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.

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.

2. What is J.league?

 “J. League” is an abbreviated designation for “Japan Professional Football League”. Sponsoring bodies are public utility foundation corporation Japan Football Association (JFA) and incorporated-association-for-the-public-good Japan Professional Football League.

From 1993 to 1998, it was held by 18 clubs by the maximum from ten clubs as "J. League" of only one division. And in 1999, J. League shifted to a two-division system of J. League division 1 and J. League division 2. There are 40 clubs in Japan. 18 clubs belong to J1, and the other clubs belong to J2.

 The ideology of J. League is the following three.

*Improvement in a level of Japanese soccer, and spreading and promotion of soccer

* Promotion of rich sports culture, and contribution to healthy development of national mind and body

* The contribution to the exchange and goodwill in international society

And the right to participate in AFC Champions League (ACL) can be granted to a degree next year at a total of 4 teams of top 3 teams including the victorious team of J. League division 1 and the 2-3rd place of the annual final rankings of the league, and an Emperor's Cup all Japan soccer championship victorious team.

Although it may be held even on Wednesday for the reasons of a schedule now, the game of J1 and J2 is fundamentally divided and held in two days, Saturday and Sunday, every week. Although the game held on Saturday and Sunday is a day game fundamentally, even a night game may be performed in the form where the holding time and the live telecast of a game are considered. Moreover, all games held on weekdays other than a public holiday are held in the night game. In addition, the final paragraph has unified the date and kickoff time of all the games. The J. League cup and the game of J2 are not constructed in principle one day of a game of the representative of Japan in 2008 and afterwards.

J1 entry determination game will be carried out in 1998. From 1999, the exchange system was introduced with shift to the two-copy system of J1 and J2. If J2 club which acquired the right of J1 promotion is not filling with examination by J. League to the standard of J1, J1 promotion is canceled, and J2 demotion is also canceled from the 16th place of J1. Since post-season one in 2012, when the promotion to J2 from Japan Football League (JFL) is, the demotion to JFL of the same number from J2 occurs.

1. History of soccer

　

Do you know soccer? Soccer is sometimes called football. As the name suggest, soccer is sport of kicking a ball. And the team which makes more goal than the opponent team is winner. It is very simple sport. There are many rumors of origin of soccer, however, International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) regards China as the oldest form of it. In fifteenth century, there was play like soccer in Italy. The name is Calcio. It is the nearest existence of modern soccer. It is England that football was formed as a modernistic sport. At the beginning, although it carried out with the form near play of a farm village, it gradually carried out by preparing appearance as a sport. In this time, the football differed in the rule for every school. But the common rule was drawn up in Cambridge University in 1846. This became a basis of the rule of the present soccer. In this way, although it converged on the 2 large-number-of-people power of the "rule which forbids using a hand" centering on the Eaton college, and the "rule which permits using a hand" centering on a Rugby school by the 1850s, still big distance was among both. And farewell of two games (soccer and Rugby) was achieved. This was just a moment of soccer birth. Further the football association was established by the representatives of the public school who asserted the rule "which forbids using a hand." The soccer which was able to be begun in England spread in British each area (Scotland, Wales, Ireland). Though it was private in London, the world's first international match was held between England and Scotland on March 5, 1870. And the first formal international match was carried out between England and Scotland in the world on November 30, 1872. In England, FA cup which will be the first soccer convention 1872 was started. This is a model of the cup game in many other countries and the area. Moreover, domestic outstanding player clubs were collected and the football league which started in 1888 was carried out. In soccer, this is the first league match and many countries and the area make it the model of the league match of their own country.  The first International Convention was an Olympics soccer game in soccer. As an open game, it is carried out from time First Athens Olympics, and was adopted as a formal game at the London Olympic Games in 1908. However, now, FIFA World Cup which should also be called festival of soccer serves as the world's largest sporting event exceeding the Olympic Games.