J1 League
| Organising body | J.League |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1992 |
| Country | Japan |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of clubs | 20 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | J2 League |
| Domestic cup(s) | Emperor's Cup Japanese Super Cup |
| League cup | J.League Cup |
| International cup(s) | AFC Champions League Elite AFC Champions League Two |
| Current champions | Kashima Antlers (9th title) (2025) |
| Most championships | Kashima Antlers (9 titles) |
| Most appearances | Yasuhito Endō (672) |
| Top scorer | Yoshito Ōkubo (191) |
| Broadcaster(s) | DAZN (including Abema de DAZN) NHK General TV (selected matches) NHK BS (selected matches) YouTube (selected matches and markets) |
| Website | jleague.jp |
| Current: J1 100 Year Vision League | |
The J1 League (Japanese: J1リーグ, Hepburn: Jē-wan Rīgu), a.k.a. the J.League or the Meiji Yasuda J1 League (Japanese: 明治安田J1リーグ, Hepburn: Meiji Yasuda Jē-wan Rīgu) for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Japan and the highest level of the Japanese football league system.
Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the J2 League. Both the J1 and J2 leagues are operated by the Japan Professional Football League (日本プロサッカーリーグ, Nihon Puro Sakkā Rīgu).
Founded in 1992, it is one of the most successful leagues in Asian professional club football history. It was known as the J.League from 1993 to 1998 before becoming a two-division league, and as J.League Division 1 from 1999 to 2014. The current champions are Kashima Antlers, who won a record-extending ninth J.League title and a record-breaking ninth top flight title in the 2025 season.