A fascinating run-down Furtho, and as with the High school post, I have a couple of questions.

1. You say that the JFL was set-up to support amateur football played within companies and local communities. Is there any chance that that mode of thinking can be changed? I think in Baseball they have a special corporate league. Could that be applied to the JFL in order to clear the way for teams with genuine J-League aspirations?

2. How about, if the Furtho-suggested, J3 came into being? Would that be a national competition or would it be split into a regional concept? Just for example J3 East - which would include clubs such as Grulla Morioka and AC Nagano Parceiro; and J3 West - with Renofa Yamaguchi & Kamatamare Sanuki. With the winners of each league playing off for J2. Which brings me on to my final question.....


3. Is relegation from J2 feasible? Especially if J2 is expanded to 22 teams, would it be too difficult to plan for the future with the threat of relegation, and thus reduced revenue streams?

I'll refer you to my post about HS football in that I apologise if the questions seem a bit simplisitic.

NBNG, these are not simplistic questions at all - they are exactly the sorts of things that the J-League needs to be working on right now, but which are currently unknown within the, um, "wider footballing community". So we are all rather making guesses and speculating as to how things might unfold over the next year or two, during which time J2 does look set to reach its capacity of 22 teams.

To look at each of your questions directly:

1. If we can be sure of anything, it's that the establishment of "a special corporate league... in order to clear the way for teams with genuine J-League aspirations" will not happen. It is part of the JFL's charter that it is essentially amateur in status and this cannot be changed. As suggested in my previous post, it looks as if the most likely eventuality for long-term, more easily-sustainable development of the J-League will necessitate ambitious teams stepping outside of the current non-league set-up in order to progress. It will be those clubs who need to change the way that they do things, not the corporates and amateurs within the JFL.

2. The number of clubs in a J3 is something that the J-League will have to be flexible about, in the same way that they have over the years made several changes to the size of both J1 and J2 according to circumstances at the time. My assumption is that to start with a new division would include ten or a dozen teams (potentially including a handful relegated from J2, which as well as bulking out the numbers would also help with matters of legitimisation and integration) playing at national level. As the number of appropriately-sized clubs then increases over time, something like a J3 (East) and a J3 (West) may be a realistic possibility.

3. As regards relegation out of the J-League - whether that be from J2 or in the future from a J3 - this is a complex matter indeed. In a sense, the problems that such an eventuality would create for a single relegated club are the most straightforward aspect of it, in that they are at least confined to one entity and how it deals with a change in status as it moves from a professional structure to an amateur one. Perhaps not surprisingly in the light of the above and of its status as the highest-ranked amateur league, the JFL in particular is not enthusiastic about having to deal regularly with the headache of relegated J-League teams.

It's also important to remember that the J-League's 100-Year Plan, under the auspices of which this discussion is taking place, is focused on the idea of expanding professional football. This being the case, I can see a circumstance in which over the next couple of seasons a mechanism is put in place that will allow Associate Member teams - wherever in the pyramid they reside - a more straightforward means of making progress up the ladder, taking out of the equation the idea of achievement within an amateur structure. That, rather than reducing the number of teams via relegation, will I think be the priority for the J-League.

You would perhaps be forgiven for thinking that this year's batch of all-too-often recycled J-League slogans have been a little less inspiring than in previous seasons. After all, there hasn't been much in the way of linguistic tomfoolery or even any far-out design to feast your eyes on and ponder. Until now, that is. Because in one fell swoop the standard for 2010 has simply skyrocketed with this stunning effort from the Pheasants of Fagiano Okayama, facing their second campaign as members of J2 and evidently determined to lay the foundations for what the club hope will be a full century ahead. And the very best of luck to them, say I.



Fagiano Okayama harness the scientific approach

Relegation favourites they might have been last year, but a good start to their first season in J1 ensured that Montedio Yamagata will enjoy at least one more campaign in the top division. And in fact, the Mountain Gods have bought well in the close season, bringing in among others the Kashima Antlers pair of midfielder Chikashi Masuda and striker Yuzo Tashiro to improve their squad. The club's press launch on Friday featured the photo op shown below, with all the new signings plus coach Shinji Kobayashi each clutching a soft toy of one of Montedio's pair of mascots. They all carried it off in a manly, unembarrassed way, I reckon.



Oh, man



The new slogan graphic: Forward!

It's been a quiet winter for the Shizuoka Oranges of Shimizu S-Pulse, as exemplified by a low-key press launch on Friday. On the playing side, ex-international Shinji Ono has been brought back from Bochum to give the midfield a boost - if he can steer clear of injury - but Ono aside S-Pulse's biggest buy is Eddy Bosnar, whose finely-honed defensive skills led JEF United to, er, bottom place and relegation to J2. Given that the team mightily bottled it as soon as they get to the top of the table last year, a slogan of The Confidence appears wishful thinking and as for the new kit, well. Another one of these awful Puma things.



Away, Home, Goalkeeper



Gather round, gentlemen, gather round

Thanks to all for the crash course in the background of Japanese football, very interesting reading.

I like the new Hollyhock kits too - the goalie shirts are very natty - but the presentation photo appears to have been taken in the loading bay of a warehouse. I was anticipating something a bit more, um, pastoral, in keeping with the Hollyhock name.

The Hollyhock kit seems to have been about the most popular of the 2010 J-League collection so far, delicatemoth. Regarding your disappointment as to the chosen location for Mito's fashion show, however, clubs often tend to use the unglamorous surroundings of the press room at their main office for these events, although it is noticeable that this year bigger teams like Yokohama F Marinos and Kawasaki Frontale seem to have used some kind of theatre and invited a bunch of fans to attend. If it's any consolation to you the Mito players are now frolicking in the warmer climes of Miyazaki, right down in the south of Kyushu, on their pre-season training camp.

Meanwhile, based in the zip capital of the world on the remote Japan Sea coast, Kataller Toyama last season achieved the best results of the three new J-League teams, ending the year in a respectable thirteenth. They did this with a squad almost identical to that which had achieved promotion from the JFL but for 2010 have brought in a small number of players with J-League experience, who were introduced to the press at the club's season launch on Thursday. Key amongst them are Teruaki Kurobe - a veteran striker released by Avispa Fukuoka - and Kenjiro Ezoe, who was a first-team defender in the Cerezo Osaka side promoted to J1.



An actual unveiling! Rapid Progress, And More

A couple of striking non-league stories have hit the news in the last few days, which are worth mentioning in the context of recent posts regarding J-League expansion. First of all, a highly unlikely new candidate for a longer-term future J-League spot has thrown a hat into the ring, in the shape of JFL outfit Ryutsu Keizai University - the first university side ever to state that it has plans to go through the required restructuring. The club are based in Ibaraki prefecture, already home to both Kashima Antlers and Mito Hollyhock, and evidently are in negotiations to secure in the first place a groundshare arrangement with the Antlers.

Meanwhile most OTFers will be aware of the takeover in early 2008 by net-based MyFootballClub of Gravesend and Northfleet, now Ebbsfleet United. Japan's equivalent scheme is Fujieda MYFC, established a year ago and claiming 6000 members across the country, who took over a notably unsuccessful Shizuoka Prefectural League side called Fujieda Nelson and played the 2009 season in Division 1 of that league - the sixth step of the Japanese footballing pyramid. The club state on their website that they plan to be in the J-League by 2012 and observers trying to Do The Math were on Friday given a major hint as to just how that might work, exactly.

For it was then that MYFC announced a further takeover, this time of Shizuoka FC, who have spent the last nine years playing Regional League football - pyramid step four - and trying but repeatedly failing to get into the JFL. In other words, Fujieda MYFC have done another deal and jumped two promotions, from prefectural level to the threshold of the JFL and national competition. 2010 will see them participate in the Tokai League, which includes not only a long-standing team representing Fujieda City Hall, but also FC Suzuka Rampole, rural Mie prefecture's chief hope for achieving a J-League place.

In all honesty, Shizuoka FC had taken on the air of a side who had been pushed back a few too many times, a classic example of a team who - while strong at Regional level - weren't good enough to negotiate the Play-offs and get into the JFL alongside the likes of corporate neighbours Honda FC. Theoretically aiming for the J-League themselves, by 2009 that was looking like a pretty hollow claim and a downsized club infrastructure led to a mid-table finish in Division 1 of the Tokai League. In the wider context of possible candidates for J-League expansion, Shizuoka's moment had passed and now, it seems, it's not coming back.

FC Tokyo were one of the first teams to release their 2010 kit - even before the end of 2009, in fact - so their press launch on Sunday was focused on introductions to the new players brought in over the winter. Having held on to star man Naohiro Ishikawa, it looks as if the Gasheads have made improvements to their squad, with Masato Morishige coming from Oita Trinita to play in central defence and Albirex Niigata midfielder Toshihiro Matsushita also heading to the capital. Likely to be along side new international striker Sota Hirayama is Ricardinho, signed from Brazilian side Atletico Paranaense.



FC Tokyo: let's get serious



The new slogan graphic

Relegated to J2 after a gutsy but ultimately unsuccessful late-season rally, Kashiwa Reysol have had a mass clearout as they seek during 2010 to bounce back at the first attempt. Ten new players have come in, eight of whom were introduced to the press on Sunday including Efrain Rintaro, a big eighteen-year-old forward who was born in Brazil but has been attending high school in Japan. 26-year-old Leandro Domingues is Kashiwa's main foreign signing, an attacking midfielder from EC Vitoria who coach Nelsinho will be hoping clicks with star turn Franca, kept on for another year due to his goal potential despite frequent injury problems.



He's wearing a white tie with a black shirt!



Dig for it

Few teams have attracted quite so much media attention over the winter as Nagoya Grampus, coach Dragan Stojkovic's activity in the transfer market the key focus of interest. And aside from the arrival at the club from Urawa Reds of perhaps Japan's highest-profile player, Marcus Tulio Tanaka, the most press-friendly deal involving the Red Whales has been their purchase of dynamic young midfield star Mu Kanazaki from Oita Trinita. Nagoya didn't waste time at their season launch with any of the other four signings they've made, Sunday's session appearing to concentrate entirely on just Tanaka and Kanazaki. Well okay then.



Flag day for Kanazaki and Tulio



Grampus aim high for 2010

Hang on to your ethics, NBNG, for it would appear that the days of FC Gifu being known as the plain and simple Mighty Greens are over. God knows they've been drawing out their 2010 press launches, what with coaches here, players there and slogans squeezed in round the back somewhere, but on Wednesday Gifu showed off their kit for the new season - and even the quickest of glances will instantly reveal that the home shirt is actually half yellow! I know, the world has tilted a little on its axis; I feel it too. Anyway, in the traditional J-League style, the away shirt is the grey one in the photo.



The boys are back in town

Thursday turned out to be press launch day at J-League champions Kashima Antlers, ahead of a campaign that will see Oswaldo Oliveira's team attempt to win what would in fact be a fourth successive title. There was an all-red Nike home shirt on display - a move away from the red and black used in recent years - and also a new Portuguese-language slogan, Evolucao. Still, most fans will have been looking forward most to seeing for the first time in Kashima colours their main signing of the close season, South Korean international Lee Jung Soo, who impressed in 2009 at the heart of the defence at Kyoto Sanga.



Lee Jung Soo models the home shirt with his new pals

Regular readers of this thread - hi, mum - will no doubt agree that there has been precious little attention given so far to the important topic of J-League mascots. Allow me to rectify that error immediately, with the news that this year's J2 newcomers Giravanz Kitakyushu have been holding a poll amongst their fans in order to find a new name for the club's mascot character, following the sad decision to abandon as a team moniker the undeniably brilliant New Wave Kitakyushu. Wavy the Bird is what the little fellow used to be called, and 163 people reportedly ended up making suggestions that have led to his new name: Giran. Oh dear.



Sayonara, Wavy

Another Thursday press launch was at Avispa Fukuoka, who are preparing for a fourth J2 season in a row - with no sign that they can get into the top half of the division, never mind J1. They have a new slogan to inspire them and a new main sponsor - Everlife, a Fukuoka-based health-supplement manufacturer - to go on their new Mizuno kit. Which I actually think is pretty good. But what the Wasps don't have are any new players to speak of, most of their signings being college players and kids from the U18 squad. When probably your main transfer of the winter is from the utterly impoverished Tokyo Verdy, well - Avispa might be looking stylish, but they ain't looking good.



Home, Away, various Goalkeeper



Avispa slogan graphic

Friday's press launch at Gamba Osaka provided an opportunity for fans of the Blue and Blacks to ponder Akira Nishino's plans for team selection in 2010, now that coach Nishino has at his disposal no fewer than four Brazilian strikers. Lucas and Pedro Junior are in situ and fairly prolific, the new arrivals being Ze Carlos from Portuguesa in Brazil and, er, Dodo, snapped up from J2 minnows Ehime FC. Ze Carlos hasn't turned up yet, but Dodo was at the shindig in Gamba's new home shirt alongside the other incomers, who are kids from university or the youth team.



Can you spot Gamba Boy and Akira Nishino?



In all seriousness, that's just a load of scribble, surely

Super-ambitious Nagoya Grampus did a separate intro a week or so ago for their main signings, Mu Kanazaki and Marcus Tulio Tanaka, so there was something of the second-class citizen about the other lads who met 'n' greeted at Friday's event. Midfielder Danilson comes on a year's loan from Consadole Sapporo, defender Mitsuru Chiyotanda has departed Albirex Niigata and could be just as much of a key player as Tulio for coach Dragan Stojkovic, while the Red Whales also have a new understudy to first choice keeper Seigo Narazaki in Tokyo Verdy's Yoshinari Takagi.



This is called a "guts pose"

Back in J1 for the first time since 2003 come Vegalta Sendai, who launched the season not with a press conference but a fans' event that included a Dream Match of Vegalta old boys, plus - perhaps more importantly - an introduction to the team's new signings. Just in the last few days Sendai have clinched the signing from Oita Trinita of a player who could make a major difference to how they perform in the top flight, teeny tiny Brazilian playmaker Fernandinho, although they'll definitely need goals from Leonardo, a 23-year-old most recently with Cruzeiro. Still, it looks like they all had a good time, doesn't it?



What's that between the mascot's feet?

For one of the most successful teams in the history of the J-League, Jubilo Iwata have been going through a pretty fallow period for a pretty long time now. They last won J1 in 2002, just avoided the drop in 2008 and would have been involved in a relegation battle last year, too, if it hadn't been for the goals of Ryoichi Maeda and Lee Keun Ho. Jubilo haven't done much over the close season to re-introduce a sense of optimism among their fans, either, their top signings being Busan I'Park defender Lee Gang Jin and Mito Hollyhock forward Tomoyuki Arata. Are they going to provide a way out of the doldrums? Um.



Come on lads, it might never happen

I don't want to worry you about Omiya's chances of staying up, Furtho, but if I were a pirate from Treasure Island I would be saying "THE BLACK SPOT!", and looking suitably horror-struck. The Black Spot in question being passed to you by Vissel Kobe in the form of Shusuke Tsubouchi. Kobe lent him to Oita last year, and we know what happened there. The year before they lent him to Sapporo, who duly finished 19 points adrift at the bottom. And in 2005 they forgot to lend him to anyone, and got relegated themselves. Put him on a bus to Saitama Stadium pronto, I reckon.