V.League (Japan)

For the Japan highest volleyball league, see SV.League.

The V.League (Japanese: Vリーグ) is the second-level professional volleyball league for both men and women in Japan. The league started in 1994.

J.V League

Current season, competition or edition: 2024–25 V.League Division 1 Men's 2024–25 V.League Division 1 Women's
Sport	Volleyball
Founded	1994; 31 years ago (1994)
No. of teams	Men: 18 Women: 11
Country	Japan
Most recent champion(s)	Men: Suntory Sunbirds (10th title) Women: NEC Red Rockets (9th title) (2023–24)
Most titles	Men: Shin Nihon Steel (16 titles) (later; Osaka Blazers Sakai) Women: Hitachi (17 titles)
Broadcaster(s)	V.TV by Easy sports
Related competitions	SV.League
Official website	vleague.jp (Men Women)

The competitions are organized by the Japan Volleyball League Organization. The league was called V.Premier League before the reform took place in 2018. The SV.League succeeded the V.League as the premier volleyball tournament in Japan in 2024.

History

V.League

In 2016, the Japan Volleyball League Organization, which hosts Premier League, held a press conference in Tokyo and announced plans to create a new league and aim for professionalization. They plan to recruit participating teams by the end of November and aim to start in the fall of 2018.^[1][2]

This project to create a new league was called NEW BORN V.LEAGUE. The new league was named V.League. The new V.League aims to promote the "sports business" of volleyball by realizing a system of "earning through sports and returning the profits to sports" without being bound by conventional concepts. In addition, the V.League aims to further enhance the value of volleyball, push volleyball up to Japan's top arena sports, connect with the world, and become the world's best volleyball league.^[3]

Creation of SV.League

The Japan Volleyball League Organization created the SV.League as the newest top-flight volleyball organization in Japan, placing it above the V.League.^[4][5]

For teams that do not wish to join the SV.League, both men's and women's leagues will be unified into one division under the name of V.League. The East-West Conference system will be introduced.^[6]

Clubs

This is the list of participating clubs in 2024–25 season.

Men

The men's clubs in 2024–25 season^[7]

No.	Region	Club
1	East	Hokkaido Yellow Stars
2		Tsukuba United Sun GAIA
3		Reve's Tochigi
4		Saitama Azalea
5		Chiba Zelva
6		Tokyo Verdy
7		Fujitsu Kawasaki Red Spirits
8		Nagano GaRons
9	West	Aisin Tealmare Hekinan
10		Daido Steel Chita Red Star
11		Veertien Mie
12		Kinki Club Sfida
13		Kubota Spears Osaka
14		Kinden Trinity Blitz
15		Hyogo Delfino
16		Nara Dreamers
17		Fukuoka Winning Spirits
18		Fragolad Kagoshima

Women

The women's clubs in 2024–25 season^[8]

No.	Club
1	Artemis Hokkaido
2	Ligare Sendai
3	Tokyo Sunbeams
4	Shinshu Brilliant Aries
5	Ja Gifu Rioreina
6	Breath Hamamatsu
7	Veertien Mie
8	Kurashiki Ablaze
9	Hiroshima Oilers
10	Kanoa Laulea's Fukuoka
11	Forest Leaves Kumamoto

Previous winners

For the 2024–25 season onward, see SV.League § League winners.

• 1967–68 to 1993–94: Japan Volleyball League
• 1994–95 to 2005–06: V League
• 2006–07 to 2017–18: V.Premier League
• 2018–19 to 2023–24: V.League Division 1

Men

Japan Volleyball League Season Winners 1967–68 Yahata Steel 1968–69 Nihon Koukan 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 Matsushita Denki 1972–73 Nihon Koukan 1973–74 Shin Nihon Steel 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 Nihon Koukan 1978–79 Shin Nihon Steel 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 Fuji Photo Film 1982–83 Shin Nihon Steel 1983–84 Fuji Photo Film 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 Shin Nihon Steel 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 NEC Blue Rockets 1992–93 Fuji Photo Film 1993–94 NEC Blue Rockets

V League Season Winners 1994–95 Suntory Sunbirds 1995–96 NEC Blue Rockets 1996–97 Osaka Blazers Sakai 1997–98 1998–99 NEC Blue Rockets 1999-00 Suntory Sunbirds 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 Toray Arrows 2005–06 Osaka Blazers Sakai

V.Premier League Season Winners 2006–07 Suntory Sunbirds 2007–08 Panasonic Panthers 2008–09 Toray Arrows 2009–10 Panasonic Panthers 2010–11 Osaka Blazers Sakai 2011–12 Panasonic Panthers 2012–13 Osaka Blazers Sakai 2013–14 Panasonic Panthers 2014–15 JT Thunders 2015–16 Toyoda Gosei Trefuerza 2016–17 Toray Arrows 2017–18 Panasonic Panthers

V.League Division 1 Season Winners 2018–19 Panasonic Panthers 2019–20 JTEKT Stings 2020–21 Suntory Sunbirds 2021–22 2022–23 Wolfdogs Nagoya 2023–24 Suntory Sunbirds

Women

Season Winners 1967–68 Hitachi Musashi 1968–69 Unitika Kaizuka 1969–70 Unitika Kaizuka 1970–71 Unitika Kaizuka 1971–72 Unitika Kaizuka 1972–73 Yashika 1973–74 Hitachi Musashi 1974–75 Hitachi Musashi 1975–76 Hitachi 1976–77 Hitachi 1977–78 Hitachi 1978–79 Kanebo 1979–80 Unitika 1980–81 Unitika 1981–82 Hitachi 1982–83 Hitachi 1983–84 Hitachi 1984–85 Hitachi 1985–86 Hitachi 1986–87 Hitachi 1987–88 NEC 1988–89 Hitachi 1989–90 Ito Yokado 1990–91 Hitachi 1991–92 Hitachi 1992–93 Hitachi 1993–94 Hitachi

Season Winners 1994–95 Daiei 1995–96 Unitika 1996–97 NEC Red Rockets 1997–98 Daiei 1998–99 Toyobo 1999-00 NEC Red Rockets 2000–01 Toyobo 2001–02 Hisamitsu Springs 2002–03 NEC Red Rockets 2003–04 Pioneer Red Wings 2004–05 NEC Red Rockets 2005–06 Pioneer Red Wings 2006–07 Hisamitsu Springs 2007–08 Toray Arrows 2008–09 Toray Arrows 2009–10 Toray Arrows 2010–11 JT Marvelous 2011–12 Toray Arrows 2012–13 Hisamitsu Springs 2013–14 Hisamitsu Springs 2014–15 NEC Red Rockets 2015–16 Hisamitsu Springs 2016–17 NEC Red Rockets 2017–18 Hisamitsu Springs 2018–19 Hisamitsu Springs 2019–20 JT Marvelous 2020–21 JT Marvelous 2021–22 Hisamitsu Springs 2022–23 NEC Red Rockets 2023–24 NEC Red Rockets

Spectators

Records show from the new born V.League Division 1 from Season 2018/19.

Season	Men (Division 1)	Women (Division 1)	Total
2018/2019[9]	174,516 (avg 2,053 per matchday)	185,953 (avg 2,296 per matchday)	360,469
2019/2020[10]	216,564 (avg 2,741 per matchday)	184,081 (avg 2,301 per matchday)	400,645
2020/2021[11]	144,091 (avg 901 per matchday)	61,683 (avg 717 per matchday)	205,774
2021/2022[12]	138,256 (avg 859 per matchday)	109,664 (avg 783 per matchday)	247,920
2022/2023[13]	263,221 (avg 1,431 per matchday)	197,863 (avg 1,192 per matchday)	461,084
2023/2024	402,270 (avg 2,180 per matchday)	133,993 (avg 964 per matchday)	TBA

Registered players

Records show from the new born V.League Division 1 from Season 2018/19.

Season	Men (Division 1)	Women (Division 1)
2018/2019[14]	196	220
2019/2020[15]	203	238
2020/2021[16]	199	248
2021/2022[17]	169	251
2022/2023[18]	190	248
2023/2024[19]	182	235

See also

• Volleyball portal

• V.Challenge League
• Emperor's Cup and Empress' Cup All Japan Volleyball Championship
• Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament
• Asian Men's Club Volleyball Championship
• Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship
• FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship