The 88th Emperor's Cup began on September 13, 2008 and ended on January 1, 2009 with the final which took place at National Stadium in Tokyo. As the champion, Gamba Osaka participated in

2009 AFC Champions League The 2009 AFC Champions League was the 28th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 7th under the current AFC Champions League title. The final was held at the Nati ...

Calendar

Participants

J.League Division 1

* Consadole Sapporo *

Kashima Antlers The are a professional association football, football club based in Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan. They currently play in the J1 League, the top tier of Japanese professional football leagues. The club has financial backing from Mercari, a Japanese ...

Omiya Ardija is a Japanese professional association football club based in Ōmiya-ku, Saitama, Ōmiya, Saitama Prefecture. Its "hometown" (as designated by the league) is shared with neighbours Urawa Red Diamonds. The team currently play in J2 League, the ...

Urawa Red Diamonds The or simply Urawa Reds (浦和レッズ, ''Urawa Rezzu''), also known as Mitsubishi Urawa Football Club from April 1992 to January 1996, are a professional association football, football club in the city of Saitama (city), Saitama, part of t ...

* Kashiwa Reysol * JEF United Ichihara Chiba * FC Tokyo * Tokyo Verdy * Kawasaki Frontale

* Yokohama F. Marinos *

Shimizu S-Pulse is a Japanese professional association football, football club located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka (city), Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture. S-Pulse is going to compete in the J1 League for the 2025 Season, after winning promotio ...

Júbilo Iwata is a Japanese professional association football, football team based in Iwata, Shizuoka, Iwata, located in Shizuoka Prefecture. The club competes in J2 League following relegation from J1 League in 2024 J1 League, 2024. Etymology The team's ...

* Nagoya Grampus * Albirex Niigata * Kyoto Sanga FC * Gamba Osaka * Vissel Kobe * Oita Trinita

J.League Division 2

Vegalta Sendai is a Japanese professional association football, football club based in Sendai, Miyagi, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. They currently play in J2 League, the Japanese second tier of professional football. History Founded in 1988 as ''Tohoku Elect ...

Montedio Yamagata is a Japanese people, Japanese professional association football club based in Tendo, Yamagata. The club currently playing in J2 League, the Japanese second tier of professional football. Name origin Montedio is a coined word combining the I ...

* Mito HollyHock * Thespa Kusatsu * Yokohama FC * Shonan Bellmare * FC Gifu * Ventforet Kofu

Cerezo Osaka is a Japanese professional football club based in Osaka. The club currently plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name ''Cerezo'' (Spanish for cherry blossom) is also the flower of the city of Osak ...

Sanfrecce Hiroshima Sanfrecce Hiroshima () is a Japanese professional association football, football club based in Hiroshima. The club competes in the J1 League, top flight of the Japanese football league system. Sanfrecce is one of the most successful clubs in Ja ...

* Tokushima Vortis *

Ehime FC commonly known as Ehime FC (愛媛FC, ''Ehime Efu Shī'') is a professional Association football, football club based in Matsuyama, Ehime, Matsuyama, the capital city of Ehime Prefecture of Japan. The club currently compete in J2 League, the s ...

* Avispa Fukuoka *

Sagan Tosu is a Japanese professional Association football, football club based in Tosu, Saga, Tosu, Saga Prefecture. The club plays in the J2 League, the second tier of Japanese football, since 2025 following relegation from the J1 League in 2024 J1 Leag ...

* Roasso Kumamoto

Japan Football League

* Tochigi SC

Prime Minister Cup University football tournament Winner

* Osaka Taiiku University

Prefectures

Hokkaidō is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by railway via the Seikan Tunnel. The ...

– Dohto University * Aomori – Aomori Yamada High School * Iwate – Grulla Morioka * Miyagi –

Sony Sendai FC was a former Japanese people, Japanese Association football, football club based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. They last played in the Japan Football League, Japanese fourth tier of football league until 2024. They were withdrawn by their ...

* Akita – TDK S.C. * Yamagata – Yamagata University * Fukushima – Fukushima United FC * Ibaraki – Ryutsu Keizai University * Tochigi – Hitachi Tochigi Uva SC * Gunma – Arte Takasaki * Saitama – Shobi University * Chiba – JEF United Ichihara Chiba Reserves *Tokyo – Kokushikan University *

Kanagawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

– YSCC Yokohama * Niigata – Niigata University of Management * Toyama – Kataller Toyama * Ishikawa – Zweigen Kanazawa * Fukui – Saurcos Fukui * Yamanashi – Tamaho FC * Nagano – Matsumoto Yamaga FC *

Gifu is a Cities of Japan, city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. Durin ...

– FC Gifu Second * Shizuoka – Honda FC * Aichi – Aichi Gakuin University * Mie – Yokkaichi University

* Shiga – Sagawa Shiga FC *

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

– Sagawa Printing SC *

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

– Hannan University * Hyōgo – Banditonce Kakogawa FC *

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...

– Nara Sangyo University * Wakayama – Kainan FC * Tottori – Gainare Tottori * Shimane – Dezzolla Shimane *

Okayama is the prefectural capital, capital Cities of Japan, city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The Okayama metropolitan area, centered around the city, has the largest urban employment zone in the Chugoku region of western J ...

– Fagiano Okayama *

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

– Fukuyama University * Yamaguchi – Hitachi Kasado FC *

Tokushima is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 682,439 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,146 Square kilometre, km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture b ...

– Tokushima Vortis Second * Kagawa – Kamatamare Sanuki * Ehime –

Ehime University is a List of national universities in Japan, Japanese national university in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. The university has one of the largest student populations in the Shikoku, Shikoku region. After Japan's defeat in World War II, Ai ...

Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...

– Kochi University *

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan 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 ancient times. ...

– New Wave Kitakyushu *

Saga Sagas are prose stories and histories, composed in Iceland and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Scandinavia. The most famous saga-genre is the (sagas concerning Icelanders), which feature Viking voyages, migration to Iceland, and feuds between ...

– Kyushu Inax SC *

Nagasaki , officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...

– Mitsubishi Nagasaki SC *

Kumamoto is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a populat ...

– Kumamoto Ohzu High School * Ōita – Nippon Bunri University * Miyazaki – Honda Lock SC *

Kagoshima , is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Etymology While the ...

– Volca Kagoshima * Okinawa – Okinawa Kariyushi FC

Matches

All matches are

Japan Standard Time , or , is the standard time zone in Japan, 9 hours ahead of UTC (UTC+09:00). Japan does not observe daylight saving time, though its introduction has been debated on several occasions. During World War II, the time zone was often referred to a ...

( UTC+9)

First round

Second round

Third round

The 15 J2 teams plus one JFL representative ( Tochigi SC) entered at this round. ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Fourth round

The 18 J1 teams entered at this round. ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Fifth round

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Quarter finals

---- ---- ----

Semi finals

----

Final

External links

Official site of the 88th Emperor's Cup
{{2009 in Asian Football (AFC)

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

Emperors Cup, 2008 Emperors Cup, 2008 2009 in Japanese football