Both divisions of the

Japan Soccer League , or JSL, was the top flight association football league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J.League. JSL was the second national league of a team sport in Japan after the professional ...

were given the 3-1-0 league format.

League tables

First Division

Yomiuri won its fourth JSL title and went to the Asian Club Championship. Nissan, by virtue of its

Emperor's Cup , commonly known as or also Japan FA Cup is a Japanese football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football match in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J.League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, J ...

win, represented Japan for the first time in the

Asian Cup Winners' Cup The Asian Cup Winners' Cup was an association football competition run by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The competition was started in 1991 as a tournament for all the domestic cup winners from countries affiliated to the AFC. The winne ...

. Yanmar Diesel, four-time champions in the 1970s, was relegated for the first time after an aimless decade. Nippon Kokan, who two seasons before was contending for the title, was relegated as well and would cease to exist by the middle of the decade.

Second Division

Struggling fallen giants Hitachi and Mazda were promoted back to the top flight after a few seasons of second division wilderness: Hitachi at the first attempt, Mazda on the third. Yawata Steel, co-founder of the First Division with them in 1965, was relegated, leaving only five JSL founding clubs that would professionalize for the J.League. Osaka Gas, who never looked like national league material, joined them. {{DEFAULTSORT:1990-91 Japan Soccer League Japan Soccer League seasons 1990 in Japanese football leagues 1991 in Japanese football leagues