The final was played at National Stadium in Tokyo on January 1, 1981.
Mitsubishi Motors won the championship.
[1] Mitsubishi Motors of the First Division won their 4th title, by defeating Tanabe Pharmaceutical of the Second Division by 1–0.
Mitsubishi Motors was featured a squad consisting of Mitsuhisa Taguchi, Hiroshi Ochiai, Mitsunori Fujiguchi, Atsushi Natori, Kazuo Ozaki and Ikuo Takahara.
This was also the first Emperor's Cup final to feature a club from the second tier of Japanese football.