Tohoku Soccer League (東北社会人サッカーリーグ, Tōhoku Shakaijin Sakkā Rīgu) is the Japanese fifth tier of league football, which is part of the Japanese Regional Leagues.

Tohoku Soccer League
Founded1977; 47 years ago (1977)
CountryJapan
ConfederationAFC
Divisions2
Number of teamsDiv 1: 10
Div 2 North: 10
Div 2 South: 10
Level on pyramid5–6
Promotion toJapan Football League
Relegation toPrefectural Leagues
Domestic cup(s)Emperor's Cup
Current championsD1: Blancdieu Hirosaki
D2N: Bogolle D. Tsugaru
D2S: FC La U. de Sendai Second
(2023)
Most championshipsTDK SC (11 times)
WebsiteOfficial TFA Website
Current: 2024 Japanese Regional Leagues

History

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It covers most of the Tōhoku region and the 6 prefectures of Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata. It is one of the nine Japanese Regional Leagues, the fifth and sixth league levels in the Japanese association football league system.

Division 2 is divided into North (Akita, Aomori and Iwate Prefectures) and South (Fukushima, Miyagi and Yamagata Prefectures) divisions.

2024 clubs

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Division 1

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# Team Hometown Notes
1 Blancdieu Hirosaki FC Hirosaki, Aomori
2 Bogolle D. Tsugaru Tsugaru, Aomori Promoted from Division Two North as champions
Relegated to Div 2 North after 2024 season
3 Cobaltore Onagawa Onagawa, Miyagi
4 Fuji Club 2003 Hanamaki, Iwate
5 FC Ganju Iwate Hachimantai, Iwate
6 Michinoku Sendai Iwanuma, Miyagi Promoted from Division Two South as runners-up
7 Morioka Zebra Morioka, Iwate Relegated to Div 2 North after 2024 season
8 Shichigahama FC Shichigahama, Miyagi
9 FC Sendai University Shibata, Miyagi
10 FC La Universidad de Sendai Sendai, Miyagi

Division 2 North

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# Team Hometown Notes
1 Akita FC Cambiare Akita, Akita
2 Kuzumaki Club Kuzumaki, Iwate
3 Nippon Steel Kamaishi Kamaishi, Iwate Relegated from Division One after finishing 9th place
4 Omiya SC Morioka, Iwate
5 Oshu United FC Ōshū, Iwate Relegated from Division One after finishing 10th place
6 Saruta Kōgyō Akita, Akita
7 Shichinohe SC Shichinohe, Aomori
8 TDK Shinwakai Nikaho, Akita
9 Tono Club Tōno, Iwate Promoted in 2nd place in the Iwate Prefectural League

Division 2 South

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# Team Hometown Notes
1 Sendai Universität Sendai, Miyagi
2 Iwaki Furukawa FC Iwaki, Fukushima
3 Oyama Club Tsuruoka, Yamagata
4 FC Primeiro Fukushima Koriyama, Fukushima
5 Sendai Sasuke FC Sendai, Miyagi
6 Merry Fukushima, Fukushima
7 RICOH Industry Tohoku Shibata, Miyagi
8 Nakaniida SC Miyagi Miyagi Prefectural League 1st place
promotion: Promoted by playoff victory
9 Chaneaule Koriyama Koriyama, Fukushima Fukushima Prefectural League 1st place
promotion: Promoted by playoff win

Tohoku Soccer League Division Champions

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Division 1
Year Winner
1977 Nippon Steel Kamaishi (1)
1978 Nippon Steel Kamaishi (2)
1979 Nippon Steel Kamaishi (3)
1980 Morioka Zebra (1)
1981 Nippon Steel Kamaishi (4)
1982 TDK (1)
1983 TDK (2)
1984 TDK (3)
1985 Akita City Government (1)
1986 Matsushima Club (1)
1987 Matsushima Club (2)
1988 TDK (4)
1989 TDK (5)
1990 NEC Yamagata (1)
1991 NEC Yamagata (2)
1992 NEC Yamagata (3)
1993 NEC Yamagata (4)
1994 Tohoku Electric Power (1)
1995 Sony Sendai FC (1)
1996 Sony Sendai FC (2)
1997 Sony Sendai FC (3)
1998 NEC TOKIN FC (1)
1999 NEC TOKIN FC (2)
2000 TDK (6)
2001 F.C. Primeiro (1)
2002 TDK (7)
2003 TDK (8)
2004 TDK (9)
2005 TDK (10, shared)
Grulla Morioka (1, shared)
2006 TDK (11)
2007 Grulla Morioka (2)
2008 Grulla Morioka (3)
2009 Grulla Morioka (4)
2010 Grulla Morioka (5)
2011 Fukushima United (1)
2012 Fukushima United (2)
2013 Grulla Morioka (6)
2014 FC Ganju Iwate (1)
2015 FC Ganju Iwate (2)
2016 Cobaltore Onagawa (1)
2017 Cobaltore Onagawa (2)
2018 Blancdieu Hirosaki FC (1)
2019 Iwaki FC (1)
2020 Blancdieu Hirosaki FC (2)
2021 Cobaltore Onagawa (3)
2022 Cobaltore Onagawa (4)
2023 Blancdieu Hirosaki (3)
2024 Blancdieu Hirosaki (4)
2025
Division 2 North
Year Winner
1997 Aster Aomori (1)
1998 Nippon Steel Kamaishi (1)
1999 Nippon Steel Kamaishi (2)
2000 Hokuto Bank (1)
2001 Akita City Hall
2002 Hokuto Bank
2003 Ashikaga Corporation Kawabe FC
2004 Grulla Morioka
2005 Tono Club
2006 Akita Cambiare
2007 Akita Cambiare
2008 Morioka Zebra
2009 Fuji 2003
2010 Fuji 2003
2011 Vanraure Hachinohe*
2012 FC Ganju Iwate
2013 ReinMeer Aomori
2014 Blancdieu Hirosaki
2015 Saruta Kogyo
2016 Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Kamaishi
2017 Akita Cambiare
2018 Saruta Kogyo
2019 Omiya Club
2020 Sutsukizaka FC
2021 Not played
2022 Oshu United FC
2023 Bogolle D. Tsugaru FC
2024
2025
Division 2 South
Year Winner
1997 Furukawa Battery (1)
1998 F.C. Primeiro
1999 Shichigahama SC
2000 Matsushima Club
2001 Furukawa Battery (2)
2002 Sagawa Express Tohoku
2003 Sendai Nakata Club
2004 Northern Peaks Koriyama
2005 Sendai Nakata Club
2006 Furukawa Battery (3)
2007 Biancone Fukushima
2008 Fukushima United
2009 Cobaltore Onagawa
2010 FC Scheinen Fukushima
2011 Vanraure Hachinohe*
2012 Bandits Iwaki
2013 Merry
2014 Iwaki Furukawa FC
2015 Sendai Sasuke FC
2016 Merry
2017 Iwaki Furukawa FC
2018 Iwaki FC
2019 FC SENDAI UNIV.
2020 Shichigahama SC
2021 Not played.
2022 FC La U. de Sendai
2023 FC La U. de Sendai Segunda
2024
2025

Second Division North-South Unified League (2011)

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The 2011 season was held in a unified manner without being divided into north and south, as five teams declined to participate due to the Tohoku earthquake: Cobaltore Onagawa, FC Scheinen Fukushima, Bandits Iwaki, Iwaki Furukawa FC, and Merry. It was a one-round robin between the remaining eleven teams.

In addition, it was originally planned that the winning teams from each of the North and South blocks of the second division would automatically replace the bottom two teams of the first division. However, for the above reasons, automatic promotion from the second division to the first division was not allowed for the 2012 season.

Venues in Tohoku

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References

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