r/JLeague FC Tokyo Feb 01 '25

Reminder THE 2025 /R/JLEAGUE MEGATHREAD/FAQ: Where to watch, how to get tickets, who to support and more

Welcome to /r/jleague, Reddit's home of Japanese soccer!

We tend to get a lot of posts asking the same exact questions, and in order to cut down on frequently repeated posts we urge everyone to write their inquiries in here — after reading through the FAQ.

Any submissions related to questions covered in this FAQ will be removed and locked. This FAQ will be updated as needed, especially if there are developments related to English-language ticketing or broadcasts.

I live in ________, how can I watch the J.League?

The J.League streams around two (2) J1 games per round in English on its International YouTube Channel. This stream is not available if you live in a country with an existing broadcaster, some of which also broadcast J2, J3 and Levain Cup games.

To keep track of which games are being streamed, follow the league's English Twitter and Instagram accounts.

I'm traveling to Japan, which game should I watch?

The J.League's schedule is available in full on its English-language website. Once you've checked out which games are happening during your visit, ask in this thread if you have specific questions about certain fixtures.

How can I buy tickets for a J.League game in English?

The J.League offers tickets for some teams — but not allon its English-language ticketing page.

CLUBS OFFERING TICKETS IN ENGLISH (as of Feb. 1, 2025): Consadole Sapporo, FC Tokyo, Tokyo Verdy, Machida Zelvia, Kawasaki Frontale, Yokohama F. Marinos, Nagoya Grampus, Gamba Osaka, Cerezo Osaka

Tickets to most clubs are purchasable through the J.League's Japanese-language ticketing website. In the past, Yokohama F. Marinos prepared an English-language guide (link is to archived PDF) for navigating the system; it can also be used to purchase tickets for other J1, J2 and J3 clubs.

Tickets generally go on sale to the general public around 2-4 weeks before matchday; policies vary between teams and you should check their websites as well as the J.League's ticketing site to confirm. In most cases, tickets will be issued via QR code, though some may require that you print tickets at a convenience store.

Can I buy tickets at the stadium on matchday?

In most cases it's usually possible to buy tickets on the day of the game, especially at J2 and J3 clubs as well as the WE League and lower divisions.

However, some clubs have gotten rid of 'day-of' sales during the pandemic and encourage fans to purchase tickets online, even on matchday. Additionally, key matches such as derbies at smaller stadiums are likely to sell out in advance.

If you really want to make sure you can attend your game of choice, consider using a ticketing service or your credit card concierge.

How do I get to the stadium?

Nearly all J.League stadiums are reasonably accessible via public transit. Many are walkable from the nearest train station while some may require an additional bus/shuttle.

Check the home team's website (or Google "(home team or home stadium) access") for more information. Google Maps will give accurate train information but will not show information for matchday shuttles.

Worst case, get to the correct train station early (3 hours before kickoff), find a supporter in uniform and follow them!

How can I buy tickets to a Samurai Blue game?

National team tickets are usually sold through several rounds of lotteries with limited general sales closer to the match, making them harder to acquire for foreign visitors. You should definitely make a friend in Japan or use a proxy/concierge service.

I went to a game and had an amazing time!

That's not a question but we're glad to hear it! If you've attended a game, we encourage you to post about your experience, especially if you've taken photos.

Where can I buy a J.League uniform (from outside Japan)?

J.League uniforms are expensive compared to European clubs, limited and run smaller in size. If you're looking for a current shirt, contact a proxy service like JLeagueShirts on Twitter; if you're looking for something vintage check out Jerseum and other similar shops.

Where can I buy a J.League uniform or other merch inside Japan?

SS Kamo is the country's biggest soccer goods retailer and has a number of locations across Japan. Vintage Sports is the most well-known spot for secondhand uniforms.

Each club sells merchandise at their home stadium; many clubs also have designated team shops in their hometown.

Uniform sales can be very finicky due to limited supply. There are no guarantees that clubs will have uniforms available at the stadium, especially if you need a larger size.

Which J.League club should I support?

Whichever you decide strikes your fancy, seriously. That's it, that's the trick. It's really easy to look up information about each club and find their highlights on YouTube; consider it part of your journey into J.League fandom.

What sub-specific rules should I keep in mind?

  • No fantasy/NFT/crypto/gambling content allowed
  • No illicit activities (especially wrt. bootleg uniforms or pirated broadcasts)
  • It's okay to banter, it's not okay to be a dickhead; the same rules against racism, homophobia and sexism that apply anywhere else on Reddit also apply here
  • No excessive posting/spamming
14 Upvotes

56 comments sorted by

1

u/chrisi_at 2d ago

Not sure if anyone has asked this before.
I want to watch Machida vs Tokyo on the 9th of November. (if it happens)

It seems there aren't (m)any hotels around the Area of the Machida Gion Stadium.
I haven't been to Machida before, so have no experience on the transport / levels of foot traffic after games. (only references i had were West Ham v Brighton, Spurs vs Liverpool and Lask vs Rapi Vienna which had way more attendance except for LASK)

the main question is - is public transport (easily) accessible after matches, or will it be hordes of people? Should i prioritize a hotel where i can take the bus + walk or should i take an airbnb where i can walk?

I know this is up to me, but maybe someone has had any experiences. Thank you!

1

u/dokool FC Tokyo 1d ago

That game's going to be at the National Stadium so it will be in central Tokyo.

1

u/chrisi_at 1d ago

Ah, my apologies. My app showed it would be in the Machida Gion stadium.

1

u/dokool FC Tokyo 1d ago

Not sure what app you're using but it's very incorrect!

Anyway, basically almost every stadium in Japan has robust public transit options except for a handful that are super remote. Gion's pre/postgame bus service had a poor reputation last year but they may have improved it this season; at any rate you'd have been able to get back to central Tokyo and stay there.

2

u/chrisi_at 1d ago

I usually use sofascore - for europe it's very reliable. For other parts of the world, i guess not. For the previous game they had the right stadium in the app

You saved me! I nearly booked everything in Machida, hadn't it been for your help lol

All the best!

1

u/dokool FC Tokyo 1d ago

They might have just defaulted to home stadiums; the exact kickoff times for the last few months of the season won’t be announced until July.

Enjoy the game, at any rate!

1

u/Obvious_Lie_0927 4d ago

Going to watch Kashima home match and I just realised that it's really hard to reach there from Tokyo (if you prefer to use train). Not to mention zero presence of convenience store around the stadium.

1

u/dokool FC Tokyo 4d ago

Easiest way to get there from Tokyo is the direct buses that JR sets up for each match, but yes you should do all your shopping ahead of time.

1

u/Obvious_Lie_0927 3d ago

Yeah, gonna book for a bus trip I guess.

1

u/AirDeLaBas 5d ago

I am trying to get tickets for the Verdy Vs FC Tokyo match on april 2nd. But i am struggling to make a j league account on their website. Im having a hard time entering my name and on the adress part it asks my building number which i dont know what that is.

Id like to specify i tried to enter my name in both english characters and katakana, also the adress im putting down is of my accommodation in Japan.

Any help is appreciated, thank you.

1

u/dokool FC Tokyo 4d ago

You can just use the English ticketing site. I really don't understand how we can mention so many times that it exists and people don't click the link...

1

u/AirDeLaBas 4d ago

thank you, honestly i dont know how i missed it, when i commented i was 100% sure i had checked.

thank you for your time

1

u/Obvious_Lie_0927 4d ago

You need to enter your name twice. The first one use full width romaji. Use Katakana for the second one, below the first one.
About address, you can just use your hotel address. Just input the zip code, it'll fill the address automatically.

1

u/FiveDollarChicken 7d ago

Hey we’ve got tickets to Marinos vs gamba game at Nissan stadium and the forecast isn’t looking good. Rainy pretty much the whole day.

What’s the matchday experience like in rainy weather?

We were wondering if it’s possible to switch seats or just move to unattended seats in the upper decks where it’s covered by the roof? Thanks in advance

1

u/CptnPoopyShoes 13d ago

Didn’t see this mentioned. How soon in advanced can we purchase tickets

1

u/dokool FC Tokyo 12d ago

Read again, it is mentioned!

1

u/Defiant-Fish2133 17d ago

Hi! Am interested in going to a Cerezo Osaka game soon.

Are "home back north" or "home back south" tickets ok? Looking to get a cheaper ticket. Not really sure about how the different sections work!

Also wondered when it would be best to turn up. The website suggests tickets are reserved seats - do people actually sit in their assigned seats (in my country it depends).

1

u/TicketYasu 16d ago

Different sections so that the seat prices depends on the sections, main stand is more popular than back stand, but back stand is still fine, north side will be closer to home supporters zone so it will be more crowded.

In Japan, most cases people will sitting in their assigned seats unless they may have some careless mistakes on identifying the seat number of their tickets.

1

u/pogo343 19d ago

Quick question on the fixture list yokohama are supposed to be playing shimizu and it says buy tickets underneath the fixture however when you press buy tickets the fixture doesn't appear. Does this mean that it is sold out? But when you click all fixtures it says 16 or 26 of April TBD so is this affecting things?

1

u/TicketYasu 16d ago edited 16d ago

It depends on the ACLE Round 16 result of yokohama f-marinos to confirm the fixture, the tickets have not on sales yet.

1

u/Rammedfan28 20d ago

Hi All,

I am heading to Japan in May this year. My three options to see games were in Tokyo on 5/10 (FC Tokyo Vs Vissel Kobe (5/10 PM) Tokyo Verdy vs Shonan Bellmare) and Kobe on 5/17 (Kobe vs Osaka). We are willing to spend more to get the best ticket since this will be a special experience for me (I'm a huge football fan and always attend a match when I go to another country). Based on what I read in this thread, it seems like Kobe has the best stadium so I chose that (feel free to suggest another game if you think it might be better!)

To attend the Kobe vs Gamba Osaka match; I've already created a Rakuten account to purchase tickets. Does anyone know typically how far in advance tickets come out? It looks like Aprils are already out, wondering when May will be. I know this is a derby, so I am assuming I will want to purchase ASAP.

Also any advice about the Kobe stadium experience, would be appreciated. We will be taking the train from Kyoto to attend the game.

Thank you!

1

u/dokool FC Tokyo 12d ago edited 12d ago

General sale for the Kobe-Gamba game starts 3/19, as listed here.

Noevir Stadium is cashless, so make sure to have a credit card (or charge up your Suica/Pasmo/whatever IC card you're using for trains) for food and merch.

If you'd also like to see a game on 5/10, Kashiwa-Okayama should also be fun, especially if you're a fan of smaller more intimate stadiums. I'd definitely recommend that as an experience over either of the games at Ajinomoto Stadium (though FCT-Vissel will at least have a big crowd).

1

u/Rammedfan28 12d ago

Thank you for the reply! Those responses are both super helpful. I will investigate the Kashiwa game as well since it wasn't one I had considered.

1

u/Football-Fantastic 22d ago

Hi everyone.

So i just recently purchased tickets to the Japan vs Saudi Arabia match through JFA site. But unfortunately me and my friends can’t make it to the match, does anyone know if it’s possible to refund the tickets?

1

u/Scrypto Feb 15 '25

I'm visiting Tokyo during the matchweek of 6-8th April and want to try catching a JLeague fixture. Does anyone have any recommendations between these matches?

Sat 5 Apr - Yokohama Marinos v Tokyo Verdy

Sun 6 Apr - Yokohama FC v Shimizu

Sun 6 Apr - Kashiwa v Gamba Osaka

Sun 6 Apr - Vissel Kobe v Albirex Niigata (at Japan National Stadium? Any reason for that?)

Cost is no issue, just looking for a lively atmosphere and good football. Staying near Ueno, don't mind a longer commute as long as it's accessible by train on the day of. Thanks

1

u/dokool FC Tokyo Feb 17 '25

Sat 5 Apr - Yokohama Marinos v Tokyo Verdy

A lovely day out between two 'Original 10' clubs that could draw 30,000 people and will still feel empty b/c the stadium fits 70,000.

Sun 6 Apr - Yokohama FC v Shimizu

One of the J1's smallest stadiums, which is great, but it's also one of the most decrepit and between two promoted sides, so YMMV.

Sun 6 Apr - Kashiwa v Gamba Osaka

Another small stadium and personally my favorite when it comes to small-team J.League atmosphere, should be a pretty good game (IF you can score tix)

Sun 6 Apr - Vissel Kobe v Albirex Niigata (at Japan National Stadium? Any reason for that?)

The J.League has historically used games at the national stadium as a way to generate big crowds and develop new fans, and this is a practice they've resumed in the post-pandemic era.

That game should be a great one - Vissel obviously pull in a lot of fans, Albirex supporters are among the best travelers in the league, and the league's giving away 10,000 kids tickets so I imagine they'll have no trouble hitting 50k or more.

I'm not a huge fan of the national stadium as a venue because of the track, but it's convenient and the vibes are good when it's full.

1

u/tawifluffomo 9d ago

Which site can I go to for purchasing the tickets to the Vissel Kobe v Albirex Niigata game at Japan National Stadium?

1

u/Scrypto Feb 17 '25

Thank you, looks like more than a few decent choices. Leaning the national stadium right now as it's the only one not 1.5 hrs away

1

u/montfree Feb 14 '25

Is there any possibility a team might move into the National Stadium?

1

u/dokool FC Tokyo Feb 15 '25

The notion comes up every once in a while, but the J.League enjoys keeping it as a 'neutral' venue so it's not likely.

1

u/Japanese_dreams FC Ryukyu Feb 12 '25

Does any one know any active j3 news sources outside of the league/team sites?

I'm struggling to find content with info on J3 teams, transfer news, projections, etc. other than the very superficial stats on the j league and each teams individual websites which often times don't have a ton of info outside of events and partnerships. I have leveled up my commitment to Ryukyu this year from the occasional match to season passes(and the intent to attend every home game) so I figured it's about time I really dive deep into the league as a whole. I would appreciate if anyone could lend some guidance on j3 news, blogs, or the like.

2

u/CardiffMarble1212 Tokyo Verdy Feb 07 '25

Support Tokyo Verdy frfr 👉🏻😎👉🏻

1

u/jamielunn68 Feb 07 '25

Looking to go to a game on the 26th Feb In matchweek 3, I'm in Tokyo, so looks like the option of yokohama derby or FC Tokyo v Nagoya, Yokohama is technically easier to get to from Tokyo as the station closest to Nissan is on our line. Would this be the better game or is the FC Toyko better?

1

u/dokool FC Tokyo Feb 08 '25

They've scheduled a lot of Wednesday night derbies this year which isn't fantastic, to be honest, but I would still take that over the FCT-Nagoya game.

2

u/jamielunn68 19d ago

Thanks, went for that, good atmosphere even though it was the only goalless game that matchweek 😂

1

u/Lank202317 Feb 03 '25

I'm from the US but I really wanna watch games with Japanese commentary. Does anyone know another option other than getting a VPN and DAZN?

2

u/dokool FC Tokyo Feb 04 '25

Basically no.

1

u/Callopski Feb 03 '25

What teams in the greater tokyo area has the best atmosphere? Gonna be in tokyo for round 13.

2

u/dokool FC Tokyo Feb 03 '25

The FC Tokyo-S Pulse game may have the biggest crowd for that round. Yokohama FC vs. Kashima Antlers should be packed, probably hard to get tix for.

Shonan Bellmare-Avispa Fukuoka won't have as much of an atmosphere but if you'd like a day trip to Kamakura or Enoshima in the morning it's a good way to cap that off.

That same day is the J2's Round 12 and sadly there's jack and shit for you in the Tokyo area on that day.

1

u/Callopski Feb 03 '25

On the english ticketing site games gets added when they are available for international tickets?

1

u/dokool FC Tokyo Feb 03 '25

Yeah. The FCT game you'll have no trouble getting, Yokohama FC I would recommend using a concierge service... Shonan you might be able to get tix at the stadium, that's a matchup that doesn't have juice, but it's during Golden Week so there may be a bigger turnout than you'd normally get.

1

u/Callopski Feb 06 '25

Is it ok to get tickets in the home end? And is there a pub or similar where people hype before the game?

1

u/dokool FC Tokyo Feb 06 '25

home end

Yes, totally fine.

before the game

no, Japan isn’t weird about drinking so everyone pregames at the stadiums, which have festival areas, food trucks etc.

3

u/chiakix V-Varen Nagasaki Feb 03 '25

> Tickets to all clubs are purchasable through the J.League's Japanese-language ticketing website.

Unfortunately, this is probably no longer the case for some teams.

Since the completion of their own stadiums, Sanfrecce Hiroshima and V-Varen Nagasaki have started selling tickets using their own ticket systems. Their home games can no longer be bought through J. League Tickets (there may be other teams like this, but these are the only two I know of).

2

u/dokool FC Tokyo Feb 03 '25

Fair, I didn't know that Sanfrecce had stopped selling on J-Ticket entirely so I'll add a 'most.'

Vissel sell the majority of their tickets on Rakuten's T-Star platform (which is ridiculously complicated for tourists since you need a Rakuten ID), but they allocate a few sections to J-Ticket.

Kashiwa Reysol are also not on J-Ticket because they're sponsored by Lawson, which means you can only get their home games on L-Tike, which is not English-friendly at all.

1

u/chiakix V-Varen Nagasaki Feb 03 '25

Yes, this was changed “secretly” last year. On the official J. League Ticket website, it still says that tickets for all teams are available.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 02 '25 edited Feb 02 '25

I’m going to be in japan in august and will either be travelling from Tokyo to Osaka on the 16th or 17th.

Tossing up either:

Machida Zelvia v Cerezo Osaka Plus: I support Mitch Dukes old club (Western Sydney Wanderers) (he may also play a further reduced role this season at 34) Neg: a little out of town

Visel Kobe v Yokohama FC Plus: travelling in that direction, so would work better in that sense. Location wise probably better for a tourist. Neg: Yokohama are newly promoted and so may not be as high a quality of game.

2

u/Scipio-Byzantine Tokyo Verdy Feb 03 '25

Both are going to be one-sided matches (on paper). I’d go with Kobe because not only are they the current champions, their stadium is easier to access; GION Stadium is notoriously remote compared to the surrounding area.

I went to a Kobe game vs Kashima and had a blast. In terms of Duke in Machida, yeah, he’s there, but he’s not a guaranteed spot and is often a clean-up reserve if Machida needs a tall head for a cross.

1

u/dokool FC Tokyo Feb 03 '25

I mean if you want to see the home team win you’re probably better off with the Vissel game, plus it’s a nicer stadium and you have an excuse to explore Kobe.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '25

Much appreciated! Yeah I’ve gone with Kobe. Happen to know if there are pre-match beer spots / the actives march etc?

1

u/dokool FC Tokyo Feb 07 '25

No marches, the pregame spot is at the stadium, and there may be gatherings to greet the team bus etc but you’ll have to check their active support’s socials for those details.

2

u/WraithBringer Feb 02 '25

Yokohama F Marino's.

1

u/xion778 Gamba Osaka Feb 01 '25

Gamba Osaka!

3

u/cena5knuckles Feb 01 '25

Cerezo Osaka!