Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2013

In a country where a national holiday recognizes those who have reached the age of adulthood, it’s no surprise the J-League’s 20th season has thus far been as thrilling as a Fuji-Q rollercoaster. Plenty of action has taken place on the pitch and in the boardroom, where the league plots course for the next 20 seasons and beyond.

Squirrels look to unstring Archers

Since joining the top flight in 2005, Omiya Ardija have spent most seasons flirting with relegation before finding a way to finish safely in 12th or 13th place. But everything changed when Slovenian manager Zdenko Verdenik arrived last June. After a summer adjustment period that saw several more losses, Ardija went undefeated in the last three months of the 2012 campaign and continued the streak in the beginning of the 2013 season—at one point they won ten straight matches on the backs of Slovenian striker combo Zlatan Ljubijankič and Milivoje Novacovič. As of writing, Ardija are neck-and-neck with defending champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who won four straight in July before the league went on break for the EAFF East Asian Cup. With reigning league MVP Hisato Sato in top form with 13 goals from 17 appearances, it’s clear the Purple Archers will not relinquish their crown willingly.

Kashima cookie crumbles

Casual fans may be unaware that the J-League Cup preceded the league itself, starting in 1992 to build up anticipation for professional football in Japan. While the cup tournament has largely taken a backseat to the league itself, the final at Tokyo National Stadium remains a yearly sell-out. After winning two straight Cups, Kashima Antlers won’t be able to capture a third after falling to Yokohama F. Marinos in the quarter-finals. The Kanagawa side will face Kashiwa Reysol in the semi-finals, which also see 2011 runners-up Urawa Reds pitted against 2009 runners-up Kawasaki Frontale. The prospect of a showdown between Reds and Marinos, two of the league’s founding clubs, is a tasty one for league officials and main sponsor Yamazaki Nabisco, whose presence gives the tournament the nickname of “the Cookie Cup.”

Asian struggles

Much rending of garments and gnashing of teeth has taken place over Japan’s recent impotence in the Asian Champions League. No J-League representatives have won the tournament since Reds and Gamba Osaka triumphed in 2007 and 2008 respectively; since Nagoya Grampus in 2009, none have reached the semi-finals. After last year’s disappointing performance, the league announced a thorough investigation and implemented policies that would, in theory, help ACL participants progress further into the tournament. But out of four clubs, only Reysol were able to muscle their way past the group stage and into the quarter-finals, where they’ll face Saudi Arabia’s Al-Shabab. Nelsinho Baptista’s side clearly learned from their experience in 2012, when they were eliminated in the round of 16. If the Sun Kings can pull off a shock tournament win over larger sides such as China’s Guangzhou Evergrande or Iran’s Esteghlal, they will represent both Asia and Japan at this year’s Club World Cup in Morocco.

Steps forward—and backward

Despite a fine product on the pitch, the rise of satellite broadcasting and the departure of many popular Japanese players for European clubs have caused a drop in attendance and club revenues. In an effort to stop the bleeding and increase casual interest in the J-League, officials have spent the last several months evaluating a controversial proposal to return to the “two-stage” season format used through 2004. With the winners from each stage meeting in a hypothetical championship final at the end of the season, proponents claim the format would bring excitement and allow for the sale of naming rights. Non-supporters, on the other hand, have openly rebelled against the proposal, accusing the format of being unbalanced. After a series of mass demonstrations in stadiums across the country, the league announced in July they would delay a decision in favor of continued debate among club representatives.

Less controversial has been the decision to expand in the form of a third division, which will begin competition in 2014. The “J3” will have looser standards for admission than J1 or J2, allowing clubs aspiring to become fully professional to participate. The league is said to be considering a designated roster spot for Southeast Asian players in consideration of the growing talent pool and commercial interests in the region.

Dan Orlowitz is a writer and photographer at Goal Asia. Contact him at dan.orlowitz@goal.com or follow him on Twitter.