1992 is often looked at as the beginning of a new era of football in Europe, with the European Cup being rebranded into the Champions League, and the English First Division becoming the Premier League, and these significant shifts in the sport’s history were not confined to Europe in this year. On the other side of the world, a new league had been formed in Asia, the J. League.
Prior to 1992, the Japan Soccer League (JSL), beginning in 1965, was the top competition for clubs in the country to compete in, though it was largely an amateur league, with clubs being backed by a major corporation, and the players being employees. This system was shattered in 1992, with the formation of the J. League, as 8 of the JSL’s first division clubs, 1 from the second division, and a newly formed club, came together to bring Japan its first ever professional football league. The inaugural season would come soon after, beginning in 1993, and history was made on the 15th of May as Yokohama Marinos took on Verdy Kawasaki to kick it all off.
1992 was also significant for Japan’s football growth as they hosted the AFC Asian Cup at the end of the same year, winning their first ever title against Saudi Arabia in the final, as the country saw success for the first time prior to the new league even beginning, and the national team was already making small steps to becoming what we now see as a world class side.
It was an instant sensation, with the domestic popularity booming, while international attention was attracted with the signing of foreign stars to J. League clubs, such as Gary Lineker who ultimately retired in Japan, and Zico, who came out of retirement to play for Kashima Antlers. However, following its initial success, there was a significant decline in interest, brought about alongside economic turmoil in the country, which urged those in charge of the league to reevaluate their plans and find new ways to develop the game in Japan.
Two key solutions were brought about by this re-evaluation, the first of which was the J. League Hundred Year Vision, a long-term plan that set a goal to reach by 2092, which will be the league’s 100th season, in which they aim to have 100 professional clubs in Japan. The second solution was massive restructuring of the J. League, expanding the top division to 16 clubs, and the launch of a second division in 1999 containing 10 clubs.
The late 2000s brought about further development for Japanese football, with the top division expanding to 18 teams in 2005, but more importantly, the importance of the AFC Champions League rising in Japan. Until this point, Asia’s Champions League hadn’t been the focus of clubs in the nation, though in 2007, Urawa Red Diamonds became the first J. League side to win the competition, and Gamba Osaka became the second the following year. In 2009, AFC would award the J. League the honour of the highest ranked league in the continent, securing 4 spots in the Champions League for the country.
2014 would then see the introduction of the J. League’s third division, and 10 years later, after a multitude of changes to the football pyramid’s structure, Japan would settle on a structure containing 3 professional divisions, each with 20 teams. The country is now undoubtedly considered one of, if not the top league in Asia, with only Saudi Arabia capable of comparing.
Recent years has seen a number of stars come out of the J. League and move to Europe, with some examples including Kaoru Mitoma, who signed for Brighton from Kawasaki Frontale, and the set of successful players who joined Celtic (Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Reo Hatate), during the leadership of former Yokohama Marinos manager Ange Postecoglou.
The growth of the J. League has been hugely impactful for the improvement of the country’s national team, as although their first attempt to qualify for the World Cup with professional players failed in 1994, their second attempt in 1998 saw them qualify for the first time in their history. The nation would go on to lose all of their matches in the group stage, though with a tough group that involved Argentina, as well as Croatia and Jamaica, qualifying was seen as enough of a step to show progress.
The creation of a strong league allowed for children in Japan to grow up hoping to play for local clubs which they were seeing grow before their very eyes, and the dream of winning major trophies with a team from their own town or city felt possible. Youth academies began to produce top talents that transformed the Japanese national team into a serious contender for continental tournaments, regularly able to win the top competition of Asia.
Going into the 2000s, the national team struck new ground, much like its domestic league, bringing back the Asian Cup for the second time in their history in 2000, then going on to co-host the 2002 World Cup, along with South Korea. They would then make it out of the group stage for the first time, exiting the competition in the Round of 16 against Turkey, and have qualified for every World Cup since, making it to the knockout rounds on 4 occasions. However, Japan is yet to make it to the Quarter Finals, something they will certainly be aiming for in this year’s iteration of the tournament.
Japan has stood out in Asia due to their focus on youth development, they are no longer reliant on importing aging stars from across the globe and are instead turning their own players into desirable talents wanted by top clubs in Europe. They have managed to separate themselves from many other top countries in Asia in this regard, as leagues such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar may have bolstered their domestic league’s popularity with the introduction of world class players at the end of their careers, such as Xavi, Sadio Mane, and of course Cristiano Ronaldo, yet they aren’t seeing any improvements at international tournaments, as the fans are following these players instead of the clubs themselves. How can you expect young fans to grow up wanting to play for their country, when the players they watch in the stadiums have been brought in from elsewhere?
By massively investing in its domestic league, Japan has evolved overtime in every aspect of the game, from its grassroots infrastructure that have allowed youth academies to flourish as the culture grows, to the prominence of Japanese players in top leagues across the world. They have proven that through extensive planning and investment into supporting a strong football culture, all levels of football can see positive outcomes, whether it be at a club level in the top division, a local amateur level among community-based teams, or the national team that the whole country backs, change is possible if systems are brought it to support it, and Japan have set an example that more countries need to take note of, and follow suit,
Really interesting look at how Japan built one of Asia’s strongest football systems. The development of the J. League and the national team is a great example of long-term investment paying off.
I also found it interesting to look at Japan’s trophy history and the long periods between major titles: trophydrought.com/countries/japan/