With the J.League set to adopt a European-style autumn–spring calendar, Japanese football will undergo a prolonged hiatus before the 2026/27 season finally kicks off in the first week of August. To bridge this unprecedented gap, the league has introduced two special transitional competitions: the 2026 J.League 1 100 Year Vision League and the 2026 J.League 2/J.League 3 100 Year Vision League.
These tournaments will exist outside the traditional promotion and relegation framework. There will be no promotions into or relegations out of either competition. However, competitive incentives remain strong, as the winners of the 2026 J1 100 Year Vision League will qualify for the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite, joining the 2025 J1 champions Kashima Antlers and runners-up Kashiwa Reysol as Japan’s representatives.
All 20 J1 clubs will participate in the J1 tournament, split into two geographically aligned groups of ten teams.
The West Group comprises Kyushu-based sides Avispa Fukuoka and V-Varen Nagasaki; Kansai representatives Gamba Osaka, Cerezo Osaka, Vissel Kobe, and Kyoto Sanga; alongside Shimizu S-Pulse, Fagiano Okayama, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, and Nagoya Grampus.
The East Group, meanwhile, features Kashima Antlers, Kashiwa Reysol, FC Tokyo, Tokyo Verdy, Machida Zelvia, Kawasaki Frontale, Yokohama F. Marinos, Urawa Red Diamonds, JEF United Chiba, and Mito HollyHock.
Notably, every club in the East Group is based in the Kanto region, specifically within the Greater Tokyo Area. This includes Tokyo’s three clubs (FC Tokyo, Tokyo Verdy, and Machida Zelvia), Kanagawa-based rivals Kawasaki Frontale and Yokohama F. Marinos, Saitama’s Urawa Red Diamonds, Chiba’s Kashiwa Reysol and JEF United Chiba, as well as Ibaraki representatives Kashima Antlers and Mito HollyHock. As a result, virtually every fixture in the East Group will double as a local derby, promising intense rivalries and consistently high attendances.
Teams will face each group opponent home and away, following a standard points system for wins. However, in a notable departure from convention—reminiscent of the EFL Trophy in England or Major League Soccer in the late 1990s—drawn matches will be decided by a penalty shootout. Shootout winners will receive two points, while losers will earn one.
Once the group stage concludes, teams finishing in the same position across both groups will face off in classification play-offs: first vs first to decide the league title, second vs second for third place, and so on, ensuring a definitive overall ranking from top to bottom.
The 2026 J2/J3 100 Year Vision League will combine both divisions into a single tournament featuring 40 clubs, divided into four groups of ten. While the match regulations largely mirror those of the J1 competition, the expanded format necessitates a different group structure, with teams finishing in the same group position advancing to play-off matches to determine the final standings.
The West-A Group consists of FC Osaka, Kamatamare Sanuki, Nara Club, Tokushima Vortis, Ehime FC, Albirex Niigata, FC Imabari, Zweigen Kanazawa, Kochi United, and Kataller Toyama.
The West-B Group includes Giravanz Kitakyushu, Gainare Tottori, Roasso Kumamoto, Renofa Yamaguchi, Oita Trinita, Reilac Shiga, Kagoshima United, Tegevajaro Miyazaki, FC Ryukyu, and Sagan Tosu.
In the east, the East-A Group features Tochigi SC, Vanraure Hachinohe, Tochigi City, Vegalta Sendai, Yokohama FC, Montedio Yamagata, Shonan Bellmare, Blaublitz Akita, SC Sagamihara, and Thespa Gunma.
The East-B Group is made up of Iwaki FC, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, RB Omiya Ardija, Matsumoto Yamaga, Ventforet Kofu, Fukushima United, Júbilo Iwata, Nagano Parceiro, Fujieda MYFC, and FC Gifu.
Ultimately, the 100 Year Vision Leagues represent more than a stopgap solution. They are a bold experiment in competition design—one that prioritizes regional rivalries, maintains sporting intensity during a calendar transition, and offers clubs a meaningful platform in a season without conventional stakes. Whether this format becomes a one-off historical footnote or a blueprint for future innovation, it will undoubtedly mark a unique and defining chapter in the evolution of Japanese professional football.