The , commonly known as the , is a semi-professional

women's association football Women's association football, more commonly known simply as women's football or women's soccer, is a team sport of association football when played by women only. It is played at the professional level in multiple countries and 176 national t ...

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...

in Japan. The Nadeshiko League consists of two divisions that correspond to the second and third levels of the Japanese women's football pyramid respectively. Teams are promoted and relegated between the divisions, and between the Nadeshiko League Division 2 and the fourth-level Japanese regional leagues, based on performance in the previous season. Prior to 2021, the Nadeshiko League occupied the top level of the Japanese women's football pyramid as well; that level is now represented by the fully professional

WE League The , officially the , also known as the for sponsorship reasons, is the top flight of women's association football in Japan, starting from the 2021–22 season. It is the first fully-professional women's soccer league in Japan. History On 3 J ...

. Since 2008, the Nadeshiko League has been sponsored by , a fast food (

bento A is the Japanese iteration of a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal, often for lunch. Outside Japan, it is common in other East and Southeast Asian culinary styles, especially within Chinese, Korean, Singaporean cuisines and more, ...

) company based in

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since anc ...

History

The Japan Women's Football League, or the L. League, was founded in 1989. From 1993 to 1999 it adopted an Apertura and Clausura system, similar to the

J. League The , officially is Japan's professional football league including the first division J1 League, second division J2 League and third division J3 League of the Japanese association football league system. J1 League is one of the most successf ...

system of that era. From 2000 to 2003 the clubs were divided into East and West groups and then the top clubs of each would go into a championship group, with the bottom clubs in a relegation group. In 2004 the single-table format was brought back. Teams from this early era would host annual training camps to build skills and relationships with international women's football clubs, such as those in the United States and Australia. In 2004 the L. League acquired the nickname the Nadeshiko League. Nadeshiko is the name of the

dianthus ''Dianthus'' () is a genus of about 340 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species in north Africa and in southern Africa, and one species (''D. repens'') in arctic North A ...

flower and was chosen from suggestions by fans, signifying an ideal of a dutiful Japanese woman. In the 2004 season, the L. League added a second division, and until 2009 the league operated in the same way as the old

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 ...

for men where the bottom club in the second division playing off against a regional league playoff winner. In 2010, the second division was divided into east and west groups of six teams each; the winners of each group were promoted to the first division. After Japan's World Cup win in 2011, the L. League saw an upsurge in popularity. In 2015, the league added a third division called the Nadeshiko was added, and the first and second divisions now had 10 teams each. In 2020, the Japan Football Association announced that the newly established

will become the top level for women's football in Japan in 2021. The Nadeshiko League would then become the second to fourth levels of the Japanese women's football pyramid. After many top teams left for the WE League, the Nadeshiko League abolished the third division in 2021.

Structure

Since 2021, the Nadeshiko League consists of two divisions:

Clubs

Champions

Division 1

Bold indicate

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...

s with the

Empress's Cup , since 2018 renamed "Empress's Cup JFA Japan Women's Football Championship" ( ja, 皇后杯 JFA 全日本女子サッカー選手権大会) or The Empress's Cup, is a Japanese Women's football competition. As an elimination tournament, it can be ...

=Wins by club

= Clubs in bold are those competing in Division 1 as of the 2021 season. Clubs in ''italics'' no longer exist. Notes

=Wins by region

Division 2

Challenge League

2022 season

Division 1

Division 2

Previous clubs

The following clubs are not competing in the Nadeshiko League during the 2021 season, but have previously competed in the Nadeshiko League for at least one season.

Joined WE League in 2021

Mynavi Sendai is a women's football club playing in Japan's football league, WE League. Its hometown is the city of Sendai. Kits Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors Stadium Their home stadium is Yurtec Stadium Sendai, in Izumi-ku, Sendai, although a few hom ...

Urawa Reds , colloquially Urawa Reds (浦和レッズ), also known as Mitsubishi Urawa Football Club from April 1992 to January 1996, is a professional football club in the city of Saitama, part of the Greater Tokyo Area in Japan. The club plays in the J ...

Omiya Ardija Ventus is a Japanese women's association football team which plays in WE League. and become the women's section of J. League club Omiya Ardija. History The team started in 1996 as an old girls' club for students of Jumonji Middle School in Toshima ...

(formerly FC Jumonji Ventus) * Elfen Saitama * JEF United Chiba * NTV Tokyo Verdy Beleza *

Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara is a women's football club who play in the WE League. Its hometown is the city of Sagamihara, Kanagawa. History In the 2016 season, Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara finished the first place in the 2016 L. League Division 2 and clinched the pr ...

* AC Nagano Parceiro *

Albirex Niigata is a professional football club based in Niigata, Japan. Formed in 1955 as Niigata Eleven SC, it was renamed Albireo Niigata FC in 1995, and Albirex Niigata in 1997. From 2023, Albirex will be playing on the J1 League, coming back to the f ...

INAC Kobe Leonessa INAC Kobe is a Japanese football club from Kobe, founded in 2001. INAC stands for International Athletic Club while Leonessa means Lioness in Italian. In 2006 INAC Leonessa was promoted to the Nadeshiko.League, where it has played since 2020 ...

Relegated to regional leagues

Je Vrille Kagoshima is a women's football club playing in Japan's football league, Challenge League. Its hometown is the city of Kagoshima, Kagoshima , abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the ...

: relegated to Kyushu League from 2014 *

Shimizudaihachi Pleiades is a women's football club playing in Japan's football league, Tokai.League Div.1. Its hometown is Shimizu. Squad Current squad As of 7 June 2015 Honors Domestic competitions * Empress's Cup All-Japan Women's Footba ...

: relegated to Tokai League from 2015 * Mashiki Renaissance Kumamoto F.C.: relegated to Kyushu League from 2016

Defunct

Fujita Soccer Club Mercury was a women's football team from Hiratsuka which played in Division 1 of Japan's Nadeshiko League. It founded the league back in 1989. The club was disbanded in 1999. History The club was acquired in 1990 by Fujita Industries, parent company o ...

(affiliated with

Shonan Bellmare is a Japanese professional football club based in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. Their home stadium is Hiratsuka ...

) *

Nikko Securities Dream Ladies was a women's football team which played in Division 1 of Japan, Japan's L. League, Nadeshiko League. It founded the league back in 1994. The club was disbanded in 1998. Honors Domestic competitions *L. League, Nadeshiko.League Division 1 **C ...

* Nissan F.C. Ladies (affiliated with

Yokohama Marinos is a Japanese People, Japanese professional association football, football club based in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The club competes in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in Japan, football in t ...

) * OKI F.C. Winds * Shiroki F.C. Serena * Suzuyo Shimizu F.C. Lovely Ladies (affiliated with Shimizu S-Pulse) * Tasaki Perule F.C. * Tokyo Shidax L.S.C. (formerly Shinko Seiko F.C. Clair) * Urawa Ladies F.C. *

TEPCO Mareeze was a women's football team which played in Division 1 of Japan's Nadeshiko League. It founded the league back in 2000 and disbanded in 2011. It evolved into Vegalta Sendai Ladies in 2012. Results Transition of team name *YKK Tohoku L ...

(dissolved after Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster; many of the players moved to

Vegalta Sendai Ladies is a women's football club playing in Japan's football league, WE League. Its hometown is the city of Sendai. Kits Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors Stadium Their home stadium is Yurtec Stadium Sendai, in Izumi-ku, Sendai, although a few home ...

) * Aguilas Kobe * Hoyo Sukarabu F.C.

Division 1 awards

Most Valuable Player

Top Goalscorers

Best Young Player

References

External links

Nadeshiko League Official website

NADESHIKO LEAGUE 1 at women.soccerway.com

NADESHIKO LEAGUE 2 at women.soccerway.com
{{Football in Japan Japan 2 Football leagues in Japan Sports leagues in Japan Professional sports leagues in Japan

History

Structure

Clubs

Champions

Division 1

=Wins by club

=Wins by region

Division 2

Challenge League

2022 season

Division 1

Division 2

Previous clubs

Joined WE League in 2021

Relegated to regional leagues

Defunct

Division 1 awards

Most Valuable Player

Top Goalscorers

Best Young Player

See also

References

External links