3. History of J.league

Before J. League was inaugurated, the environment which surrounded Japanese soccer was very poor. Although Japan Soccer League had already been performed, the number of fans of one game was also about 1,000 to 3,000 persons. The game of the representative of Japan for soccer was also held in the local small-scale stadium, but the seat was still in the sparse situation. For these reasons, the game level of Japanese soccer hung low for a long time, and in the world, of course, it was pulled away from the top even in Asia, and the voice which appeals for “professionalization” became large in order to overthrow this situation and to aim at improvement in popularity and a game level. And inauguration of Japan Professional Football League (J. League) was determined by the Japan Football Association initiative.

 On May 15, 1993, J. League which opened brilliantly had many influences to Japan. The pattern of the game was telecast every day and the stadium was filled by many spectators. The old stars in the world gathered so that it was called "the once star player's graveyard" at the beginning of opening, but a strong yen incomparable in history was also helped after FIFA World Cup in 1994, and the active top players in the world gathered. As for the number of one-game average spectator of this year, this record is not broken by 19,598 persons still now.

 Although it was J. League which seemed to have accomplished favorable development, a popular fall started. The performance of the team did not reach the level of the league but the Avispa Fukuoka and the Kyoto Purple Sanga which joined in 1996 hung low in the 15th place and the 16th place among 16 teams. Criticism of "there being too many teams" and "a level being low" occurred from the time. Moreover, it also caused a popular fall that the bidding result of 2002 FIFA World Cup into which Japan Football Association was putting power became the Japan-South Korea cosponsorship system which a fan did not desire. However, a two-copy system was introduced in order to respond to the increase in the club which will wish the J. League participation in 1999. Many J clubs will be born all over the country centering on rural areas by this. Since exchange of J1 and J2 was performed by introduction of a two-copy system, while attentions gathered also for the trend of J1 low-rank team, the once all-star representative belonged also to J2 more often, and also the game of the representative of Japan for soccer became the matter of national concern.