5. Great Soccer Players

There are many great soccer players in J. League.

First, Nakayama Masashi was great player. He is called by the nickname called Gon Nakayama. It is him that scored most goals in J. League. The number of his total goals is 157. It is surprising number because the number of most second total goals is 139 so there are difference of 20 goals between the first place and second place. This record is not broken for a while. And, he also left record which scored goals most in one season. In 1998, he scored 36 goals. In the same year, he attained the four-game continuation hat trick. This record is authorized by the Guinness record. Moreover, he attained the hat trick in 3 minutes and 15 seconds since the game began, this records is also authorized by the Guinness record. Although these records are also great, he has more wonderful record. It is the oldest record as a soccer player of J. League. He retired as an active player in 2012, however, he had been playing soccer on the active list to 45 years old. He has supported the Japan soccer during 19 years as a professional soccer player. Probably, there is no person who loved soccer like him so.

Miura Kazuyoshi is a great player in the same generation of Nakayama Masashi. He has been supporting Japan soccer with Nakayama. He is the oldest player of J. League now when Nakayama returned to private life. He has the one representative of Japan most score record. He is also a player of the time of J. League opening, and is king of a Japanese soccer.

 There is a great soccer player otherwise. The name is Endo Yasuhito. He is a player of the representative of Japan who belongs to the Gamba Osaka. He came out as a representative of Japan in 2002 and now he became the player who participated in the game most as a representative of Japan. His path is very exact and serves as an offensive starting point. He is a player who now does not make it write the representative of Japan as a game maker. He became the Asian Footballer of the year in 2009. Although Gamba Osaka had demoted to J2, it achieved the championship by J2 with his power this year. And Gamba Osaka determined to promote to J1.he is 33 years old now, however, he will contribute to a victory as a center of the representative of Japan from now on.

4. J. League Clubs

There are 18 clubs in J. League 1 and 22 clubs in J. League 2. At the time of J. League opening, there were ten clubs. The club names are Kashima Antlers, JEF United Ichihara, Urawa Red Diamonds, Verdy Kawasaki, Yokohama Marinos, Yokohama Flugels, Shimizu S-Pulse, Nagoya Grampus Eight, Gamba Osaka and Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C. Those clubs are called the original 10. Now, however, some of the club’s name was changed. Nine clubs survive. Yokohama Flugels united with Yokohama Marinos and the club name became Yokohama F Marinos. Ten teams newly participated in J. League behind. Furthermore, J. League became a two-copy system and ten teams participated. Those ten clubs called the J2 original 10. Nine clubs of them are promoted to J1 now.

It is Kashima Antlers that gained most championships. The number of times is seven. It is surprising number because the number of championship of the team which got most second championship (Yokohama F Marinos and Jubilo Iwata) is three. The number of times of Antlers is more than twice the team of second. Especially, Kashima Antlers won the victory in series for three years from 2007 to 2009. Furthermore, the Kashima Antlers is also the only club which has attained the triple crowns (J. League division1, the J. League cup, the Emperor's Cup all Japan soccer championship) in one season. In addition to this, the Antlers had left much wonderful record, such as the league match highest win streak (16 successive victories). Of course, there are many teams which have left great record not only the Antlers.

And a new big motion is seen now in J. League. It is establishment of J. League division 3. The embodiment of the measure which builds "the club which can aim at J. League" 100 or more all over the country is one of the purposes of J3 establishment.  The number of collection clubs in the degree of J3 inauguration first year (they are 2014 seasons at the fastest) was determined by 12, after discussion at the J. League executive board meeting of holding in July, 2013. 7 teams can accept the affiliation to J3 now, and it is progressing to the establishment of J3 of next year steadily. The promotion demotion system of J2, and J3, J3 and JFL is also introduced. A soccer level of Japan will improve increasingly and game population will increase by this establishment of J3.