Third-placed Avispa Fukuoka won the promotion playoffs and will return to the first division after playing in the J2 for four years.
On the other end of the table, Renofa Yamaguchi have been promoted from the 2015 J3 League as the champions of the second season of the J3 League, replacing Tochigi SC and becoming the first club based in Yamaguchi Prefecture to play in the second tier since Eidai SC back in 1973.
J3 runners-up Machida Zelvia were also promoted by beating Oita Trinita in the promotion-relegation playoffs.
The participating clubs are listed in the following table: 2016 J.League Road To J1 Play-Offs (2016 J1昇格プレーオフ) Cerezo Osaka was promoted to J1 League.
League Data Site Note 1: Two games for Matchday 8 (V. Varen Nagasaki vs. Mito HollyHock; Kyoto Sanga FC vs. Roasso Kumamoto) scheduled on 17 April 2016 were affected by the series of earthquakes in Kumamoto prefecture.