Nadeshiko League

The , commonly known as the , is a women's association football league in Japan.

The Nadeshiko League consists of two divisions that correspond to the second and third levels of the Japanese women's football pyramid respectively: the Nadeshiko League Division 1, the Nadeshiko League Division 2, and the Nadeshiko . Teams are promoted and relegated between the divisions, and between the Nadeshiko League Division 2 and the fourth-level Japanese regional leagues, based on performance in the previous season. Before 2021, the Nadeshiko League was the top level of the Japanese women's football pyramid as well; that level is now represented by the fully professional WE League.

Since 2008, the Nadeshiko League has been sponsored by , a fast food company based in Fukuoka.

## History

Japan Women's Football League began in 1989. From 1993 to 1999 it adopted an Apertura and Clausura system, similar to the J.League system of that era. From 2000 to 2003 the clubs were divided into East and West groups and then the top clubs of each would go into a championship group, with the bottom clubs in a relegation group. In 2004 the single-table format was brought back.

Players from the 8 Japan Women's Football League teams would host an annual training camp to build skills and relationships between the L.League and women's international football clubs, including U.S.- and Australia-based teams.

In 2004 the L.League was renamed to Nadeshiko League, with the nickname "Nadeshiko Japan". _Nadeshiko_ is the name of the dianthus flower and was chosen from suggestions by fans, signifying an ideal of a dutiful Japanese woman.

Starting in the 2004 season, the L.League had 2 divisions – Division 1, with 8 clubs, and Division 2, with 8 clubs in the 2006 season. Until 2009 the league operated in the same way as the old Japan Soccer League for men, the bottom club in the second division playing off against a regional league playoff winner.

Starting with the 2010 season, the second division is divided into an east and west group of six teams each. The winners of each group are promoted. In 2015 this became Division 3, with the Nadeshiko League becoming two divisions of 10 teams each.

After Japan's World Cup win in 2011 the L.League saw an upsurge in popularity.

On 3 June 2020, the Japan Football Association announced that the newly established WE League will become the top level for women's football in Japan when it begins play in 2021. The Nadeshiko League will then become the second to fourth levels of the Japanese women's football pyramid.

### 2020 season

The Nadeshiko League Divisions 1 and 2 consist of 10 teams each. The Nadeshiko Challenge League is divided into two groups (East and West) of six teams each.

#### Division 1

|Club|Hometown(s)|First Season in Top Flight|Current Spell in Top Flight|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza|Inagi, Tokyo|1989|1989–|
|INAC Kobe Leonessa|Kobe, Hyogo|2005|2005–|
|Mynavi Vegalta Sendai|Sendai, Miyagi|2013|2013–|
|Albirex Niigata|Niigata Prefecture|2007|2007–|
|Cerezo Osaka Sakai|Osaka|2018|2020–|
|Ehime FC|Matsuyama|2020|2020–|
|JEF United Chiba|Chiba, Chiba|2000|2009–|
|Urawa Reds|Saitama, Saitama|1999|1999–|
|Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara|Sagamihara, Kanagawa|2017|2017–|
|Iga FC Kunoichi Mie|Iga, Mie|1989|2019–|

#### Division 2

|Clubs|Hometown(s)|
| --- | --- |
|Bunnys Kyoto SC|Kyoto. (Kyoto)|
|Chifure AS Elfen Saitama|kawagoe, Saitama|
|AS Harima Albion|Himeji, (Hyogo)|
|FC Jumonji Ventus|Niza, Saitama,|
|Orca Kamogawa FC|Kamogawa|
|Nippon Sport Science University Fields Yokohama|Yokohama|
|AC Nagano Parceiro|Nagano|
|Sfida Setagaya FC|Musashino|
|Yamato Sylphid|Yokohama|
|Nippatsu Yokohama FC Seagulls|Yokohama|

#### Challenge League

|Clubs (East)|Hometown(s)|
| --- | --- |
|Tokiwagi Gakuen High School|Sendai, Miyagi|
|Norddea Hokkaido|Sapporo, Hokkaido|
|Tsukuba FC|Tsukuba, Ibaraki|
|Niigata University of Health and Welfare|Niigata, Niigata|
|JFA Academy Fukushima|Susono, Shizuoka|
|Speranza Osaka-Takatsuki|Takatsuki, Osaka|
|Kibi International University Charme Okayama Takahashi|Takahashi, Okayama|
|Okayama Yunogo Belle|Mimasaka, Okayama|
|Angeviolet Hiroshima|Hiroshima|
|NGU Nagoya FC Ladies|Nagoya, Aichi|

### Previous clubs

The following clubs are not competing in the Nadeshiko League during the 2020 season, but have previously competed in the Nadeshiko League for at least one season.

#### Relegated to regional leagues

- Je Vrille Kagoshima: relegated to Kyushu League from 2014
- Shimizudaihachi Pleiades: relegated to Tokai League from 2015
- Kumamoto Renaissance FC: relegated to Kyushu League from 2016

#### Defunct

- Fujita SC Mercury (affiliated with Shonan Bellmare)
- Nikko Securities Dream Ladies
- Nissan FC Ladies (affiliated with Yokohama F. Marinos)
- OKI FC Winds
- Shiroki FC Serena
- Suzuyo Shimizu FC Lovely Ladies (affiliated with Shimizu S-Pulse)
- Tasaki Perule FC
- Tokyo Shidax LSC (formerly Shinko Seiko FC Clair)
- Urawa Motobuto Ladies FC
- TEPCO Mareeze (dissolved after Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster; many of the players moved to Vegalta Sendai Ladies)
- Aguilas Kobe
- Hoyo Sukarabu FC

### Division 1

|Year|Club|
| --- | --- |
|1989|Shimizu FC Ladies|
|1990|Yomiuri SC Ladies Beleza|
|1991|Yomiuri SC Ladies Beleza|
|1992|Yomiuri Nippon SC Ladies Beleza|
|1993|Yomiuri Nippon SC Ladies Beleza|
|1994|Matsushita Electric LSC Bambina|
|1995|Prima Ham FC Kunoichi|
|1996|Nikko Securities Dream Ladies|
|1997|Nikko Securities Dream Ladies|
|1998|Nikko Securities Dream Ladies|
|1999|Prima Ham FC Kunoichi|
|2000|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2001|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2002|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2003|Tasaki Perule FC|
|2004|Saitama Reinas FC|

|Year|Club|
| --- | --- |
|2005|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2006|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2007|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2008|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2009|Urawa Reds Ladies|
|2010|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2011|INAC Kobe Leonessa|
|2012|INAC Kobe Leonessa|
|2013|INAC Kobe Leonessa|
|2014|Urawa Reds Ladies|
|2015|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2016|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2017|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2018|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2019|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2020|Urawa Reds Ladies|

#### Wins by club

Clubs in **bold** are those competing in Division 1 as of the 2020 season. Clubs in _italic_ no longer exist.

|Club|Champions|Year|
| --- | --- | --- |
|**Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza**|17|1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019|
|**Urawa Reds Ladies**|4|2004, 2009, 2014, 2020|
|_Nikko Securities Dream Ladies_|3|1996, 1997, 1998|
|**INAC Kobe Leonessa**|3|2011, 2012, 2013|
|**Iga FC Kunoichi Mie**|2|1995, 1999|
|_Shimizu FC Ladies_|1|1989|
|Matsushita Electric LSC Bambina|1|1994|
|_Tasaki Perule FC_|1|2003|

**Notes**

### Division 2

|Year|Club||
| --- | --- | --- |
|2004|Okayama Yunogo Belle||
|2005|INAC Kobe Leonessa||
|2006|Albirex Niigata Ladies||
|2007|TEPCO Mareeze||
|2008|JEF United Chiba Ladies||
|2009|AS Elfen Sayama FC||
|2010|Tokiwagi Gakuen HS|Speranza FC Takatsuki|
|2011|Tokiwagi Gakuen HS|FC Takahashi Kibi International University Charme|
|2012|Vegalta Sendai Ladies||
|2013|Tokiwagi Gakuen HS||
|2014|Speranza FC Osaka-Takatsuki||
|2015|AC Nagano Parceiro Ladies||
|2016|Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara||
|2017|Nippon Sport Science University Fields Yokohama||
|2018|Iga FC Kunoichi||

### Challenge League

|Year|Club|
| --- | --- |
|2015|Tokiwagi Gakuen HS|
|2016|Orca Kamogawa FC|
|2017|Shizuoka Sangyo University Iwata Bonita|

### Best Player

|Year|Player|Club|
| --- | --- | --- |
|2002|Tomoe Sakai|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2003|Mio Otani|Tasaki Perule FC|
|2004|Kozue Ando|Saitama Reinas FC|
|2005|Shinobu Ohno|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2006|Homare Sawa||
|2007|Shinobu Ohno||
|2008|Homare Sawa||
|2009|Kozue Ando|Urawa Reds Ladies|
|2010|Shinobu Ohno|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2011|Nahomi Kawasumi|INAC Kobe Leonessa|
|2012|Megumi Takase||
|2013|Nahomi Kawasumi||
|2014|Michi Goto|Urawa Reds Ladies|
|2015|Mizuho Sakaguchi|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2016|||
|2017|||
|2018|Mina Tanaka||

### Top Goalscorers

|Year|Player|Goals|Club|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|2002|Mio Otani|5|Tasaki Perule FC|
|2003|33|||
|2004|Kozue Ando|12|Saitama Reinas FC|
|2005|Mio Otani|25|Tasaki Perule FC|
|2006|Yuki Nagasato|18|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2007|Shinobu Ohno|23||
|2008|20|||
|2009|Kozue Ando|18|Urawa Reds Ladies|
|2010|Shinobu Ohno|13|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2011|Nahomi Kawasumi|12|INAC Kobe Leonessa|
|Shinobu Ohno||||
|2012|Megumi Takase|20||
|2013|Goebel-Yanez|15||
|2014|Yuika Sugasawa|20|JEF United Chiba Ladies|
|2015|15|||
|2016|Mina Tanaka|18|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2017|15|||
|2018|15|||

### Best Young Player

|Year|Player|Club|
| --- | --- | --- |
|2002|Kozue Ando|Saitama Reinas FC|
|2003|Yukari Kinga|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2004|Natsuki Muraoka|Iga FC Kunoichi|
|2005|Karina Maruyama|TEPCO Mareeze|
|2006|Noriko Matsuda|Urawa Reds Ladies|
|2007|Kyoko Yano||
|2008|Mana Iwabuchi|Nippon TV Beleza|
|2009|Megumi Takase|INAC Kobe Leonessa|
|2010|Nozomi Fujita|Urawa Reds Ladies|
|2011|Chinatsu Kira||
|2012|Shiho Kohata||
|2013|Saki Ueno|JEF United Chiba Ladies|
|2014|Ruka Norimatsu|Urawa Reds Ladies|
|2015|Kiko Seike||
|2016|Hina Sugita|INAC Kobe Leonessa|
|2017|Yui Fukuta||
|2018|Hinata Miyazawa|Nippon TV Beleza|

## Other websites

- Official website
- NADESHIKO LEAGUE 1 at women.soccerway.com

## Infobox (football league)

- **name**: Nadeshiko League
- **country**: Japan
- **confed**: Asian Football Confederation
- **founded**: , as _L.League_
- **divisions**: D1: Division 1
D2: Division 2
D3: Challenge League
- **teams**: 32
- **relegation**: Regional leagues
- **levels**: 1–3
- **domest cup**: Empress's Cup
Nadeshiko League Cup, League Cup
- **confed cup**: AFC Women's Club Championship
- **most champs**: Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza (14 titles)
- **champions**: D1: Urawa Reds Ladies (4th title)
D2: Sfida Setagaya FC (1st title)
D3: JFA Academy Fukushima (1st title)
- **top goalscorer**: D1: Yuika Sugasawa (17 goals)
D2: Yoshino Nakajima (11 goals)
D3: (9 goals)
- **season**: 2020 season
- **tv**: YouTube
Mycujoo (D2 and D3 only)
- **sponsor**: Plenus