Japan Soccer League (日本サッカーリーグ, Nihon Sakkā Rīgu^?), or JSL, was the top flight soccer league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J. League. Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The Japan Professional Football League ), or J. League ), is the top professional soccer league in Japan, and the most successful professional football league in Asia. ...

Each team represented a corporation, and like Japanese baseball teams, went by the name of the company that owned the team. The players were officially amateur and were employees of the parent corporations, but especially in later years, top players were generally paid strictly to play soccer. Koshien Stadium (in 1992) Baseball has been a popular sport in Japan for over a century since its introduction in 1872. ...

Top JSL teams included Hitachi Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nissan Motors, Toyo Industries (Mazda) and Yomiuri Shimbun, which are now, respectively, Kashiwa Reysol, Urawa Red Diamonds, Yokohama F. Marinos, Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Tokyo Verdy 1969. Hitachi Ltd. ... Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd (MHI) (三菱重工業, Mitsubishi Jūkōgyō) TYO: 7011 is a Japanese company. ... Nissan Motor Co. ... Mazda Motor Corporation ) (TYO: 7261 ) is a Japanese automobile maker based in Hiroshima, Japan. ... Yomiuri-TOKYO Office Yomiuri YC The Yomiuri Shimbun (読売新聞) is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. ... Kashiwa Reysol is a J. League team. ... The Urawa Red Diamonds (Japanese: 浦和レッドダイヤモンズ), also known as Urawa Reds (Japanese: 浦和レッズ), are one of the most popular football clubs in the J. League. ... Yokohama F. Marinos is a Japanese football team which participates in the professional J. League. ... Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Japanese: サンフレッチェ広島) is a football team for J. League. ... Tokyo Verdy 1969 (東京ヴェルディ1969) is a football team which plays Japans J. League. ...

In 1991, owners met and agreed to disband the league, and reorganize as the professional J. League. JSL played its final season in 19991/92 and the J. League began play in 1993. Top nine JSL clubs, (along with the independent Shimizu S-Pulse) became the original J. League members. 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Shimizu S-Pulse(清水エスパルス) is a J. League team. ...

External links

• Final tables from 1965 on at rsssf.com
• Soccerphile: History of Japanese football
• BBC Sport: "How football went Japanese"