J2 League

The  or simply J2 is the second division of the  and the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The top tier is represented by the J1 League. It (along with the rest of the J.League) is currently sponsored by Meiji Yasuda Life and it is thus officially known as the . Until the 2014 season it was named the J.League Division 2.

Timeline
YearImportant Events# J2ClubsProm.SlotsRel.Slots1999The J.League adopts two divisions, as nine clubs from the former Japan Football League join Division 2, along with the relegated Consadole Sapporo: Montedio Yamagata, Vegalta Sendai, Omiya Ardija, Kawasaki Frontale, Ventforet Kofu, Sagan Tosu, FC Tokyo, Albirex Niigata, and Oita Trinita
The Japan Football League is also restructured, as it becomes the third-tier Japan Football League (JFL).
Note: To distinguish between the former and the current JFL, the new JFL is pronounced Nihon Football League in Japanese.10202000Mito HollyHock is promoted from Japan Football League 11202001Yokohama FC is promoted from Japan Football League 12202002Extra time is abolished in Division 2 and traditional 3-1-0 points system is adopted1220200312202004Inception of the two-legged Promotion/Relegation Series as the top flight expands to 18 clubs in the following season122.502005J.League Division 1 expands to 18 clubs (No relegated clubs from the 2004 J1 season)
Tokushima Vortis and Thespa Kusatsu are promoted from Japan Football League122.502006Ehime F.C. is promoted from Japan Football League 
Away goals rule is adopted in Promotion/Relegation Series
The league forms J.League expansion committee and reintroduces J.League Associate Membership132.502007132.502008Two clubs are promoted from Japan Football League: Roasso Kumamoto and F.C. Gifu
Division 2 adopts the triple-round-robin format from quadruple-round-robin152.502009Three clubs are promoted from Japan Football League: Tochigi S.C., Kataller Toyama and Fagiano Okayama
Promotion/Relegation Series is eliminated and the third-place club now receives automatic promotion to J118302010One club is promoted from Japan Football League: Giravanz Kitakyushu
Division 2 adopts the double-round-robin format from triple-round-robin19302011One club is promoted from Japan Football League: Gainare Tottori 20302012Matsumoto Yamaga and Machida Zelvia are promoted from Japan Football League
The playoff system for the third promotion spot is introduced
Conditional relegation to Japan Football League is introduced. Machida Zelvia became the first club to be relegated from Division 2.22312013One club is promoted from Japan Football League: V-Varen Nagasaki 
Gainare Tottori became the first club to be relegated to the new J3 League after losing the Promotion/Relegation Series to Kamatamare Sanuki, the last team to get promoted from the Japan Football League.2230.52014Kataller Toyama has been relegated to J3, and Kamatamare Sanuki played and won the first Promotion/Relegation Series with the J3 runners-up. Zweigen Kanazawa becomes the first team to be promoted from J3.2231.52015Tochigi SC has been relegated to the J3, and Oita Trinita played and lost their first Promotion/Relegation Series with the J3 runners-up. Renofa Yamaguchi and runners-up Machida Zelvia are promoted from J3.2231.52016Giravanz Kitakyushu has been relegated to J3, and Zweigen Kanazawa played and won their first Promotion/Relegation Series with the J3 runners-up, Tochigi SC. Oita Trinita is promoted from J3.2231.52017 
Starting this season, there are two promotions from and two relegations to J3.
Thespakusatsu Gunma is relegated to J3, Tochigi SC is promoted.22322018The promotion-relegation playoff is reintroduced, to be played as one match only.
Roasso Kumamoto and Kamatamare Sanuki are relegated, FC Ryukyu and Kagoshima United are promoted from J3222.52  
 Participating clubs (2019)

Club nameYear joinedSeasonsin J2Based inFirst seasonin D2Seasonsin D2Current spellin D2Last spell intop flight Albirex Niigata 1999 6 Niigata & Seiro, Niigata 1998 7 2018– 2004–2017  1999 8 Saitama, Saitama 1987/88 18 2018– 2016–2017 Avispa Fukuoka 1996 (J) 13 Fukuoka, Fukuoka 1991/92 17 2017– 2016 Ehime FC 2006  12 All cities/towns in Ehime 2006 12 2006– – Fagiano Okayama 2009 9 All cities/towns in Okayama 2009 9 2009– –  2008 10 All cities/towns in Gifu 2008 10 2008– –  2000 18 Mito, Ibaraki 1997 20 2000– – JEF United Chiba 1993 (J) 8 Chiba & Ichihara, Chiba 2010 8 2010– 1965–2009 Kagoshima United FC 2016 (J3) 1 Kagoshima, Kagoshima 2019 1 2019– – Montedio Yamagata 1999 15 All cities/towns in Yamagata 1994 20 2016– 2015 Renofa Yamaguchi 2015 (J3) 2 All cities/towns in Yamaguchi 2016 2 2016– –  1995 (J) 2 Kashiwa, Chiba 1987/88 8 2019– 2011–2018  2013 (J3) 1 Okinawa, Okinawa 2019 1 2019– –  1996 (J) 11 Southwestern cities in Kyoto  1972 24 2010– 2008–2010 Tochigi SC 2009 8 Utsunomiya, Tochigi 2009 8 2018– – V-Varen Nagasaki 2013 5 All cities/towns in Nagasaki 2013 5 2019– 2018 Ventforet Kofu 1999 12 All cities/towns in Yamanashi 1972 37 2018– 2013–2017  1993 (J) 11 Tokyo 1972 17 2009– 2008  2005 11 All cities/towns in Tokushima 1990/91 19 2015– 2014 Yokohama FC 2001 16 Yokohama, Kanagawa 2001 16 2008– 2007  2012 2 Machida, Tokyo 2012 3 2016– – Zweigen Kanazawa 2014 (J3) 3 Kanazawa, Ishikawa 2015 3 2015– –

Promotion playoff results
SeasonFirst semi-final (3rd vs 6th)Second semi-final (4th vs 5th)Final2012Kyoto Sanga 0–4 Oita TrinitaYokohama FC 0–4 JEF United ChibaOita Trinita 1–0 JEF United Chiba2013Kyoto Sanga 0–0 V-Varen NagasakiTokushima Vortis 1–1 JEF United ChibaKyoto Sanga 0–2 Tokushima Vortis2014 Not held Júbilo Iwata 1–2 Montedio Yamagata (6th) JEF United Chiba 0–1 Montedio Yamagata2015 Avispa Fukuoka 1–0 V-Varen Nagasaki Cerezo Osaka 0–0 Ehime FC Avispa Fukuoka 1–1 Cerezo Osaka2016 Matsumoto Yamaga 1–2 Fagiano Okayama Cerezo Osaka 1–1 Kyoto Sanga Cerezo Osaka 1–0 Fagiano Okayama2017 Nagoya Grampus 4–2 JEF United Chiba Avispa Fukuoka 1–0 Tokyo Verdy Nagoya Grampus 0–0 Avispa Fukuoka2018 Tokyo Verdy (6th) 1–0 Omiya Ardija (5th) Tokyo Verdy (6th) 1–0 Yokohama FC (3rd) Júbilo Iwata 2–0 Tokyo Verdy
Season First round Second round Final2019Montedio Yamagata (3rd) 2–0 Omiya Ardija (6th)Tokushima Vortis (4th) 1–1 Ventforet Kofu (5th)Tokushima Vortis 1–0 Montedio YamagataShonan Bellmare 1–1 Tokushima Vortis2022Fagiano Okayama (3rd) 0–3 Montedio Yamagata (6th)Roasso Kumamoto (4th) 2–2 Oita Trinita (5th)Roasso Kumamoto 2–2 Montedio YamagataKyoto Sanga 1–1 Roasso Kumamoto2023

Results
 Club Participated Winners Runners-up Seasonsparticipated Winning seasons Runner-up seasons Cerezo Osaka 2015, 2016 2016 2015 Avispa Fukuoka 2015, 2017 2015 2017  Montedio Yamagata 2014, 2016 2014  Tokushima Vortis 2013 2013 2019 Oita Trinita 2012 2012  Nagoya Grampus 2017 2017   JEF United Chiba 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017  2012, 2014 Kyoto Sanga 2012, 2013, 2016  2013  Tokyo Verdy 2017  2018 Yokohama FC 2012   V-Varen Nagasaki 2013   Júbilo Iwata 2014  Ehime FC 2015   Fagiano Okayama 2016 

 Stadiums (2019) 
Primary venues used in the J2 League:

 Avispa Fukuoka Albirex Niigata Ehime F.C. Fagiano Okayama Omiya Ardija Ventforet Kofu Level-5 Stadium Denka Big Swan Stadium Ningineer Stadium Kanko Stadium NACK5 Stadium Omiya Yamanashi Chuo Bank Stadium Capacity: 22,563 Capacity: 42,300 Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 15,500 Capacity: 17,000 150px 150px 150px 150px 150px 150px Giravanz Kitakyushu Mito Hollyhock JEF United Ichihara Chiba Júbilo Iwata Montedio Yamagata Kyoto Sanga F.C. Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu K's denki Stadium Mito Fukuda Denshi Arena Yamaha Stadium ND Soft Stadium Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium Capacity: 15,300 Capacity: 12,000 Capacity: 18,500 Capacity: 15,165 Capacity: 20,315 Capacity: 20,588 150px 150px 150px 150px 150px 150px FC Ryukyu Renofa Yamaguchi FC Thespakusatsu Gunma Tochigi SC FC Machida Zelvia Tokyo Verdy Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium Yamaguchi Ishin Park Stadium Shoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma Tochigi Green Stadium Machida Athletic Stadium Ajinomoto Stadium Capacity: 25,000 Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 15,253 Capacity: 18,025 Capacity: 10,600 Capacity: 49,970 150px 150px 150px 150px 150px 150px Tokushima Vortis V-Varen Nagasaki Matsumoto Yamaga Zweigen Kanazawa Pocarisweat Stadium Nagasaki Athletic Stadium Matsumoto Stadium Ishikawa Kanazawa Stadium Capacity: 20,441 Capacity: 20,246 Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 20,000 150px 150px 150px 150px

Related pages
 Sports in Japan
 J. League Division 1
 Japan Football League
 Japanese Regional Leagues
 List of J. League players

 References 

Other websites
 http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/tv/sportsjapan/archives201209110600.html 

Category:1999 establishments in Japan
Category:Football leagues in Japan