A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| Season | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Kashiwa Reysol 1st J. League title 2nd Japanese title |
| Relegated | Ventforet Kofu Avispa Fukuoka Montedio Yamagata |
| Champions League | Kashiwa Reysol Nagoya Grampus Gamba Osaka FC Tokyo |
| Matches played | 306 |
| Goals scored | 869 (2.84 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Joshua Kennedy (19 goals) |
| Highest attendance | 54,441 Reds vs Reysol |
| Lowest attendance | 4,028 Avispa vs Ardija |
| Average attendance | 15,797 |
← 2010 2012 → | |
The 2011 J.League Division 1 season was the 46th season of professional football in Japan, and the 19th since the establishment of the J.League. The season began on March 5 and concluded on December 3. The season was put on hold from March 12 to April 23 due to the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami,[1] therefore canceling a planned five-week summer break between June 27–July 29 in order to allow preparation of the Japan national team for the 2011 Copa América.[2]
The 2011 J.League Division 1 champion also qualified to the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup as the host team, entering the qualifying play-off round.
Kashiwa Reysol won a second league title, their first in 39 years and first in the professional J.League era. They also became the first League champions to win the title the season after being promoted as second division champions.
Clubs
FC Tokyo, Kyoto Sanga FC and Shonan Bellmare were relegated at the end of the 2010 season after finishing in the bottom three places of the table. Shonan had only played one season in Division 1 while Kyoto had enjoyed a three-year stay. FC Tokyo had been in the top flight for eleven seasons.
The three relegated teams were replaced by 2010 J.League Division 2 champions Kashiwa Reysol, runners-up Ventforet Kofu and third-placed team Avispa Fukuoka. Kashiwa had made an immediate return to the top division, while Kofu and Fukuoka ended three- and four-year absences respectively.
| Club Name | Home Town(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Albirex Niigata | Niigata & Seirō, Niigata | |
| Avispa Fukuoka | Fukuoka | Promoted from J2 League in 2010 |
| Cerezo Osaka | Osaka | 2011 ACL Participant |
| Gamba Osaka | Suita, Osaka | 2011 ACL Participant |
| Júbilo Iwata | Iwata, Shizuoka | |
| Kashima Antlers | Southwestern cities/towns of Ibaraki | 2011 ACL Participant |
| Kashiwa Reysol | Kashiwa, Chiba | Promoted from J2 League in 2010 |
| Kawasaki Frontale | Kawasaki, Kanagawa | |
| Montedio Yamagata | All cities/towns in Yamagata | |
| Nagoya Grampus | Nagoya, Aichi | 2011 ACL Participant 2010 Defending Champions |
| Omiya Ardija | Omiya, Saitama | |
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Hiroshima | |
| Shimizu S-Pulse | Shizuoka | |
| Urawa Red Diamonds | Urawa, Saitama | |
| Vegalta Sendai | Sendai, Miyagi | |
| Ventforet Kofu | All cities/towns in Yamanashi | Promoted from J2 League in 2010 |
| Vissel Kobe | Kobe, Hyōgo | |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | Yokohama & Yokosuka |
Personnel and kits
1 Subject to change during the season.
