Watch a J1 League live stream to see some of Asia’s best football players, including Yuya Osako (Vissel Kobe), Teruhito Nakagawa (FC Tokyo), and former Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa (Cerezo Osaka), alongside international stars like Brazilian striker Anderson Lopes (Yokohama F. Marinos) and Danish attacker Kasper Junker (Nagoya Grampus). Read on to learn how to watch J1 League live streams securely with a VPN as defending champion Yokohama F. Marinos aims to defend its title!
| Date | February 17–December 3, 2023 |
| Domestic cups | J.League Cup (current holder: Sanfrecce Hiroshima) Emperor’s Cup (current holder: Ventforet Kofu) |
| Current J1 League champion | Yokohama F. Marinos |
| Founded | 1992 |
How to watch J1 League live streams securely with a VPN
You can securely live stream J1 League games with a VPN in a few steps:
- Get ExpressVPN.
- Connect to the VPN server location that matches the broadcaster you want to watch. For example, British fans should connect to a secure server in the United Kingdom, while Australian fans should connect to a server in Australia.
- Check the schedule of the broadcaster you want to watch, such as Optus Sports (Australia), and find the match you want to stream.
- Tune in and enjoy!
Watching on a computer? For the best streaming experience, use the ExpressVPN browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
Where to watch J1 League live stream in 2023 for free
YouTube
Price: Free
Countries: Worldwide (excluding Japan, China, Macau, Thailand, Nigeria, Ghana, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the Indian subcontinent)
Watch every J1 League game for free on YouTube, which secured the rights to live stream games in regions outside of Japan that don’t have broadcasting deals. Visit the official J1 League international YouTube channel to stream every game on your computer and across your iOS and Android devices.
Watching on a computer? For the best streaming experience, use the ExpressVPN browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
Other ways to live stream J1 League games
Optus Sport
Price: 25 AUD/month or 200 AUD/year
Country: Australia
Want to know how to watch J1 League games in Australia? Look no further than Optus Sports, which carries every game of the 2023 season. Soccer fans will be pleased to note that Optus Sport is also the home of England’s Women’s Super League (WSL), and has exclusive rights in Australia for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Note: You may need an Australian phone number to subscribe to Optus Sport.
DAZN Japan
Price: 3,000 yen/month or
Country: Japan
Watch every game of the 2023 J1 League season live and on-demand with DAZN Japan, which has apps for all devices. DAZN Japan also carries all games for the J2 and J3 divisions, so is a great way to stay up to date with Japanese football.
Note: You may need a Japanese credit card to subscribe to DAZN Japan. If you don’t have one, subscribe via PayPal instead. Keep in mind that your DAZN subscription will be locked to Japan and cannot be changed to another country, even when traveling.
J1 League schedule 2023
Here are the dates for the J1 League and Japan’s domestic cup competitions.
| Date | Competition |
| February 17–December 3, 2023 | J1 League |
| March 8–November 4, 2023 | J.League Cup |
| May 20–December 9, 2023 | Emperor’s Cup |
Top J1 League matches in 2023
Which of these top J1 League games are you looking forward to the most? Leave a comment below!
| Date and Time (EST) | Match |
| February 17, 2023 | Kawasaki Frontale vs. Yokohama F. Marinos |
| March 4, 2023 | Vissel Kobe vs. Gamba Osaka |
| April 8, 2023 | Yokohama F. Marinos vs. Yokohama FC |
| April 15, 2023 | Kyoto Sanga vs. Gamba Osaka |
| May 12, 2023 | FC Tokyo vs. Kawasaki Frontale |
| May 14, 2023 | Avispa Fukuoka vs. Sagan Tosu |
| June 10, 2023 | Cerezo Osaka vs. Vissel Kobe |
| June 18, 2023 | Cerezo Osaka vs. Gamba Osaka |
| July 8, 2023 | Gamba Osaka vs. Kyoto Sanga |
| July 15, 2023 | Yokohama F. Marinos vs. Kawasaki Frontale |
| August 6, 2023 | Sagan Tosu vs. Avispa Fukuoka |
| August 26, 2023 | Yokohama FC vs. Yokohama F. Marinos |
| September 16, 2023 | Kawasaki Frontale vs. FC Tokyo |
| September 23, 2023 | Vissel Kobe vs. Cerezo Osaka |
| October 28, 2023 | Gamba Osaka vs. Cerezo Osaka |
| December 3, 2023 | Gamba Osaka vs. Vissel Kobe |
| May 14, 2023 | Kyoto Sanga vs. Cerezo Osaka |
| Nov 25, 2023 | Cerezo Osaka vs. Kyoto Sanga |
J1 League teams
| Team | City | Stadium |
| Albirex Niigata | Niigata | Denka Big Swan Stadium |
| Avispa Fukuoka | Fukuoka | Fukuoka Yafuoku Dome |
| Cerezo Osaka | Osaka | Suita City Football Stadium |
| FC Tokyo | Tokyo | Ajinomoto Stadium |
| Gamba Osaka | Osaka | Panasonic Stadium Suita |
| Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | Sapporo | Sapporo Dome |
| Kashima Antlers | Kashima | Kashima Soccer Stadium |
| Kashiwa Reysol | Kashiwa | Yokohama FC |
| Kawasaki Frontale | Kawasaki | Todoroki Stadium |
| Kyoto Sanga F.C. | Kyoto | Sanga Stadium by Kyocera |
| Nagoya Grampus | Nagoya | Toyota Stadium |
| Sagan Tosu | Tosu | Ekimae Real Estate Stadium |
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Hiroshima | Hiroshima Big Arch |
| Shonan Bellmare | Hiratsuka | Hiratsuka Stadium |
| Urawa Red Diamonds | Saitama | Saitama Stadium 2002 |
| Vissel Kobe | Kobe | Noevir Stadium Kobe |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | Yokohama | Nissan Stadium |
| Yokohama FC | Yokohama | Yokohama FC |
ExpressVPN is a VPN service not intended to be used as a means of copyright circumvention. Please read the ExpressVPN Terms of Service and your content provider’s Terms of Use for more details.
FAQ: About J1 League
How can you watch the J1 League in the U.S.?
It’s possible to watch the 2023 J1 League in the U.S. for free on YouTube. See details above.
What is the J1 League?
The J1 League is the top level of professional football in Japan. It currently contains 18 teams, however that will change at the end of the 2023 season, with the bottom club relegated to the J2 League and three with three teams earning promotion from the J1 League to make up 20 teams in total. The following seasons will have three teams being relegated/promoted (similar to England’s Premier League).
Is League 1 on ESPN+?
No, ESPN+ does not carry live J1 League games.
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