The leagues are bound by the principle of promotion and relegation; however, there are stringent criteria for promotion from the JFL to J3, which demands a club being backed by the town itself including the local government, a community of fans and corporate sponsors rather than a parent company or a corporation.
The top three levels of the Japanese football league system are operated by the J.
Eighteen (18) clubs make up the top flight and have access to the Asian premier football competition, AFC Champions League.
If either or both top 2 finishers are ineligible for promotion, the playoffs and/or direct exchange is not held in accordance to the exact positions of promotion-eligible clubs.
In November 2021, J.League Chairman Murai announced that promotion from and relegation to the JFL was planned for the 2023 season.
[4] In early January 2023, the J.League published details of the J3–JFL promotion/relegation playoffs, enabling the possibility for teams to be relegated from the J3.
Prior to 2010, the JFL was governed by Japan Football Association (JFA); since 2010, the JFL became independent from the Japan FA with its own status and governing body, and consists mainly of amateur football clubs and company teams, though some fully professional clubs (J.
Due to presence of these professional clubs, the league has de facto semi-professional status.
From North to South they are Hokkaido, Touhoku, Kantou, Tokai, Hokushin-etsu (Hokuriku+Shin-etsu), Kansai, Shikoku, Chugoku, and Kyushu.
Because of differences in structure, each region has its own promotion and relegation regulations between the divisions.