Jose Sanchez
Research expert covering society, economy, & politics for Latin America
J. League - statistics & facts
Association soccer is arguably the dominating sport in Europe and South America in terms of finances and exposure. While this is not the case in many other parts of the world, the sport is gaining popularity in certain countries in East Asia, such as Japan and China. Both countries launched their current association soccer leagues relatively recently. Japan’s professional soccer circuit is called the J. League and is one of the most successful sports leagues in Asia. The J. League’s inaugural season was in 1993, starting with 10 teams. Ever since, the J. League has been expanding, developing into a three-tier system in the shape of the divisions J1, J2, and J3. In the course of its development, the J. League saw a continuous increase in the number of member teams. General matters of the league are managed by J. League Inc., the governing body of the circuit.
