The start of the J.League
How the first match of Japan's first professional football league kicked off in Tokyo
Sporting Witness · BBC World Service
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Show Notes
On 15th May 1993, the first match of Japan's first professional football league kicked off at the National Stadium in Tokyo. This new "J.League" replaced the previous version, which was composed of corporate teams of amateur and semi-professional players, and was seen by the Japanese Football Asociation as a means of qualifying for and eventually hosting a World Cup. Former Yokohama Marinos manager Hidehiko Shimizu tells Kurt Brookes about that first match and how it changed Japan's views on football. This is a Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service.
(Photo: Nagoya Grampus Eight play Yokohama Marinos in a J.League match. L-R Junji Koizumi, Gary Lineker and Masami Ihara. Credit: Getty)