In 2023 I went to 20 football matches in Japan which was double what I did the year before. Whilst I am highly unlikely to attend 40 this season (not that I want to!) I should at least equal last year’s tally. It’s certainly been a strong start (by my standards!) with 10 under my belt already. That total so far includes nine different grounds (including three I’d never been to before) in five prefectures to see football in six competitions so not a bad mix.

A few of these have had their own blog posts but the majority of them weren’t really considered to be worthy of a solitary post so I have collated them into this rankings list. It’s certainly not one to be taken too seriously as it’s based on a mixture of occasion, weather, people I met, the stadium and maybe even the football itself! For the record, I have enjoyed all of them in different ways.

10. NTV Beleza 0-1 INAC Kobe Leonessa @ Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka, Kita-ku (Tokyo), 8th January – Something always has to come last. This wasn’t terrible or anything but as this stadium is the closest one to the Tokyo Fox Global Operations Centre, going to matches here nowadays really does feel like an in-and-out job with none of the usual things which make up a match day experience.

9. JEF United Chiba Ladies 1-0 Mynavi Sendai Ladies @ Ichihara Seaside Stadium, Ichihara (Chiba-ken), 7th January – Not a good game at all and it seemed destined to be a goalless draw until the home team grabbed a late winner. This was my first match of 2024 and it was nice to visit a new stadium in the company of my friend Marcus.

8. AS Elfen Saitama 2-1 Nojima Stella @ Kumagaya Athletic Stadium, Kumagaya (Saitama-ken), 10th March – Another stadium that I’d never been to, and the climax of a great day out in the local area. The Saitama fans made a bit of a noise which isn’t always the case in the WE League which has slowly, but surely been growing in popularity since its inception in 2021. The first half wasn’t so good but things improved in the second period with a great equaliser and the winner was scored directly from a corner!

7. Criacao Shinjuku 1-2 Sony Sendai @ Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka, Kita-ku (Tokyo), 28th April – Another trip to my local ground and the atmosphere was the best it’s ever been with a group of passionate Shinjuku fans in fine voice. I sat on the front row for the first time and got to see the players up real close from a point of view I rarely get to experience. 

6. Azul Claro Numazu 0-1 Fukushima United @ Ashitaka Park Stadium, Numazu (Shizuoka-ken), 3rd May – I always try and get to a game in the Japanese Golden Week holiday each year and this one was the easiest to get to from our base in Izu. There were a few good chances for both sides in a mildly entertaining game. Each team hit the frame of the goal before a late goal won it for the away side.

5. Urawa Red Diamond Ladies 1-1 INAC Kobe Leonessa @ Urawa Komaba Stadium, Urawa (Saitama-ken), 3rd March – An explosive start to this top-of-the-table WE League clash with two early goals but, even though were some good chances, the tally sadly could not be added to. This was also memorable for me as I cycled all the way there which is the furthest I’ve ever gone in such fashion for a match.

4. Tokyo Verdy 1-1 Kashiwa Reysol @ Ajinomoto Stadium, Chofu (Tokyo), 7th April – A point apiece was probably a fair result. The home side were better in the first 45 minutes but Reysol were on top in the second half until Verdy woke up in additional time. It’s always great to meet up with friends at some of these games and that was certainly the case here. 

3. Kashiwa Reysol 1-1 Kyoto Sanga FC @ Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium, Kashiwa (Chiba-ken), 25th February – Despite the disappointingly predictable end to the football which was rather lacklustre at times, the terrible drizzly rain all afternoon did help to making this match live longer than usual in my memory. The pre-kick off restaurant near the ground combining football, Star Wars, tasty and interesting-looking food, and a truly unique toilet certainly helped to propel this match day up the rankings! More details here.

2. Aries Tokyo 3-2 Tokyo United @ ZOZO Park Honda Football Area, Mihama-ku (Chiba-ken), 19th May – The new Tokyo Derby as these two fifth tier teams faced off against each other for the first time ever. This ground (not actually in Tokyo!) was one I’d wanted to go to for a while as the Honda relates to the former Japanese international and not the company! Drizzly rain was a feature again but my spirits were raised after meeting a fellow Englishman who I chatted to throughout the match which was really nice. The game was actually pretty good too. More details here.

1. Yokohama F. Marinos 2-1 Al-Ain @ Nissan Stadium, Yokohama (Kanagawa-ken), 11th May – No surprise I guess that this showpiece occasion came out on top. It was a fantastic atmosphere and there were many chances throughout an eventful game which eventually saw Marinos take a slender advantage into the away leg. That may not have gone so well but this home match will not be forgotten!! More details here.

Click here to read ‘TF Top 10……Football Match Day Experiences In 2023 (Part 2)’

Click here to read ‘TF Top 10……Football Match Day Experiences So Far In 2023 (Part 1)’

Click here to read ‘TF Top 10……Football Match Day Experiences In 2022’