The Emperor’s Cup All-Japan Soccer Championship, sponsored by the JFA Japan Football Association, is a very prestigious tournament for the Japanese soccer world, although it is a cup competition. The Emperor’s Cup has a much longer history than the J.League, and because amateur clubs can participate and it is a one-shot match, it is a thrilling and very entertaining tournament where upsets are very likely to occur.
What is the Emperor’s Cup?
The Emperor’s Cup is a soccer tournament founded in 1921, making it a traditional event with a long history. Until 2013, the rule was that the final match would always be held at the National Stadium, but due to renovations to the stadium, the timing and venue were changed for a while. However, from 2019, it will be held again at the National Stadium. The winning team will qualify for the AFC Champions League, so this competition is a great motivation for J.League clubs. The results can be viewed in a list on the JFA official website. The news will also be broadcast nationwide.
Participation qualifications and tournament format
Teams that are registered in Type 1 with the Japan Football Association are eligible to participate in the Emperor’s Cup. Type 1 registration refers to teams made up of players without age restrictions, and does not refer to professional teams. In other words, amateur clubs have the advantage of being able to participate, but they must win the local tournament. Even in sports, if there are teams that violate regulations in tournaments with a long history, they have been punished and disciplined by domestic committees in the past. Compared to the Japanese national team, the competition is modest, but it is a tournament sponsored by the association, so it attracts attention.
88 teams will be in the final round
It is not possible for all teams to suddenly participate in the tournament. Teams registered in Type 1 with JFA actually have several matches, so it would be very confusing if all teams were to participate in the main tournament. Therefore, we have prepared a qualifying tournament. That is the local tournament of each prefecture. The 47 teams that won the regional tournament, 20 J1 club teams, 22 J2 club teams, and 1 amateur seeded team will be able to participate in this tournament. By the way, J3 teams are not seeded for the Emperor’s Cup, so they must win through the prefectural qualifying rounds.
Held on weekdays until the quarterfinals
Games up to the quarterfinals will be held on weekdays. This is because the J League, a professional soccer league, is organized mainly on Saturdays and Sundays. However, the semi-finals held in late December and the finals held on New Year’s Day will be held on weekends or holidays. In addition, the format of the tournament is a one-shot tournament, and it is necessary to win seven rounds from the first round to the final.
J1 and J2 teams will participate from the second round
J1 and J2 teams will appear from the second round onwards. The first round is basically played by amateur teams and J3 teams. From the third round onwards, it will be a regular tournament where the winning teams will compete against each other, making it a one-shot battle.
Is it possible for high school students to participate?
Can high school teams participate in the Emperor’s Cup? Speaking of which, you can’t. Under the current tournament format, high school teams are no longer allowed to participate. This is because the tournament format has changed since 2014. Until then, there were many games in which high school teams and other teams gave J. League clubs a hard time. High school teams often beat adult teams.
History of the Emperor’s Cup
The history of the Emperor’s Cup is very long, even longer than the J.League. We will introduce information based on information announced by official management. Interest in some content has waned due to the rise of women’s soccer such as Nadeshiko, but the men’s championship has a long history. Compared to other countries, there are various rounds and J League teams also appear, so there is a lot of support. The tournament is held safely and there are not many problems. The excitement begins around the fourth round, when the J teams compete against each other.
1921
The Emperor’s Cup was created in 1921. However, at that time, Japan’s soccer culture had not taken root and professional soccer did not exist. Partly because of this background, many of the teams competing for supremacy at the All-Japan Championship at the time were university teams. At that time, university leagues were very popular in Japan, and university league matches were attracting a lot of attention. However, from 1926, students were not allowed to participate due to the government’s intention to not allow them to participate, but they were allowed again the following year. By the way, the tournament could not be held from 1941 to 1945 due to World War II.
1946
After Japan lost the war in 1945, a tournament was held in 1946 under the name of the 1st Reconstruction All-Japan Championship. The tournament format at the time was that the two teams that won the Kanto and Kansai preliminaries would compete in the final tournament on May 5th. In 1960, a corporate team won the championship for the first time. The winner was Furukawa Electric. After Waseda University won the championship in 1966, the university team declined, and from then on, the era of corporate teams entered. The corporate team, the predecessor of today’s J Club, was at its peak.
1993
In 1993, Japan’s professional league, the J.League, was finally born. From this point forward, the championship will be competed between professional teams and amateur teams. However, the difference in ability between the professional and amateur teams is clear, and the professional team will continue to win from then on. Of course, only J1 clubs have won, but J2 clubs have won in 2011 and 2022, and it can be said that the tournament attracts spectators with its thrilling one-shot matches.
Award
The Emperor’s Cup also includes awards. If you meet the following criteria as a regional representative, you will receive benefits. Due to J.League regulations, this is a highly valuable tournament as it guarantees participation qualifications such as the ACL. Supporters will also be excited. We will explain the overview and each essential point.
winning team
The team that wins the Emperor’s Cup will be given the Emperor’s Cup Winning Team Mark, which will be placed on their uniforms for the following season. The winning team will be awarded a certificate, training fee, winner’s medal, FA Silver Cup, and JFA Cup after the match.
right to participate
The team that wins the Emperor’s Cup will qualify for the ACL. If the winning team also wins the J1 League in the same season, the 2nd place team in the J1 League in the same season will advance to the Super Cup and be given the right to participate. By the way, even if you win the Levain Cup, which is the J League Cup, you cannot qualify for the ACL, so it can be said that the Emperor’s Cup is ranked higher.
Why was the Emperor’s Cup final schedule changed from New Year’s Day?
The Japanese Emperor’s Cup soccer tournament is held on January 1st, which is New Year’s Day, and has become a culturally established event in Japan. It became common for ordinary people to watch the Emperor’s Cup in their tea room as a New Year’s event. However, in recent years, the date of this final has been changed.
Players have a shorter offseason
The Emperor’s Cup final was always set for January 1st, and the schedule was set accordingly. The J.League ends in late November, but the cup games continue from then on, causing the problem of players not getting enough rest. In response to this situation, the J.League and the players’ association took the lead in moving the Emperor’s Cup schedule forward.
The environment surrounding the soccer world is changing
First of all, the environment surrounding the soccer world has changed since the 2020s. The Qatar World Cup 2022 was held in the winter, and the ACL Champions League has also been moved to an autumn/spring format. As a result, the Japanese soccer world is also required to adapt to changes.
How to watch the Emperor’s Cup
The Emperor’s Cup is sometimes broadcast on terrestrial television, but SKY PerfecTV is broadcasting it live. For more information, please refer to the article below.
| Channel | Plan | Soccer Contents | URL |
| DAZN | 3750 | national team major europe leagues J league | DAZN |
| Hulu | ¥1026 | french league dutch league | Hulu |
| WOWOW | 2530 | UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League | WOWOW |
| ABEMA TV | ¥960 | national team World Cup Premier League scottish league | ABEMA |
| スカパー | ¥429 + ¥2480 | national team emperor’s cup soccer Bundesliga laliga | スカパー！ |
| J SPORTS | 1100 | fifa world youth | J SPORTS |
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