The Japanese J1 League is the top tier of professional football in Japan, representing the pinnacle of the sport in one of Asia's most advanced football nations. Officially known as the Meiji Yasuda J1 League for sponsorship reasons, it was founded in 1992 as the J.League, revolutionizing the sport in the country. Headquartered in Tokyo, the league operates a system of promotion and relegation with the J2 League. The main competition is a double-round-robin regular season where each of the 18 teams plays the others twice, home and away. The team finishing with the most points is crowned champion, while the bottom teams face relegation. The league is characterized by high technical quality, passionate fan bases, and significant commercial growth, exporting talents to Europe's top leagues. Its major awards include the J1 League championship trophy, the MVP award, the Best XI, and the Top Scorer (Golden Boot) honor.