Dissatisfaction with the J.League
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When the J.League was established, tickets were so popular they were called platinum tickets.
This popularity was boosted by celebratory popularity surrounding the J.League’s establishment. In other words, it’s also true that many people who didn’t know soccer became interested and attended matches at stadiums.
However, it wasn’t just people’s interest that made it popular. Soccer is one of the most popular sports recognized by everyone.
Comparing it to the current J.League reveals several factors.
1. Number of Club Teams
At the time of the J.League’s establishment, there were 10 club teams.
This number is considered appropriate as a business model even when compared to professional baseball (And, we believe the number could certainly be increased by a few teams). Also, since the club teams were dispersed, local J.League fans could focus their support on their respective club teams.
For example, regarding the average attendance figures for club teams in Kanagawa Prefecture in 2025:
- Kawasaki Frontale – 22,050
- Yokohama F. Marinos – 26,578
- Shonan Bellmare – 11,431
- Yokohama FC – 10,199
- SC Sagamihara – 2,810
- YSCC Yokohama – 1,265 (As of 2025/05/03)
What if there were only one club team in Kanagawa Prefecture ?
High-precision predictions require a huge number of factors, and even average attendance figures couldn’t be calculated simply.
For example, assuming half the total, that would be approximately 37,167 people.
Although there’s no solid evidence for this figure, increasing the number of club teams likely results in cannibalization among the club teams themselves, leading to significant lost opportunities.
This impacts not only ticket revenue but also sales of merchandise like uniforms.
Currently, the J.League has expanded to 60 club teams. We believe even one team per prefecture is excessive, but there are multiple club teams existing within a single prefecture.
Also, since the current chairman took office, it feels like the J.League’s objective has become compelling local governments nationwide to construct countless luxurious J.League exclusive stadiums.
2. Number of Matches
The current J.League operates on a principle of one match per week. As a result, club teams only have two matches per month to generate revenue.
This makes it impossible to cover player salaries through ticket revenue (+ merchandise revenue), which is the very foundation of professional sports. To put it bluntly, there’s a potential risk of them being labeled as the “J-League where salaries and popularity don’t match” or the “J-League that can’t even earn its own salaries as professional sport”.
An additional related issue is that ticket prices are too cheap.
To put it cynically, it makes us suspect J-League/Club team want to use cheap tickets to boost attendance numbers as a means to demand new stadiums. Indeed, there are frequent complaints that stadium capacities are too small, preventing many fans from watching matches.
It is distasteful that club teams, being private companies, seem to think it’s only natural for tax money to construct stadiums they exclusively occupy.
Before demanding a new stadium with only two matches per month, the club team should consider raising ticket prices.
When the J.League was established, matches were primarily held on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
If the number of club teams were appropriate, it seems they can increase the number of matches by expanding the roster of players under contract…
3. Draws
I attend nearly 10 J.League matches a year. However, sometimes after watching 90 minutes, the game ends in a scoreless draw. (In baseball, even if the result is a scoreless draw, there’s extra innings.)
When the J.League was established, it used the V-Goal system for a definitive result. At that time, since a winner was always decided, I think there was a tension that kept viewers watching until the end of the match.
That said, I’m not against drawn matches. I just dislike when a scoreless draw ends without extra time.
The J.League abolished the V-Goal system by 2003.
There were likely several reasons for its abolition, but the main factor I remember hearing was aligning with global standards. Indeed, FIFA had removed the Golden Goal from official match-deciding methods.Another possible reason was to eliminate the sense of unfairness in extra time scenarios where the opposing team never touched the ball from kickoff to the final whistle, or where teams didn’t change ends until to the final whistle.
Also, it might have considered factors like the return home time for fans and supporters after night games.
Even so, when the score is tied at zero, I want to see a little more of the match.
For example, how about a rule like this ?
Only when the score is tied at zero, play two halves totaling 20 minutes (10 minutes each). However, if the match remains undecided after extra time, it ends in a draw.
4. The Distinction Between Professional and Amateur
What we find unacceptable is the promotion and relegation system between the J3 League and the JFL.In our understanding, the JFL is fundamentally an amateur national league, even if some club teams have players under professional contracts.
Why is a promotion and relegation system necessary between the J.League which is a professional league, and the JFL which is an amateur league ?
This feels like declaring that “the J.League is a professional league competing at the level of amateurs”.
In our view, professional and amateur sports should be clearly separated.
This system demonstrates a lack of perspective from the business operators running the club teams.The J.League is merely glossing over the system that cannot be called professional by labeling it a ‘culture’ where club teams are operated with corporate support and tax money from local governments, and only the club teams receive the profits.
Additionally, while the JFL is amateur, it requires luxurious J.League exclusive stadiums if promotion is the goal, and it feels like the J.League’s objective has become compelling local governments nationwide to construct countless luxurious J.League exclusive stadiums.
Reference: Kaisha SHIKIHO [Japan Company Handbook] ONLINE “Influential Chairman Nonomura’s blueprint for a ‘profitable J.League’: The key is the creation of a ’20 billion yen club“ (2024/08/15)
https://shikiho.toyokeizai.net/news/0/774109
Reference: The Nikkei “The Value of ‘J’: The Road to Redefinition: Mitsuru Murai, Former J. League Chairman, Reflecting on 30 Years of the J. League (4)” (2024/08/15)
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQODH0837M0Y3A500C2000000
Thanks.