The , officially the , also known as the for sponsorship reasons, is the top flight of
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 te ...
in Japan, starting from the
2021–22 season. It is the first fully-professional women's soccer league in Japan.
History
On 3 June 2020, the
Japan Football Association
The Japan Football Association (JFA, ) is the governing body responsible for the administration of football, futsal, beach soccer and efootball in Japan. It is responsible for the national team, as well as club competitions.
History
The organisat ...
(JFA) announced the formation of the WE League to become Japan's new top-flight, professional women's football league.
The semi-professional
Nadeshiko League
The , commonly known as the , is a semi-professional women's association football Sports league, league in Japan.
The Nadeshiko League consists of two divisions that correspond to the second and third levels of the Japanese association football ...
would become the second level on the women's football pyramid in Japan once the WE League begins play in the autumn of 2021. United States-based business executive and former
Japan international footballer Kikuko Okajima was announced as the WE League's inaugural chairwoman.
17 clubs applied to join the WE League; eight to ten of them would be admitted and the results to be announced in October 2020. On 15 October 2020, 11 clubs were announced as founding members of the WE League, including seven with
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 succe ...
affiliations.
Competition format
The WE League's inaugural season in 2021–22 features 11 teams playing a double round-robin, home-and-away competition. Unlike the
Nadeshiko League
The , commonly known as the , is a semi-professional women's association football Sports league, league in Japan.
The Nadeshiko League consists of two divisions that correspond to the second and third levels of the Japanese association football ...
, the WE League will play a
winter season
Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures d ...
that conforms with most European leagues.
Similar to the American
National Women's Soccer League, there will be no relegation from the WE League to the
Nadeshiko League
The , commonly known as the , is a semi-professional women's association football Sports league, league in Japan.
The Nadeshiko League consists of two divisions that correspond to the second and third levels of the Japanese association football ...
, but teams may be promoted from the latter in the first several seasons for the WE League to reach a desired number of teams.
Each team in the WE League must have at least five players signed to fully professional contracts that are not subject to a salary cap. In addition to bringing professionalism to Japanese women's football, the WE League also implemented measures to bringing in international players. The JFA subsidizes salaries for players from
Southeast Asian member federations, while the league itself subsidizes players from top-ranked FIFA countries.
The league actively recruits players from top-ranked federations such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, and it also provides additional subsidies to encourage internationalization for expenses such as interpreters.
Clubs
2022–23 season
The following 11 clubs will be competing in the WE League during its inaugural,
2022–23 season.
List of winners
Sponsorship
Title partner
Gold partner/grassroots partner
Silver partner
Official broadcasting partner
Official equipment partner
Official ticketing partner
See also
*
Japan Football Association
The Japan Football Association (JFA, ) is the governing body responsible for the administration of football, futsal, beach soccer and efootball in Japan. It is responsible for the national team, as well as club competitions.
History
The organisat ...
(JFA)
*
Nadeshiko League
The , commonly known as the , is a semi-professional women's association football Sports league, league in Japan.
The Nadeshiko League consists of two divisions that correspond to the second and third levels of the Japanese association football ...
(tiers 2–3)
*
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 ...
(national cup)
*
WE League Cup (league cup)
*
AFC Women's Club Championship (continental cup)
References
External links
WE League – official website
*
*
Japan Football Association (JFA)
{{Football in Japan
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
1
Football leagues in Japan
Sports leagues in Japan
Professional sports leagues in Japan
WE League