2023 J3 League

The 2023 J3 League, referred to as the 2023 Meiji Yasuda J3 League (2023 明治安田生命J3リーグ) for sponsorship reasons, is the 10th season of the J3 League under its current name.

Changes from the previous season
Iwaki FC and Fujieda MYFC were promoted to the J2 League after being champions and runners-up of last season's J3.

FC Ryukyu and Iwate Grulla Morioka were relegated from the J2 League after relatively short stints at the 2nd division, with Ryukyu spending four seasons, and Iwate spending just a single season. The clubs finished as 21st and 22nd-placed team at the 2022 J2 League, respectively.

Nara Club and FC Osaka were promoted to the J3 League after being respectively, champions and runners-up of last season's JFL. Both teams are making their debut in the J3 League after obtaining a J.League License, to enable their promotion from the JFL.

This season is the first of the J3 League to have 20 teams, seeing an increase from last season's 18 teams. About the number of teams, there will be no future changes, as the J.League confirmed that from 2024, all the three professional leagues would have 20 teams in each.

Promotion and relegation
This season will be the first to feature promotion/relegation from the Japan Football League, enabling the possibility for teams to be relegated from the J3. The system of promotion/relegation between the leagues can be determined by the eligibility (Promotion to J3 requires a J.League license) of the JFL's champions and runners-up for the season.


 * If only the JFL champions holds a license, there will be automatic promotion/relegation with the J3's 20th-placed team.
 * If only the JFL runners-up holds a license, there will be promotion/relegation play-offs with the J3's 20th-placed team.
 * If both the JFL champions and runners-up hold a license, there will be automatic promotion/relegation between the JFL champions and the J3's 20th-placed team, and promotion/relegation play-offs with the J3's 19th-placed team.
 * If both the JFL champions and runners-up do not hold a license, no promotion/relegation between J3 and JFL will take place.

The dates and the host teams of the promotion/relegation play-off were pre-determined by the J.League. In case it happens, it will be played in two legs on 9 and 16 December, with the J3 team hosting the second leg.

Foreign players
From the 2021 season onwards, there is no limitations on signing foreign players, but clubs could only register up to five of them for a single matchday squad. Players from J.League partner nations (Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Qatar) were exempted from these restrictions.


 * Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the summer transfer window.
 * Player's name in italics indicates the player has Japanese nationality in addition to their FIFA nationality, holds the nationality of a J.League partner nation, or is exempt from being treated as a foreign player due to having been born in Japan and being enrolled in, or having graduated from an approved type of school in the country.

Stadiums
Primary venues to be used in the 2023 J3 League season:

Player

 * Most yellow cards: 11
 * Takahiro Nakazato (YSCC Yokohama)
 * Most red cards: 2
 * Ayumu Matsumoto (FC Gifu)
 * Marcus Índio (FC Imabari)

Club

 * Most yellow cards: 65 (FC Ryukyu)
 * Most red cards: 4 (FC Gifu)