All Japan University Football Championship

The All Japan University Football Championship (全日本大学サッカー選手権大会, Zen'nihon daigaku sakkā senshuken taikai), also known as Intercollegiate nationally, is the main football (soccer) competition for universities across Japan.[1] Since 2013, the competition is held with 24 participating university teams. The competition was for the first time held on 1953, with the aim of opening the door to regional and lower-ranked university teams that did not have the opportunity to compete at the national level. The competition works similarly to the Japanese Regional Football Champions League, with the best teams from each region qualifying to the main tournament. University teams can only qualify for the Emperor's Cup through prefectural qualification, in where they need to face senior football clubs in order to qualify for it. With it stated, the All Japan University Championship does not qualify the winning team for any other competition, but it is of major relevance among the University football players.[2] The championship is organized by the Japan Football Association and the Japan University Football Association.

All Japan University Football Championship
Founded1953; 71 years ago (1953)
RegionJapan
Number of teams24
Current championsMeiji University
(2023, 4th title)
Most successful club(s)Waseda University (12 titles)
WebsiteJFA
JUFA
2023 All Japan University Football Championship

High schools and university teams are highly evaluated in Japan. Although the High School championship gets a large amount of spotlight away from the university football, many national team players have played at the competition, or have played for university teams through their youth careers. A recent example is Kaoru Mitoma, who studied and played for University of Tsukuba until 2019, who also stated the university studies and football structure helped him to prepare for professional football.[3] Most of the players at each edition of the competition, after graduating from their respectives universities, most likely goes on to pursue a career on football, either being it at professional or regional level.

On 2023, it was the last time 24 teams participated in the tournament, with 8 teams automatically seeded in the second round. From 2024 onwards, 28 teams participates in the tournament, with preliminary round results determining the 16 teams playing in the Final Round and the 12 teams in the strenghtening round.[4]

Past finals

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Year Winner[5] Result Runners-up
1952 University of Tokyo 2–1 Waseda University
1953 Rikkyo University 4–2 Chuo University
1954 Tokyo University of Education 2–1 Chuo University
1955 Waseda University 10–1 Tohoku Gakuin University
1956 Tokyo University of Education 2–1 Waseda University
1957 Chuo University 3–0 Meiji University
1958 Meiji University 1–0 Chuo University
1959 Chuo University 1–0 Hosei University
1960 Chuo University 3–0 Hosei University
1961 Keio University 2–1 Waseda University
1962 Chuo University 2–1 Rikkyo University
1963 Keio University 3–2 Meiji University
1964 Nihon University 1–0 Chuo University
1965 Chuo University 3–1 Rikkyo University
1966 Waseda University 4–0 Chuo University
1967 Kansai University 1–0 Chuo University
1968 Tokyo University of Education 3–0 Kansai University
1969 Keio University 1–0 Rikkyo University
1970 Hosei University 2–0 Osaka University of Commerce
1971 Tokyo University of Education 2–1 Chuo University
1972 Waseda University 1–0 (a.e.t.) Osaka University of Commerce
1973 Waseda University 3–0 Hosei University
1974 Waseda University 2–0 Osaka University of Commerce
1975 Nippon Sport Science University 2–0 Hosei University
1976 Hosei University 2–1 Nippon Sport Science University
1977 Osaka University of Commerce 2–0 Hosei University
1978 Waseda University 1–0 Hosei University
1979 University of Tsukuba 2–1 Hosei University
1980 Chuo University
University of Tsukuba
2–2 Shared trophy
1981 Nippon Sport Science University 3–0 Tokyo University of Agriculture
1982 Kokushikan University 3–2 Waseda University
1983 Osaka University of Commerce 2–1 Juntendo University
1984 Osaka University of Commerce 1–0 Kokushikan University
1985 Osaka University of Commerce
Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences
0–0 (a.e.t.) Shared trophy
1986 Waseda University 4–0 Tokai University
1987 Juntendo University 1–0 Tokai University
1988 Juntendo University
Tokai University
0–0 (a.e.t.) Shared trophy
1989 Juntendo University 4–0 Tokai University
1990 Tokai University 2–2 (5–4 pen.) Kokushikan University
1991 Waseda University 1–1 (4–2 pen.) Tokai University
1992 Chuo University 1–0 Waseda University
1993 Waseda University 3–1 Doshisha University
1994 Waseda University 1–1 (4–1 pen.) Komazawa University
1995 Komazawa University 3–2 University of Tsukuba
1996 Kokushikan University 2–1 (GG) Waseda University
1997 Komazawa University 3–1 Kokushikan University
1998 Kokushikan University 2–1 Fukuoka University
1999 Kokushikan University 2–1 (GG) University of Tsukuba
2000 Chukyo University 2–1 University of Tsukuba
2001 Komazawa University 2–1 Kokushikan University
2002 University of Tsukuba 2–1 (GG) Kokushikan University
2003 University of Tsukuba 1–0 Komazawa University
2004 Komazawa University 5–2 Ritsumeikan University
2005 Komazawa University 2–1 Juntendo University
2006 Komazawa University 6–1 Waseda University
2007 Waseda University 2–0 Hosei University
2008 Chuo University 2–1 University of Tsukuba
2009 Meiji University 2–1 Fukuoka University
2010 Kansai University 2–1 (a.e.t.) Chukyo University
2011 Senshu University 3–0 Meiji University
2012 Waseda University 3–1 Fukuoka University
2013 Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences 3–1 Kokushikan University
2014 Ryutsu Keizai University 1–0 Kwansei Gakuin University
2015 Kwansei Gakuin University 4–0 Hannan University
2016 University of Tsukuba 8–0 Nippon Sport Science University
2017 Ryutsu Keizai University 5–1 Hosei University
2018 Hosei University 1–0 Komazawa University
2019 Meiji University 3–1 (a.e.t.) Toin University of Yokohama
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Komazawa University 3–2 Hannan University
2022 Toin University of Yokohama 3–2 Niigata University of Health and Welfare
2023 Meiji University 2–0 Kyoto Sangyo University

Most successful clubs

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P. Team Champions Runners-up Winning years
1 Waseda University 12 7 1955, 1966, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1986, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2007, 2012
2 University of Tsukuba 9 4 1954, 1956, 1968, 1971, 1979, 1980, 2002, 2003, 2016
3 Chuo University 8 7 1957, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1965, 1980, 1992, 2008
4 Komazawa University 7 3 1995, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2021
5 Osaka University of Commerce 4 3 1977, 1983, 1984, 1985
Kokushikan University 4 6 1982, 1996, 1998, 1999
Meiji University 4 3 1958, 2009, 2019, 2023
8 Keio University 3 0 1961, 1963, 1969
Juntendo University 3 2 1987, 1988, 1989
Hosei University 3 9 1970, 1976, 2018
11 Nippon Sport Science University 2 2 1975, 1981
Tokai University 2 4 1988 ,1990
Kansai University 2 1 1967, 2010
Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences 2 0 1985, 2013
Ryutsu Keizai University 2 0 2014, 2017
16 University of Tokyo 1 0 1952
Rikkyo University 1 3 1953
Nihon University 1 0 1964
Chukyo University 1 1 2000
Senshu University 1 0 2011
Kwansei Gakuin University 1 1 2015
Toin University of Yokohama 1 1 2022
23 Fukuoka University 0 3
Hannan University 0 2
Tohoku Gakuin University 0 1
Tokyo University of Agriculture 0 1
Doshisha University 0 1
Ritsumeikan University 0 1
Niigata University of Health and Welfare 0 1
Kyoto Sangyo University 0 1

References

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  1. ^ "第71回 全日本大学サッカー選手権大会 : About". JFA (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  2. ^ "全日本大学サッカー選手権大会(通称:インカレ)". Athletes Bank (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma: Uni studies helped my football". Tribal Football. 19 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  4. ^ "⼤会⽅式 変更の概要(⼀覧表)" (PDF) (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  5. ^ "第71回 全日本大学サッカー選手権大会 : All-time Winners". JFA (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 November 2022.
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