# 2023 Emperor's Cup

The 2023 Emperor's Cup (Emperor's Cup JFA 103rd Japan Football Championship (Japanese: 天皇杯 JFA 第103回全日本サッカー選手権大会)) was the 103rd edition of the annually contested cup, starting on 20 May. The format for 2023 did not present any changes from the previous edition. It featured 88 teams representing the prefectural football associations, J1 League, J2 League and Japan Football League. JFL's Honda FC was once again chosen to be the annually specially-designated amateur club.
Ventforet Kofu were the defending champions, after a cinderella story for the J2 club saw them qualify for the final, which they won on penalties against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, after a 1–1 draw in regulation time, but were eliminated by Vissel Kobe in the round of 16.

## Qualifying rounds

As only J1 and J2 League clubs qualify directly for the first round, teams from outside of it who want to qualify to the Emperor's Cup (exception being made to the JFA-seeded team), had to, as usual, 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 having earned their right to play in the Emperor's Cup, with all of them assigned to start the competition in the first round.

## Participating clubs
### J1 League

All 18 teams playing in the 2023 J1 League entered in the second round.
| Club | Apps. | Prefecture |
| Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 42nd | Hokkaido |
| Kashima Antlers | 39th | Ibaraki |
| Urawa Red Diamonds | 58th | Saitama |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 55th | Chiba |
| FC Tokyo | 29th | Tokyo |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 40th | Kanagawa |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 45th | Kanagawa |
| Yokohama FC | 24th | Kanagawa |
| Shonan Bellmare | 51st | Kanagawa |
| Club | Apps. | Prefecture |
| Albirex Niigata | 31st | Niigata |
| Nagoya Grampus | 46th | Aichi |
| Kyoto Sanga | 40th | Kyoto |
| Gamba Osaka | 43rd | Osaka |
| Cerezo Osaka | 54th | Osaka |
| Vissel Kobe | 36th | Hyogo |
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 71st | Hiroshima |
| Avispa Fukuoka | 31st | Fukuoka |
| Sagan Tosu | 31st | Saga |

### J2 League

All 22 teams playing in the 2023 J2 League entered in the second round.
| Club | Apps. | Prefecture |
| Vegalta Sendai | 29th | Miyagi |
| Blaublitz Akita | 30th | Akita |
| Montedio Yamagata | 31st | Yamagata |
| Iwaki FC | 6th | Fukushima |
| Mito HollyHock | 27th | Ibaraki |
| Tochigi SC | 23rd | Tochigi |
| Thespakusatsu Gunma | 20th | Gunma |
| Omiya Ardija | 28th | Saitama |
| JEF United Chiba | 58th | Chiba |
| Tokyo Verdy | 48th | Tokyo |
| Machida Zelvia | 11th | Tokyo |
| Club | Apps. | Prefecture |
| Zweigen Kanazawa | 19th | Ishikawa |
| Ventforet Kofu | 31st | Yamanashi |
| Shimizu S-Pulse | 31st | Shizuoka |
| Júbilo Iwata | 46th | Shizuoka |
| Fujieda MYFC | 5th | Shizuoka |
| Fagiano Okayama | 15th | Okayama |
| Renofa Yamaguchi | 19th | Yamaguchi |
| Tokushima Vortis | 35th | Tokushima |
| V-Varen Nagasaki | 16th | Nagasaki |
| Roasso Kumamoto | 23rd | Kumamoto |
| Oita Trinita | 27th | Oita |

### Amateur designated team

One team selected from the Japan Football League. It entered in the first round.
| Club | Apps. | Prefecture |
| Honda FC | 43rd | Shizuoka |

### Prefectural tournaments

All the 47 prefectural tournaments winners. They all entered in the first round.
| Prefecture | Team | League | L. | Apps. |
| Hokkaido | BTOP Hokkaido | Hokkaido Soccer League | 5 | 1st |
| Aomori | Vanraure Hachinohe | J3 League | 3 | 11th |
| Iwate | Iwate Grulla Morioka | J3 League | 3 | 16th |
| Miyagi | Sony Sendai | Japan Football League | 4 | 24th |
| Akita | North Asia University | Tohoku University League D1 | 5 | 2nd |
| Yamagata | Yamagata University Faculty of Medicine | – | 7+ | 4th |
| Fukushima | Fukushima United | J3 League | 3 | 11th |
| Ibaraki | University of Tsukuba | Kanto University League D1 | 5 | 33rd |
| Tochigi | Tochigi City | Kanto Soccer League D1 | 5 | 13th |
| Gunma | Tonan Maebashi | Kanto Soccer League D2 | 6 | 7th |
| Saitama | Tokyo International University FC | Kanto University League D1 | 5 | 3rd |
| Chiba | Briobecca Urayasu | Japan Football League | 4 | 6th |
| Tokyo | Criacao Shinjuku | Japan Football League | 4 | 1st |
| Kanagawa | SC Sagamihara | J3 League | 3 | 2nd |
| Yamanashi | YGU Pegasus | Yamanashi Football League | 7 | 5th |
| Nagano | Nagano Parceiro | J3 League | 3 | 11th |
| Niigata | Niigata University of Health and Welfare | Hokushin'etsu University League D1 | 5 | 7th |
| Toyama | Kataller Toyama | J3 League | 3 | 14th |
| Ishikawa | Hokuriku University | Hokushin'etsu University League D1 | 5 | 6th |
| Fukui | Fukui United | Hokushin'etsu Football League D1 | 5 | 15th |
| Shizuoka | Azul Claro Numazu | J3 League | 3 | 2nd |
| Aichi | Maruyasu Okazaki | Japan Football League | 4 | 5th |
| Mie | Veertien Mie | Japan Football League | 4 | 3rd |
| Gifu | FC Gifu | J3 League | 3 | 17th |
| Shiga | Reilac Shiga | Japan Football League | 4 | 10th |
| Kyoto | Laranja Kyoto | Kansai Soccer League D2 | 6 | 1st |
| Osaka | Kansai University | Kansai University League D1 | 5 | 18th |
| Hyogo | Cento Cuore Harima | Kansai Soccer League D1 | 5 | 11th |
| Nara | Nara Club | J3 League | 3 | 14th |
| Wakayama | Arterivo Wakayama | Kansai Soccer League D1 | 5 | 15th |
| Tottori | Gainare Tottori | J3 League | 3 | 25th |
| Shimane | Belugarosso Iwami | Chugoku Soccer League | 5 | 2nd |
| Okayama | Mitsubishi Mizushima | Chugoku Soccer League | 5 | 15th |
| Hiroshima | SRC Hiroshima | Chugoku Soccer League | 5 | 7th |
| Yamaguchi | Baleine Shimonoseki | Chugoku Soccer League | 5 | 3rd |
| Kagawa | Kamatamare Sanuki | J3 League | 3 | 23rd |
| Tokushima | FC Tokushima | Shikoku Soccer League | 5 | 8th |
| Ehime | FC Imabari | J3 League | 3 | 13th |
| Kochi | Kochi United | Japan Football League | 4 | 8th |
| Fukuoka | Giravanz Kitakyushu | J3 League | 3 | 14th |
| Saga | Brew Kashima | Kyushu Soccer League | 5 | 11th |
| Nagasaki | Mitsubishi Nagasaki SC | Nagasaki Football League | 7 | 10th |
| Kumamoto | Tokai University Kumamoto | Kyushu University League D2 | 6 | 4th |
| Oita | Verspah Oita | Japan Football League | 4 | 13th |
| Miyazaki | Tegevajaro Miyazaki | J3 League | 3 | 3rd |
| Kagoshima | Kagoshima United | J3 League | 3 | 9th |
| Okinawa | FC Ryukyu | J3 League | 3 | 16th |
* 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.

## Calendar

The schedule from the first round to the quarter-finals was announced on 20 December 2022. The semi-finals and the final did not have its dates released by the Japan Football Association, as uncertainties around the schedule of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup left doubts about possible reschedule of one or more rounds of the Emperor's Cup. The decision was also made to avoid schedule conflict for teams whose squads would have one or more players participating in the competition.
| Round | Date (alternative date) | Matches | Clubs | New entries this round |
| First round | 20–21 May (22 May) | 24 | 48 (47+1) → 24 | 1 seeded amateur team 47 prefectural qualification cup winners |
| Second round | 7–21 June | 32 | 64 (24+18+22) → 32 | 18 2023 J1 League clubs 22 2023 J2 League clubs |
| Third round | 12 July (19 July) | 16 | 32 → 16 | |
| Fourth round | 2 August (9 August) | 8 | 16 → 8 | |
| Quarter-finals | 30 August (13 Sep) | 4 | 8 → 4 | |
| Semi-finals | 8 October | 2 | 4 → 2 | |
| Final | 9 December | 1 | 2 → 1 | |

## Schedule
### First round

The match pairings was decided on 22 March 2023. Except for Honda FC, who was granted a bye from prefectural qualifications due to their "amateur designated team" status, no other club had yet qualified to the tournament when the draw was conducted.
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 | 9 / 9 | 17 / 17 | 3 / 3 | 3 / 3 | 48 / 88 |
* 1 2 3 Includes the University Leagues

### Second round

Number of teams remaining in the competition :
| J1 League (1) | J2 League (2) | J3 League (3) | Japan Football League (4) | Regional 1st Div. (5) | Regional 2nd Div. (6) | Prefectural Leagues (7 or 7+) | Total |
| 18 / 18 | 22 / 22 | 11 / 16 | 7 / 9 | 5 / 17 | 1 / 3 | 1 / 3 | 64 / 88 |
All the 2023 J1 and J2 League clubs enter the competition in this round. Most of these professional clubs hosted their matches in their own prefecture. However, as the number of teams from these leagues combined does not match the amount of host teams required, some of these teams had to play their matches away from home. These specific away teams either finished between the 15th to 20th place on last season's J2 or got promoted from the J3 League for the 2023 season, and played their ties against teams that finished between the 7th and 14th place on last season's J2.
* 1 2 3 Includes the University Leagues
* ↑ The match was originally due to be played on 7 June. But on 9 May, in response to a request from Vissel Kobe, the Emperor's Cup Executive Committee decided to postpone the match to 14 June. Likely, the postponement was related to Vissel Kobe's friendly match against FC Barcelona, played around that date.

### Third round

Number of teams remaining in the competition :
| J1 League (1) | J2 League (2) | J3 League (3) | Japan Football League (4) | Lower-tier leagues (5–7+) | Total |
| 16 / 18 | 12 / 22 | 2 / 16 | 2 / 9 | 0 / 23 | 32 / 88 |
* ↑ The match #58 was kicked off on 12 July, but suspended after the first half of the extra time due to thunderstorm. It was determined on 13 July that the remainder of the match should be played on 19 July.

### Round of 16

Number of teams remaining in the competition :
| J1 League (1) | J2 League (2) | J3 League (3) | Japan Football League (4) | Total |
| 11 / 18 | 4 / 22 | 0 / 16 | 1 / 9 | 16 / 88 |

### Quarter-finals

Number of teams remaining in the competition :
| J1 League (1) | J2 League (2) | Total |
| 7 / 18 | 1 / 22 | 8 / 88 |

### Semi-finals

Number of teams remaining in the competition :
| J1 League (1) | J2 League (2) | Total |
| 3 / 18 | 1 / 22 | 4 / 88 |

### Final

Number of teams remaining in the competition :
| J1 League (1) | Total |
| 2 / 18 | 2 / 88 |

## Top scorers

| Rank | Player | Team | Goals |
| 1 | Hidetaka Maie | Kashiwa Reysol | 5 |
| 1 | Akito Suzuki | Shonan Bellmare | 5 |
| 3 | Ryoga Sato | Avispa Fukuoka | 4 |
| 4 | Ryoka Abe | BTOP Hokkaido | 3 |
| 4 | Ryo Nemoto | Tochigi SC | 3 |
| 4 | Yuya Yamagishi | Avispa Fukuoka | 3 |
| 4 | Kim Gun-hee | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 3 |
| 4 | Rimu Matsuoka | Roasso Kumamoto | 3 |
| 9 | 30 players | 30 players | 2 |