― In April this year, the “J.LEAGUE Youth Development Partners” was established as a new category within the J.LEAGUE Official Partners. What was the intention behind this?

Masumoto：It was established as a partnership focused specifically on player development, with sponsors supporting J.LEAGUE’s player development-related initiatives. In visible terms, partners’ names appear on uniforms during select-team activities, and signboards are displayed at matches—we are already receiving various forms of support. Behind the scenes, partners have also held seminars during activities. These were valuable programmes that enhanced the quality of select-team activities.

― In supporting academies, have you noticed any changes compared with before?

Masumoto：We haven’t made any particular changes to our support methods this year. However, within the existing academy grant system, as we discussed the importance of tackling individual development, I’ve noticed an increase in cases where individuals go on study abroad through clubs’ own initiatives. Clubs are finding various ways to utilise the system. In J.LEAGUE youth development, we are promoting an initiative called “IDP” (Individual Development Plan), and we have seen efforts to visualise and implement goal-setting, growth indicators, and action plans tailored to each individual player.

― I imagine the detailed announcement will come in 2026, but is there anything you can share about the breakdown of academy activity grants for the 2025 season?

Masumoto：In straightforward terms, I believe the amount of grant utilisation has increased compared with 2024. Also, while the overall number of grant utilisation hasn’t increased dramatically, it is noteworthy that clubs that previously hadn’t utilised grants have started to do so. We’ve had cases of clubs attempting overseas trips for the first time, or planning tournaments for the first time.

Kobayashi：Regarding each club’s activities, we share knowledge across all 60 J.LEAGUE clubs. For example, some clubs have used grants in interesting ways, and others have reported the challenges they faced on their first overseas trip. Blaublitz Akita’s report was particularly fascinating.
By having clubs present what went from zero to one, other clubs gain courage and start thinking, “next time, we’ll do it too.” By repeating this, the number of “first-time clubs” decreases, and activities become richer—I feel this system is taking shape.

Masumoto：That point was something we valued in clubs’ use of academy grants. If grants are used and only one club gains the knowledge and experience, that benefit remains limited to that single club. The key to these grants is to progress while sharing across all 60 clubs. Therefore, in exchange for using grants, clubs must properly report on their activities and share those experiences with other clubs. Thanks to the understanding of all clubs, thorough reports are produced, and a cycle has developed in which each club plans the following year’s initiatives while sharing these reports. We hope to raise the level of J.LEAGUE academies as a whole through mutual improvement and stimulation.

Kobayashi：Montedio Yamagata used theirs for coach activities, didn’t they?

Masumoto：There were also patterns where coaches accompanied players going overseas to gain experience together.

― Measuring the success of youth development initiatives must be difficult. What cases would make you feel a sense of success or achievement for the J.LEAGUE or for yourself personally?

Masumoto：It’s hard to say in one sentence. What we’re working on now is an effort to sow as many seeds as possible, believing they will bloom even though we don’t know when. Some might say the seeds we sow won’t bloom, but we must keep sowing—that’s what player development work is about. That said, when we see players who came through J.LEAGUE academies succeed in the J.LEAGUE or on the world stage, we do feel a sense of achievement. It’s difficult to definitively state that a certain number of players thriving in the J.LEAGUE means success, but we always hope to see an increasing number of academy graduates succeeding each year.

Kobayashi：Still, when considering existing systems or future initiatives, we mustn’t shy away from measuring probabilities and final outcomes quantitatively. Also, having been a player myself, speaking from my own experience, there is significant serendipity in players’ careers. I happened to encounter a team and coaches in a place I moved to because of my parents’ circumstances, and that became the catalyst for my growth. Much happens beyond what adults involved in youth development can design. Therefore, I personally think it’s important to recognise that players’ careers are more shaped by chance than we might think. Taking that perspective, we want to provide opportunities and catalysts for even slightly better chance encounters.
The same applies to select-team activities and trips—what players gain from them is up to them. When I recently went to Brazil, I saw that players can grasp something from a single play, or they might feel something just walking down the street. In a world where the range of normal life experiences is somewhat limited, what J.LEAGUE youth development can do is expand that range. That’s what grants and select-team activities are for.

― Among this year’s activities, there were also post-youth initiatives conducted in collaboration with the Japan Football Association (JFA). The issue of players who join J.Clubs straight out of high school struggling to get playing time has long been pointed out.

Masumoto：We wanted to address that issue, which is why we are launching the U-21 J.LEAGUE from the 2026/27 season. While preparing for that, we also wanted to proactively do what we could now. We’ve undertaken various challenges before, but there were barriers. However, if we don’t overcome these barriers, the post-youth generation will become hollow. The JFA shared the same concerns, so we decided to work together.

Masumoto：Masumoto: This year, as a collaborative project with the JFA, we held four post-youth activities. In April, the U-22 J.LEAGUE Select team played against a Kanto Universities Select team, and in May they faced a Kansai Universities Select team. In June, the U-20 J.LEAGUE Select team went on an overseas trip, and in November the U-18 J.LEAGUE Select team went on a European tour. Through this project, I believe we confronted and addressed longstanding challenges. One outcome was that we were able to share recognition of these challenges with the clubs. In the first and second activities, where the U-22 J.LEAGUE Select team played against university select teams, the difference in official match playing time up to that point was clearly evident. The J.LEAGUE Select players turned professional straight out of high school, so they naturally have excellent potential, but they struggle to get playing opportunities in top-team competition. Meanwhile, the university select players had played many official matches, and the difference in match sharpness was stark. I believe the players themselves, as well as the club officials who attended, felt the negative impact of a lack of playing opportunities. This coincided with a period of deepening discussions about the U-21 J.LEAGUE, and I think those matches influenced the creation of the league. The 2025 activities were significant in that respect as well.

― Eleven clubs have announced their participation in the U-21 J.LEAGUE. Was this the number you expected?

Masumoto：Participation in the U-21 J.LEAGUE naturally requires significant investment, making it a difficult decision for clubs. Still, eleven clubs have concluded that growth for the post-youth generation and stretching academy players are necessary. Personally, I’ll be honest—the number exceeded my expectations.

Kobayashi：There’s no doubt that perspectives on the issue have aligned. This might be a slight overstatement, but those matches reaffirmed that increasing playing opportunities is a shared understanding among those involved in youth development. Japan National Team manager Hajime MORIYASU and other key figures in Japanese football came to watch. The matches attracted that much attention, and their ripple effects extended in many directions, including exposure. A context was created: here lies a challenge for Japanese football, and the U-21 J.LEAGUE is the solution.

― Do you think the creation of the U-21 J.LEAGUE will also influence career paths for high school-age players—whether to turn professional or to go to university?

Masumoto：I can’t say for certain, but when a player joins a club and struggles to get playing time, the options might previously have been to stay and bet on potential or to seek playing opportunities through a loan transfer. In that sense, I think the options have simply increased. It’s true that some have argued that U-21 J.LEAGUE matches are unnecessary because loan transfers exist, but then the club cannot observe the player firsthand, and daily communication becomes impossible. In terms of providing more diverse pathways, the creation of the U-21 J.LEAGUE is meaningful. Of course, there’s much we won’t know until it starts, but we want to create a system that even slightly increases the probability of player development.

― The ability to monitor that development firsthand on a daily basis seems significant.

Masumoto：I expect that clubs will be able to promote player development more than ever in line with their own development strategies. There are players who go on loan, gain match experience, return to their original club and thrive. However, there are also cases where loaned players don’t get playing time, so they simply spend the loan period at the destination club. Looking at overseas examples, some clubs have coaches dedicated to managing loaned players. This is extremely important, but in Japan we haven’t yet reached that level. Therefore, the ideal is for clubs to support player development under a solid development strategy even after players graduate from the academy. If they can gain experience, they can immediately play for the top team when they succeed. I hope such a cycle can be created. From there, I see development accelerating straightforwardly. Since match experience for top-tier academy players will increase, their development speed should naturally rise too. I have high expectations for the U-21 J.LEAGUE.

― What do you mean by “not necessarily good for everyone”?

Masumoto：Because, naturally, there are also late-blooming players whose development is slower. However, if there are pathways for such players to develop, we can raise the overall level of Japanese football. Within that, I believe the U-21 J.LEAGUE, integrated with each club’s top team and academy, can enable clubs to develop players as a unified organisation.

― Currently, eleven clubs will participate in the U-21 J.LEAGUE. Do you expect that number to rise in the future?

Masumoto：I think there are clubs waiting to see how other clubs’ situations develop before deciding to participate. It will be eleven clubs for the first two years, but if we can run a strong league competition during that time, I personally expect more clubs to join.

― In the past, there were U-23 teams in J3. They also aimed to give players playing opportunities, but they were sometimes used for players recovering from injuries and didn’t always become venues where young players thrived. This time, for the first two years, up to six overage players are permitted.

Masumoto：Simply put, there’s also a squad size issue. If we completely limited it to players 21 and under, it would become very difficult to form a team. We’ve been discussing such issues with clubs considering participation for several months. The current regulation proposal is the result of discussions about what rules would maintain the league’s level. Squads are also changing from the old days, and while we won’t forget the original purpose of the U-21 J.LEAGUE, we’ll start with some relaxation and optimise from there. We want to run the league well while striking a good balance between ideals and reality.

― From the 2026/27 season, the J.LEAGUE will transition to a season running from August to May of the following year. One concern is that, under Japan’s school system, both high school and university graduations are in March, so unlike before, the J.LEAGUE season start won’t align with the graduation schedule. Going forward, there will be a several-month gap as players progress from university or high school to J.Clubs. Meanwhile, competitions such as the Prince Takamado Trophy JFA U-18 Football Premier League will continue to start in spring and end in winter as before. How do those involved in youth development at J.LEAGUE academies feel about this gap?

Masumoto：We are continuing discussions to find the best solution. The honest answer is that the system design is in progress.

Kobayashi：It’s an extremely complex agenda. For example, the Premier League coexists with high school teams. In other words, stakeholders extend beyond the J.LEAGUE. Making major changes to that carries risks, and the same goes for universities. The All Japan High School Soccer Tournament, held around the New Year, has already become a major content property and is deeply rooted in society. The reality is that making changes is not straightforward.

Masumoto：Of course, it’s desirable for the top team and academy seasons to align. The gap between seasons also shifts the timing of employment opportunities for staff, affecting contract periods. So aligning the top team and academy feels natural, but school clubs that compete alongside academies in youth league competitions have school schedules. We represent 60 clubs, but when we speak with school representatives, they talk about thousands of schools—naturally, things can’t be moved easily. We will move ahead while seeking the optimal format, considering all these factors. However, we must not forget a fundamental principle: to play as many matches as possible during the best time of the year.

― In a sense, reconciling the ideals and realities of youth development may be the task of those involved in J.LEAGUE youth development. With that in mind, please share what you’d like to work on going forward.

Kobayashi：Until 2024, I served as a director at a J.Club top team, and I approached my work wanting everyone involved with the club to be happy and prosperous. Now my scope has shifted to the league—the J.LEAGUE and those involved in academies—and I still want them to be happy and prosperous. The scope has broadened, but that feeling remains the same as ever. I want to work from our position so that each person feels glad they came to their club, or glad they joined their club’s academy.
Even if players improve at football, they mustn’t be made unhappy by it—that’s something I often tell players. Both players and staff should use football to make themselves happy. There’s a framework called the J.LEAGUE, within which there are clubs, and within those are top teams and academies. My wish for those involved to be happy will never change.

Masumoto：The J.LEAGUE has three missions: “To raise the level of Japanese football and promote the diffusion of the game through the medium of professional football,” “To foster the development of Japan’s sporting culture, to assist in the healthy mental and physical growth of Japanese people,” and “To contribute to international friendship and exchange.” I have always valued these, even in my youth development work. Beyond winning or losing and improving players’ competitive abilities, I always want to consider how we can deliver on what the J.LEAGUE’s missions represent.
The work of J.LEAGUE youth development is to nurture professional footballers, but I believe the value of J.LEAGUE academies lies in enabling youth players to also grow as people through the process of aspiring to become professional footballers. Among the diverse pathways available to youth players, J.LEAGUE academies are precious places where players can aim to become professional footballers at professional football clubs. Consequently, J.LEAGUE academy development programmes must always be of the highest quality. I want to face that responsibility squarely.
As a result, academy players might not become professionals and instead go on to pursue various life paths. Regardless, I hope that all those who passed through J.LEAGUE academies take pride in and confidence in the time they spent there as they go out into society. We want to continue working on this in cooperation with all the clubs.

Text by : Kei SATO
Photography: Hiroaki ISHIKAWA (Matoi Creative LLC.)