Long viewed as the leading domestic league in Asia, the success of the J.League has led to a major upswing in the fortunes of the national team and Japanese football in general.

When the J.League started in 1993, the country had yet to make its first appearance at the finals of the World Cup.

That all changed in France in 1998 when Takeshi Okada led Japan to their first ever finals and since then the national side has been an ever-present at the World Cup.

The success of the national team lies in the development being done by the J.League and its clubs, which has seen football begin to rival established sports such as baseball and sumo in terms of popularity among the nation’s 125 million people.

There are currently two divisions, with the top flight comprising 18 teams and games are played on a round-robin, home-and-away basis meaning each league season lasts for 36 games. The season begins in March and finishes either in late November or early December.

The top three teams qualify for the Asian Champions League while the bottom two teams are relegated. The team in 16th place plays off against the third placed team in the second division for a berth in the top flight.