Kickoff: J1 League's Opening Day Details Unveiled

Jan 24, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The J1 League, Japan's top level of professional soccer, has announced the schedule and venues for its opening matches, with the new season kicking off on the 23rd of February at Hiroshima's new stadium where Sanfrecce Hiroshima will face Urawa Reds.

This season, J1 has expanded to include 20 teams, an increase of two teams from the previous season. While the matchups for the first round, set to take place from the 23rd to the 25th of next month, had already been determined, the J.League has now disclosed the specific dates and locations for each match.

On the 23rd, two matches will feature the "Original 10" teams that have been part of the league since its inception. The season will commence with a match between Sanfrecce and Reds at the new stadium in Hiroshima, starting at 2 PM. At 6 PM, Nagoya Grampus will go head-to-head with Kashima Antlers in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. The following day, on the 24th, six matches are scheduled, and two more will be played on the 25th. On the 25th, the National Stadium will host a match between Tokyo Verdy, who have returned to J1 for the first time in 16 seasons as the league's inaugural champions, and Yokohama F. Marinos, reminiscent of the J.League's opening match in 1993.

NHK is set to broadcast the opening match between Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Urawa Reds on the 23rd on its General TV channel.

Source: NHK

Record Rain Triggers Level 5 Warning in Fukui

Record rainfall caused 19 rivers to overflow across Fukui Prefecture, flooding roads and homes, triggering landslides and temporarily forcing authorities to issue the highest-level heavy rain emergency warning from early Sunday morning.

Drones Deliver Supplies to Residents Cut Off by Landslide

Drones were used to deliver food and daily necessities to an isolated mountain community in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, on August 30 after torrential rain triggered a landslide that cut off road access, while volunteers continued flood recovery work in neighboring Ishikawa Prefecture.

Typhoon No. 23 Overtakes No. 22 East of Japan as Both Head North

Two typhoons east of Japan were moving northward on August 30, with Typhoon No. 23 (Banlan) overtaking Typhoon No. 22 (Artau), although neither storm is expected to have a direct impact on Japan.

Nine-Minute Drone Video Shows Scale of Aeon Mall Damage

A 9-minute, 13-second drone video filmed inside Aeon Mall Kumamoto two days after the deadly explosion has provided a detailed view of the destruction, showing collapsed ceilings, heavy dust and widespread damage that may have affected between one-third and nearly half of the shopping center.

Conditions Ease as Typhoon No. 18 Passes Okinawa

Strong Typhoon No. 18 was moving northwest through the East China Sea on the night of August 26, gradually pulling away from Okinawa and the Amami Islands as lingering rain, strong winds and high waves were expected to ease. As of 9 p.m. on August 26, the typhoon was over waters north-northwest of Kume Island and moving northwest.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sports NEWS

Children Try Cricket Ahead of Asian Games

Families and children tried their hand at cricket at an event in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, on August 29, designed to build interest in the sport ahead of its competition at the Asian Games.

Scoop on National Goldfish Scooping Championship

Around 1,500 competitors from across Japan gathered in Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture, for the National Goldfish Scooping Championship, testing their skills in three-minute contests to determine the country's best goldfish scoopers.

Japan Team Holds Ceremony One Month Before Asian Games

Japan's delegation for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held a team formation ceremony at a hotel in Tokyo on August 19, exactly one month before the competition opens, with wrestler Akari Fujinami pledging that the athletes would "fight through to the very end" on home soil.

Asian Games Plans Evacuation Measures

Organizers of the Asian Games and Asian Para Games are preparing evacuation plans for athletes and officials staying in temporary container houses and a cruise ship at Nagoya Port, with around 20,000 participants and related personnel expected to visit Aichi Prefecture during the 23-day competition period beginning September 19.

Japan's Top High School Gamers Battle for National Esports Crown

STAGE:0, one of Japan's largest esports tournaments for high school students, has opened in Osaka, bringing together more than 2,000 teams from across the country to compete for the title of national champion.

Teqball Eyes Breakthrough at Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

Teqball, a sport combining elements of soccer and table tennis, will make its Asian Games debut when the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games open in September, giving Japan's players a major opportunity to raise the profile of a discipline that has so far attracted relatively little attention domestically.

Alpen Flagship Store Opens in Osaka

Major sporting goods retailer Alpen is opening Alpen OSAKA, one of the largest sports and lifestyle stores in the Kansai region, at the former Uniqlo site in Osaka's Chayamachi district, with six floors offering everything from running shoes and golf equipment to hands-on product testing.

CDI and NYRA Create New 3-Year-Old Championship Series, Leaving Preakness S. Effectively Isolated

On August 3, 2026, Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) and the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced the launch of the "Thoroughbred Championship Series" to determine the top 3-year-old thoroughbred, starting next season, as reported by Sponichi Annex.

< 2 3 4 5 >