Club License

Purpose of the Club Licensing System

The objectives of the introduction of the club licensing system can be broadly summed up as “the sustained improvement in the standards of football in terms of competition and facilities” and “the stabilisation of the management of clubs and the improvement of their financial capacity and credibility.”

The J.LEAGUE Club Licensing System has “J1 Club License” which allows clubs to participate in J1, J2, and J3 leagues, “J2 Club License” which allows clubs to participate in J2 and J3 leagues, and “J3 Club License” which allows clubs to participate in J3 leagues only. Any J1, J2 or J3 club can apply for any of these club licenses, and clubs wishing to join J.LEAGUE can apply for J3 Club License.

2025 Season Club License

Club License	Number	Club
Ｊ１	49	Sapporo・Iwate・Sendai・Akita・Yamagata・ Iwaki・Kashima・Mito・Tochigi・Gunma・Urawa ・Omiya・Chiba・Kashiwa・FC TOKYO・Tokyo-V・FC Machida・Kawasaki-F・Yokohama F･M・ Yokohama FC・Shonan・Kofu・Matsumoto・Niigata・Toyama・Kanazawa・Shimizu・Iwata・Fujieda・Nagoya・FC Gifu・Kyoto・G-Osaka・C-Osaka・Kobe・Okayama・Hiroshima・Yamaguchi・Sanuki・Tokushima・Ehime FC・Fukuoka・Kitakyushu・Tosu・Nagasaki・Kumamoto・Oita・Kagoshima・RYUKYU
Ｊ２	11	Hachinohe・Fukushima・YSCC Yokohama・Sagamihara・Nagano・Numazu・FC Osaka・Nara・Tottori・Imabari・Miyazaki
Ｊ３	（7）	*（Rein Meer Aomori FC、TOCHIGI CITY、CriacaoShinjuku、Veertine MIE、Reilac Shiga FC、Kochi United SC、Verspah OITA）

• ※Clubs aiming to join J3

J.Club’s Income and Expenditure Trends

Operating revenue in FY2023 was 151.7 billion yen (60 clubs), a 10% growth rate over the 137.5 billion yen (58 clubs) in FY2022. Revenue increased for 88% of the J1 and J2 clubs, with Urawa Reds exceeding 10 billion yen (10.3 billion yen).
In the 2023 season, increased media exposure and extensive promotional activities resulted in a 37% increase in ticket revenue, which reached 23.8 billion yen, or 110% of the levels prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (FY2019). Sponsorship revenue and retail revenue also reached record levels.
This trend looks set to continue in FY2024, with operating revenue forecast to reach around 160 billion yen.

Graphs I：J1, J2, and J3 club results

Graphs Ⅱ：J1, J2, and J3 club results

• ※The 2024 season figures in Graphs I and II are J.LEAGUE’s projections based on forecasts of J1, J2, and J3 club results. They may be subject to revision depending on future circumstances.