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, or JSL, was the top flight soccer league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J. League.
Each team represented a corporation, and like Japanese baseball teams, went by the name of the company that owned the team. The players were officially amateur and were employees of the parent corporations, but especially in later years, top players were generally paid strictly to play soccer.
Top JSL teams included Hitachi Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nissan Motors, Toyo Industries (Mazda) and Yomiuri Shimbun, which are now, respectively, Kashiwa Reysol, Urawa Red Diamonds, Yokohama F. Marinos, Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Tokyo Verdy 1969.
In 1991, owners met and agreed to disband the league, and reorganize as the professional J. League. JSL played its final season in 1991/92 and the J. League began play in 1993. Top nine JSL clubs, (along with the independent Shimizu S-Pulse) became the original J. League members.
All-time JSL member clubs
Original 8 Clubs
- Furukawa Electric (1965-1992) - JEF United Ichihara Chiba
- Hitachi Head Office / Hitachi (1965-1992) - Kashiwa Reysol
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries / Mitsubishi Motors (1965-1992) - Urawa Red Diamonds
- Toyoda Automatic Loom Works (1965-1973) - in Tokai Div. 2
- Nagoya Sogo Ginko (1965-1966, 1968-1971) - Nagoya WEST.F.C. in Tokai Div. 2
- Yanmar Diesel (1965-1992) - Cerezo Osaka
- Toyo Industries / Mazda (1965-1992) - Sanfrecce Hiroshima
- Yawata Steel / Nippon Steel (1965-1992)
Other JSL & JSL1 Clubs
- Nihon Kokan / NKK (1967- 1991)
- Towa Real Estate / Fujita Industry / Fujita (1972-1992) - Shonan Bellmare
- Toyota Motor Industry / Toyota Motor (1972-1992) - Nagoya Grampus Eight
- Tanabe Seiyaku (?-?)
- Eidai Sangyo (1972-1977)
- Yomiuri (1972-1992) - Tokyo Verdy 1969
- Nissan Motors (1976-1992) - Yokohama F. Marinos
- Yamaha Motor (1979-1992) - Júbilo Iwata
- Honda (1975-1992) - Honda.F.C. in JFL
- Sumitomo Metal Industries (1973-1992) - Kashima Antlers
- Yokohama Tristar / ANA (1983-1992) - Yokohama Flügels
- Matsushita Electric Industrial (1984-1992) - Gamba Osaka
- Toshiba Horikawacho / Toshiba (1978-1992) - Consadole Sapporo
Famous JSL2 Clubs
- Kofu Club (1972-1992) - Ventforet Kofu
- Kyoto Shiko Club (1972-1978, 1988-1992) - Kyoto Purple Sanga
- Kawasaki Steel (?-?) - Vissel Kobe
- NTT Kanto (?-?) - Omiya Ardija
- Otsuka Pharmaceutical (?-?) - Tokushima VORTIS
- Tokyo Gas (?-?) - F.C. Tokyo
- Chuo Bohan (?-?) - Avispa Fukuoka
External links
- Final tables from 1965 on at rsssf.com
- Soccerphile: History of Japanese football
- BBC Sport: "How football went Japanese"
Football (soccer) competitions defunct | Japanese football competitions | National football (soccer) premier leagues | 1965 establishments
"Japan Soccer League"