# 2025 Japan Football League

The 2025 Japan Football League (Japanese: 第27回日本フットボールリーグ[第27回 JFL 2025], Hepburn: Dai Nijūnana Nihon Futtobōru Rīgu [Dai Nijūnana JFL 2025]) will be the 27th season of JFL, since its establishment in 1999. This will be the twelfth season of the league having a fourth-tier status in Japanese football since 2014.

## Overview

This is the last Japan Football 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 16 teams for 2025 season since 2024.
The champion team in the league will be automatically promoted to the J3 League, teams ranked 2nd dispute the promotion/relegation play-off against the 19th placer of the J3 League.

## Schedule

The league and match format was announced on 21 December 2024. The league began on 8 March and ended on 23 November in a round-robin format of 30 matches.
The J3/JFL play-offs were held in a two legs, with the dates will be confirmed in December.

## Changes from the previous season

Iwate Grulla Morioka and YSCC Yokohama are relegated from previous season in J3 League after finished 19th and 20th, respectively. Iwate will play in JFL for the first time in their history for this season while YSCC Yokohama will return to the fourth tier after 12 years' absence.
Asuka FC, 2024 Kansai Soccer League Division 1 champion, was the sole promoted team to the JFL as they won the 2024 Regional Champions League. Asuka will play in JFL for the first time in their history for this season.
Vonds Ichihara could have joined Briobecca Urayasu as Chiba's representatives in the JFL, had they won the 2024 JFL play-off against Minebea Mitsumi.
Sony Sendai withdrew from the JFL due to dissolution after financial troubles and ended 25 years in the fourth tier.
On 1 January 2025, Briobecca Urayasu was renamed Briobecca Urayasu Ichikawa for this season due to aiming for the J.League.

## Participating clubs

The teams which possess (or are applicants of) promotion-enabling licenses are highlighted in green in the following table.
| Club name | Home town | Stadium | Capacity | Position | Notes |
| Asuka FC | Kashihara, Nara | Nara Prefectural Kashihara Park Athletics Stadium [ja] | 5,000 | JRCL (1st) | |
| Atletico Suzuka | Suzuka, Mie | AGF Suzuka Athletic Stadium [ja] | 1,450 | 11th | |
| Briobecca Urayasu Ichikawa | Urayasu, Chiba | Daiichi Cutter Field | 2,100 | 8th | |
| Criacao Shinjuku | Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo | Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka | 7,258 | 14th | 100 Year Plan status J3 license holders |
| Honda FC | Hamamatsu, Shizuoka | Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium | 2,506 | 7th | |
| Iwate Grulla Morioka | Morioka, Iwate | Iwagin Stadium | 9,892 | J3 (20th) | J1 license holders |
| Maruyasu Okazaki | Okazaki, Aichi | Maruyasu Okazaki Ryuhoku Stadium [ja] | 5,000 | 13th | |
| Minebea Mitsumi | Miyazaki, Miyazaki | Hinata Athletic Stadium | 20,000 | 16th | |
| Okinawa SV | All cities/towns in Okinawa | Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium | 10,189 | 9th | |
| Reilac Shiga | Kusatsu, Shiga | Heiwado HATO Stadium [ja] | 15,000 | 4th | 100 Year Plan status applicants J3 license holders |
| ReinMeer Aomori | Aomori, Aomori | Kakuhiro Group Athletic Stadium | 20,809 | 10th | J3 license holders |
| Tiamo Hirakata | Hirakata, Osaka | Tamayura Athletic Stadium [ja] | 2,500 | 3rd | |
| Veertien Mie | All cities/towns in Mie | La Pita Toin Stadium [ja] | 5,077 | 5th | J3 license holders |
| Verspah Oita | Yufu, Beppu & Ōita, Ōita | Resonac Soccer/Rugby Field [ja] | 4,700 | 6th | J3 license holders |
| Yokogawa Musashino | Musashino, Tokyo | Musashino Municipal Athletic Stadium | 5,188 | 15th | |
| YSCC Yokohama | Yokohama, Kanagawa | Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium | 15,454 | J3 (19th) | J2 license holders |
* ↑ centering on Tomigusuku, Uruma, and Okinawa
* ↑ centering on Kuwana & Yokkaichi

### Personnel and kits

| Club | Manager | Kit manufacturer | Main shirt sponsor |
| Asuka FC | Naohiko Minobe | Squadra | Maru Industry |
| Atletico Suzuka | Fujio Yamamoto | Athleta | Topia |
| Briobecca Urayasu Ichikawa | Satoshi Tsunami | soccer junky | Urata |
| Criacao Shinjuku | Hideaki Kitajima | Mitsubishi Fashion | Assetlead |
| Honda FC | Shota Itokazu | Umbro | Honda |
| Iwate Grulla Morioka | Kei Hoshikawa | Kelme | NOVA |
| Maruyasu Okazaki | Hiroyasu Ibata | Athleta | Maruyasu |
| Minebea Mitsumi | Yōsuke Miyaji | Umbro | MinebeaMitsumi |
| Okinawa SV | Rei Onogi | XF | Nescafé |
| Reilac Shiga | Makoto Kakuda | DEZ | Rei Beauty Dermatology Clinic |
| ReinMeer Aomori | Masato Harasaki | Umbro | Towa |
| Tiamo Hirakata | Takahiro Futagawa | Jogarbola | Izawa Towel |
| Veertien Mie | Shuichi Mase | Sfida | Cosmo Oil |
| Verspah Oita | Gen Nakamura | Yasuda | Hoyo Group |
| Yokogawa Musashino | Takanori Kanamori | Puma | Yokogawa Electric |
| YSCC Yokohama | Hiroaki Nagamine | Penalty | My Basket |

### Managerial changes

| Team | Outgoing | Manner | Exit date | Exit date | Position in table | Incoming | Incoming date | Incoming date | Ref. |
| Team | Outgoing | Manner | Announced on | Departed on | Position in table | Incoming | Announced on | Arrived on | Ref. |

## Foreign players

| Club | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 | Player 5 |
| Asuka FC | | | | | |
| Atletico Suzuka | Diego Washington | Mohammed Lamine | | | |
| Briobecca Urayasu Ichikawa | | | | | |
| Criacao Shinjuku | | | | | |
| Honda FC | | | | | |
| Iwate Grulla Morioka | Sillas | Kenneth Otabor | Ryu Se-gun | Kim Sung-kon | Won Tae-rang |
| Maruyasu Okazaki | | | | | |
| Minebea Mitsumi | | | | | |
| Okinawa SV | | | | | |
| Reilac Shiga | | | | | |
| ReinMeer Aomori | Arthur Bessa | Luiz Fernando | Kim Song-sun | Ryang Hyon-ju | Park Yong-ji |
| Tiamo Hirakata | Kim Ji-myung | Thanakrit Laorkai | Thitipat Ekarunpong | | |
| Veertien Mie | | | | | |
| Verspah Oita | | | | | |
| Yokogawa Musashino | Park Kwan-gyu | | | | |
| YSCC Yokohama | Onye Ogochukwu | Lee Yoon-sung | | | |

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | ReinMeer Aomori | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 6 | Promotion to 2026–27 J3 League |
| 2 | Iwate Grulla Morioka | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | Qualification for promotion playoffs |
| 3 | Veertien Mie | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 | |
| 4 | Tiamo Hirakata | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | |
| 5 | Verspah Oita | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 | |
| 6 | YSCC Yokohama | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | |
| 7 | Reilac Shiga | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 3 | |
| 8 | Criacao Shinjuku | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 | |
| 9 | Briobecca Urayasu Ichikawa | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| 10 | Atletico Suzuka | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 3 | |
| 11 | Okinawa SV | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 3 | |
| 12 | Honda FC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 13 | Minebea Mitsumi | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 1 | |
| 14 | Asuka FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0 | |
| 15 | Yokogawa Musashino | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0 | Qualification for relegation playoffs |
| 16 | Maruyasu Okazaki | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 0 | Relegation to 2026–27 Japanese Regional Leagues |

## J3/JFL Play-offs

The play-offs, officially called the 2025 J3/JFL Play-offs (Japanese: 2025 J3・JFL入れ替え戦), took place on 7 and 14 December 2025. If the two teams were equal on the scoreboard, the match would go to extra time and penalties. Away goals rule would not be applied.