Japanese Regional Leagues (地域リーグ) are a group of parallel association football leagues in Japan that are organized on the regional basis. They form the fifth and sixth tier of the Japanese association football league system below the nationwide Japan Football League.

Overview

Japan is divided regionally in a variety of ways, some of them administrative and some more historical. For football purposes, the country is divided into nine regions. All regional league champions earn the right to participate in the Regional Football League Competition (since 2016 renamed Japanese Regional Football Champions League) at the end of the year. Runners-up may also qualify according to criteria set by the Japan Football Association. Regional league clubs also compete in the All Japan Senior Football Championship, a cup competition. The winner of this cup also earns a berth in the Regional League promotion series, and the runner-up may also qualify depending on space and JFA criteria. Regional league clubs must win the qualifying cup in their home prefecture in order to compete in the Emperor's Cup. Since the divisions rarely go over 10 members, the season is shorter and long summer breaks may be taken. Among the existing Japanese clubs there are ten that have never played in the regional leagues. They are: Additionally, the forerunners to Tosu Futures, Kashima Antlers, Avispa Fukuoka and Vissel Kobe were originally based in different regions (and won or were promoted from those regions) from where they, or their successors, are based today:

[Football regions in Japan:

Hokkaido subdivision boundaries are by Block League. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Japanese///football///regions///colored.png]

Regional Leagues clubs, 2024

Hokkaido Soccer League

Tohoku Member-of-Society Soccer League

Kantō Soccer League

Hokushinetsu Football League

Tōkai Adult Soccer League

Kansai Soccer League

Chūgoku Soccer League

Shikoku Soccer League

Kyushu Soccer League