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.

2026 Special Season Club License

Club License	Number	Club
Ｊ１	49	Sapporo・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・Imabari・Fukuoka・Kitakyushu・Tosu・Nagasaki・Kumamoto・Oita・Kagoshima・RYUKYU
Ｊ２	10	Hachinohe・Fukushima・TOCHIGI CITY・Sagamihara・Nagano・Numazu・FC Osaka・Nara・Tottori・Miyazaki
Ｊ３	1（8）	Kochi United SC *(Rein Meer Aomori FC・Iwate・CriacaoShinjuku・YSCC Yokohama・Veertine MIE・Atletico Suzuka・Reilac Shiga FC・Verspah OITA）

• ※Clubs aiming to join J3

J.Clubs’ Revenue and Expenditure Trends

Sales (operating revenue) in FY2024 was 172.5 billion yen (60 clubs), a 14% growth rate over the 151.7 billion yen (60 clubs) in FY2023. Revenue increased for 50 of the 60 clubs (83%) across J1, J2, and J3. Urawa Reds exceeded 10 billion yen in revenue for the second consecutive year (10.2 billion yen), while Sanfrecce Hiroshima, enjoying the benefits of its new stadium, reached 8 billion yen in revenue (an increase of 3.8 billion yen from the previous year, 190%).
In the 2024 season, sponsorship revenue was 77.4 billion yen (109% of the previous year), ticket revenue was 28.8 billion yen (121% of the previous year), and retail revenue was 16.4 billion yen (115% of the previous year), all exceeding the previous year and reaching record highs.
This trend is expected to continue in FY2025, with sales projected to reach 176.7 billion yen.

Graphs I：J1, J2, and J3 club results

Graphs Ⅱ：J1, J2, and J3 club results

• ※The 2025 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.

※The information published is current as of December 22, 2025.