomori | Prifoods Stadium | 5,124 | 7th | J2 |
| Zweigen Kanazawa | Kanazawa, Ishikawa | Kanazawa Go Go Curry Stadium | 10,444 | 12th | J1 |

## Foreign players

From the 2021 season onwards, there is no limitations on signing foreign players, but clubs could only register up to five of them for a single matchday squad. Players from J.League partner nations (Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Qatar) were exempted from these restrictions.
* Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the summer transfer window.
* Player's name in italics indicates the player has Japanese nationality in addition to their FIFA nationality, holds the nationality of a J.League partner nation, or is exempt from being treated as a foreign player due to having been born in Japan and being enrolled in, or having graduated from an approved type of school in the country.
| Club | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 | Former players |
| Azul Claro Numazu | Gustavo Rissi | Weverton | Guirone Gueguim | | |
| Fukushima United | | | | | |
| Gainare Tottori | Jin Shiming | Kojo Dadzie | | | |
| FC Gifu | Mun In-ju | Kim Yoo-geon | Jon Ander Serantes | | |
| Giravanz Kitakyushu | Koh Seung-jin | | | | |
| Kagoshima United | Gaudencio | Renan | Rodrigo Angelotti | | |
| Kamatamare Sanuki | Eduardo | Ismael Dunga | | | |
| Kochi United | Kang Sung-chan | | | | |
| Matsumoto Yamaga | Lucas Vargas | Tiago | Kim Jun-hyun | | |
| Nagano Parceiro | Lee Seung-won | Lim Ji-hoon | | | |
| Nara Club | Marc Vito | Chanapach Buaphan | Thawatchai Inprakhon | | |
| FC Osaka | Lee Dong-yeol | Shin Dong-min | Woo Sang-ho | | |
| Ryukyu Okinawa | Jo Eun-soo | Park Seong-su | | | |
| SC Sagamihara | Rafael Furtado | Noam Baumann | Origbaajo Ismaila | Kevin Pytlik | Robin Maulun |
| Tegevajaro Miyazaki | Kim Geon-yeon | Lee Chung-won | | | |
| Thespa Gunma | Kim Je-hee | | | | |
| Tochigi City FC | Joe Caletti | Carlos Eduardo | Matej Jonjić | Taofiq Jibril | |
| Tochigi SC | Rafael Costa | Kenneth Otabor | Kim Min-jun | | |
| Vanraure Hachinohe | Thales Paula | | | | |
| Zweigen Kanazawa | Patric | | | | |

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | FC Osaka | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 10 | Promotion to the 2026–27 J2 League |
| 2 | Giravanz Kitakyushu | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 9 | Promotion to the 2026–27 J2 League |
| 3 | Kagoshima United | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 8 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 4 | Kamatamare Sanuki | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 8 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 5 | Nara Club | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 8 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 6 | Tegevajaro Miyazaki | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 7 | Tochigi City FC | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 7 | |
| 8 | Fukushima United | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 7 | |
| 9 | SC Sagamihara | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 7 | |
| 10 | Azul Claro Numazu | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 6 | |
| 11 | Nagano Parceiro | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 6 | |
| 12 | Kochi United | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 5 | |
| 13 | Zweigen Kanazawa | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
| 14 | Vanraure Hachinohe | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 4 | |
| 15 | FC Gifu | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 4 | |
| 16 | Tochigi SC | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4 | |
| 17 | Thespa Gunma | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 4 | |
| 18 | Matsumoto Yamaga | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 2 | |
| 19 | Gainare Tottori | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 2 | Qualification for the relegation/promotion play-offs |
| 20 | Ryukyu Okinawa | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 1 | Relegation to the 2026–27 JFL |

## Play-offs
### Promotion play-offs

The usual format will be applied in the 2025 season. Promotion play-offs, officially called the 2025 J.League Road To J2 Play-offs (Japanese: 2025 J2昇格プレーオフ), was held from the semi-finals, where the match-ups were previously semi-determined. Based on the J3 placements at the end of the regular season, the third-placed team played against the sixth-placed, while the fourth-placed team played against the fifth-placed. The winners of the semi-finals played the final, with the winners promoted to the J2.
If a match was tied in the play-offs, the team with the highest league position are declared the winner. The rank order was: J3's third, fourth, fifth, and sixth-placed teams.

### Relegation play-offs

The relegation play-offs, officially called the 2025 J3/JFL Play-Offs (Japanese: 2025 J3・JFL入れ替え戦), take place on 7 and 12 December 2025. If two teams are equal on the scoreboard, the match will going to extra time and penalty shoot-out. Away goals rule will not applied.

## Season statistics

    As of 23 February 2025

### Top scorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Atsushi Yoshida | Tochigi City | 2 |
| 1 | Akito Takagi | SC Sagamihara | 2 |
| 3 | Thirty players | Thirty players | 1 |