The was the 27th season of JFL, since its establishment in 1999. This was also the twelfth season in which the league operated as the fourth tier of Japanese football.
Overview This marked the final Japan Football League season to be played within a single calendar year, running from March to November, as future seasons would shift to a summer-to-spring format.
The number of teams stayed the same at 16 for the 2025 season, just as it was in 2024.
Under league regulations, the champion was eligible for automatic promotion to the J3 League, while the runner-up was eligible to compete in a promotion/relegation play-off
As league champions, Honda FC were ineligible for promotion because the club does not participate in the J.League licensing system. This meant only the second-place team, Reilac Shiga, qualified for the promotion/relegation play-off, where they faced Azul Claro Numazu.
Schedule The league and match format was revealed on 21 December 2024. The season kicked off on 8 March and wrapped up on 23 November. The format consists of a round-robin with 30 matches.
The J3/JFL play-offs were held over two legs, with the dates confirmed in December.
Changes from the previous season Iwate Grulla Morioka and YSCC Yokohama were relegated from the 2024 J3 League after finishing 19th and 20th, respectively. Iwate played in the JFL for the first time in their history for this season while YSCC Yokohama returned to the fourth tier after 12 years' absence.
Asuka FC, 2024 Kansai Soccer League Division 1 champion, was the sole promoted team to the JFL as they won the 2024 Regional Champions League. Asuka also played in the JFL for the first time in their history for this season.
Vonds Ichihara could have joined Briobecca Urayasu as Chiba's representatives in the JFL, had they won the 2024 JFL play-off against Minebea Mitsumi.
Sony Sendai withdrew from the JFL due to dissolution after financial troubles and ended 25 years in the fourth tier.ソニー仙台FC、JFLからの退会と来季の編成について - JFLオフィシャルサイト 2024年10月3日
On 1 January 2025, Briobecca Urayasu was renamed Briobecca Urayasu Ichikawa for this season due to aiming for the J.League.
Participating clubs The teams which possess (or are applicants of) promotion-enabling licenses are highlighted in green in the following table.
Club name Home town StadiumCapacity Position NotesAsuka FC Kashihara, Nara 5,000 JRCL (1st) Atletico Suzuka Suzuka, Mie 1,450 11th Briobecca Urayasu Ichikawa Urayasu, ChibaDaiichi Cutter Field2,1008th Criacao Shinjuku Shinjuku-ku, TokyoAjinomoto Field Nishigaoka7,258 14th 100 Year Plan statusJ3 license holdersHonda FC Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium2,506 7th Iwate Grulla Morioka Morioka, Iwate Iwagin Stadium9,892 J3 (20th) J1 license holdersMaruyasu Okazaki Okazaki, Aichi 5,000 13th Minebea Mitsumi Miyazaki, Miyazaki Hinata Athletic Stadium20,000 16th Okinawa SV All cities/towns in OkinawaTapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium10,1899th Reilac Shiga Kusatsu, Shiga 15,000 4th 100 Year Plan status applicantsJ3 license holders Aomori, Aomori Kakuhiro Group Athletic Stadium20,809 10th J3 license holdersTiamo Hirakata Hirakata, Osaka 2,500 3rd Veertien Mie All cities/towns in Mie 5,077 5th J3 license holdersVerspah Oita Yufu, Beppu & Ōita, Ōita 4,700 6th J3 license holdersYokogawa Musashino Musashino, Tokyo Musashino Municipal Athletic Stadium5,188 15th YSCC Yokohama Yokohama, KanagawaNippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium15,454 J3 (19th) J2 license holders
Personnel and kits Club Manager Kit manufacturer Main shirt sponsorAsuka FC Naohiko Minobe SquadraMaru IndustryAtletico Suzuka Fujio Yamamoto AthletaTopiaBriobecca Urayasu Ichikawa Satoshi Tsunami soccer junkyUrataCriacao Shinjuku Hideaki Kitajima Mitsubishi FashionAssetleadHonda FC Shota Itokazu UmbroHondaIwate Grulla Morioka Kei Hoshikawa KelmeNovaMaruyasu Okazaki Hiroyasu Ibata AthletaMaruyasuMinebea Mitsumi Yōsuke Miyaji UmbroMinebeaMitsumiOkinawa SV Rei Onogi XFNescaféReilac Shiga Makoto Kakuda DEZRei BeautyDermatology ClinicReinMeer Aomori Masato Harasaki UmbroTowaTiamo Hirakata Takahiro Futagawa JogarbolaIzawa TowelVeertien Mie Shuichi Mase SfidaCosmo OilVerspah Oita Gen Nakamura YasudaHoyo GroupYokogawa Musashino Takanori Kanamori PumaYokogawa ElectricYSCC Yokohama Tsuyoshi Omatsu PenaltyMy Basket
Managerial changes Team Outgoing Exit date Position in table Incoming Incoming dateAnnounced on Departed on Announced on Arrived onYSCC Yokohama Hiroaki Nagamine Contract terminated 11 July 2025 10 July 2025 13th Yuya Shiga (Interim) 11 July 2025 10 July 2025 Yuya Shiga (Interim) Full time coach appointed 17 July 2025 17 July 2025 14th Tsuyoshi Omatsu 17 July 2025 17 July 2025
Foreign players ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4Former players Asuka FC Atletico Suzuka Diego Washington Mohammed Lamine Briobecca Urayasu Ichikawa Criacao Shinjuku Honda FC Iwate Grulla Morioka Sillas Cédric Toussaint Ryu Se-gun Won Tae-rang Kim Sung-kon Maruyasu Okazaki Minebea Mitsumi Okinawa SV Reilac Shiga ReinMeer Aomori Arthur Bessa Luiz Fernando Han Yong-gi Park Yong-ji Tiamo Hirakata Kim Sung-kon Thanakrit Laorkai Kim Ji-myung Thitipat Ekarunpong Veertien Mie Kim Song-sun Ryang Hyon-ju Verspah Oita Yokogawa Musashino Kim Tae-uk Park Kwan-gyu YSCC Yokohama Onye Ogochukwu Kim Yong-u Park Si-eon Lee Yoon-sung
League table
J3/JFL Play-offs The play-offs, officially called the 2025 J3/JFL Play-offs (), took place on 7 and 14 December 2025. If the two teams had been level after 180 minutes, the second match would have gone to extra time and penalties if required. The away goals rule wouldn't be in effect.
Overview
Matches
JFL/Regional Leagues promotion/relegation playoff The play-off () took place on 30 November 2025.
Atletico Suzuka relegated to the Tōkai Soccer League Division 1; Vonds Ichihara promoted to the JFL.
Top scorers
See also 2025 Japanese Super Cup 2025 Emperor's Cup 2025 J.League Cup 2025 J1 League 2025 J2 League 2025 J3 League 2025 Japanese Regional Football Champions League 2025 Japanese Regional Leagues
Footnotes
References
External links Official website