Regional preview: Kyushu (North)

Shame on me, I forgot that there were a lot of teams on the island of Kyushu. Their preview is split into north & south. We start our previews in the north, where two clubs are looking to bounce back from relegation, and others are hoping to get some consolidation. Giravanz Kitakyushu Stadium: Mikuni […]

A Goalkeeper’s Tale

It isn’t easy being a goalkeeper. The last line of defence is always the loneliest, and there is no hiding place.

Relegationistan in Autumn

It is a beautiful time of year in Relegationistan. Leaves are falling, teams are falling, supporter morale is falling. Looking at the foot of J1, we see more reds, maroons and oranges than we would in a usual autumn scene at one of Kyoto’s beautiful temples. When you think of a “classico” – you think […]

Fukuoka Pride

We all know about the “derby” situation in Japan. You have the “real” ones that are borne out of proximity and have grown organically over time. Examples of these would include: Shimizu S-Pulse vs Jubilo Iwata Gamba Osaka vs Cerezo Osaka Urawa Reds vs Omiya Ardija And then you have the ones dreamt up by […]

J.League Worldwide #3

In the latest installment of this site’s look at the supporters of Japanese football across the globe, Ben from Germany – more commonly known to us on the internet as fervent Avispa Fukuoka supporter @NavyBlueWasp – tells us what it is like being a supporter of a team/league that is on the other side of […]

Talking point: Kyushu calling

Lots of talking points from the first round of J1 & J2 games. We could talk about what is surely a statistical anomaly of only one home win in J1. Or the fact that none of the relegated teams won their first game in J2. Or that Urawa Reds midfielder Yuki Abe played the last […]