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WE League
Organising body	WE League; JFA
Founded	3 June 2020; 4 years ago
First season	2021–22
Country	Japan
Confederation	AFC
Divisions	1
Number of clubs	12
Level on pyramid	1
Domestic cup(s)	Empress's Cup
League cup(s)	WE League Cup
International cup(s)	AFC Women's Champions League
Current champions	Urawa Red Diamonds (2nd title) ; (2023–24)
Most championships	Urawa Red Diamonds (2 titles)
TV partners	DAZN ; YouTube
Website	Official website
	Current: 2024–25 WE League season

The WE League (WEリーグ), officially the Japan Women's Empowerment Professional Football League (Japanese: 日本女子プロサッカーリーグ, Hepburn: Nihon Joshi Puro Sakkā Rīgu, "Japan Women Pro Football League"),^[1] also known as the SOMPO WE League (Japanese: SOMPO WEリーグ) for sponsorship reasons, is the top flight of women's association football in Japan, starting from the 2021–22 season. It is the first fully-professional women's football league in Japan.

History

On 3 June 2020, the Japan Football Association (JFA) announced the formation of the WE League to become Japan's new top-flight, professional women's football league.^[2] The semi-professional Nadeshiko League would become the second level on the women's football pyramid in Japan once the WE League began play in the autumn of 2021. United States–based business executive and former Japan international footballer Kikuko Okajima was announced as the WE League's inaugural chairwoman.^[3]

17 clubs applied to join the WE League.^[4] On 15 October 2020, 11 clubs were announced as founding members of the WE League, including seven with J. League affiliations.^[5]

In the 2023–24 season, Cerezo Osaka Ladies from the Nadeshiko League entered the WE League as an expansion team.^{[citation needed]}

Competition format

The WE League's 2023–24 season features 12 teams playing a double round-robin, home-and-away competition. Unlike the Nadeshiko League, the WE League will play a winter season that conforms with most European leagues.^[6] There will be no relegation from the WE League to the Nadeshiko League, but teams may be promoted from the latter in the first several seasons for the WE League to reach a desired number of teams.^[6]

Each team in the WE League must have at least 15 players signed to fully professional contracts, which are not subject to a salary cap.^[7] In addition to bringing professionalism to Japanese women's football, the WE League also implemented measures to bringing in international players. The JFA subsidizes salaries for players from Southeast Asian member federations, while the league itself subsidizes players from top-ranked FIFA countries.^[8] The league actively recruits players from top-ranked federations such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, and it also provides additional subsidies to encourage internationalization for expenses such as interpreters.^[9]

Clubs

2023–24 season

The following 12 clubs competed in the WE League in the 2023–24 season.^[5]

Club	Position in the 2022–23 season	First season in top division	First season in WE League	First season of current spell in top division	Top division titles	Most recent top division title
AC Nagano Parceiro	7th	2003	2021–22	2021–22	0	—
Albirex Niigata	10th	2007	2021–22	2007	0	—
AS Elfen Saitama	11th	2002	2021–22	2021–22	0	—
Cerezo Osaka Yanmar	—	2018	2023–24	2023–24	0	—
INAC Kobe Leonessa	2nd	2006	2021–22	2006	4	2021–22
JEF United Chiba	8th	2000	2021–22	2009	0	—
Mynavi Sendai	4th	2013	2021–22	2013	0	—
Nojima Stella Kanagawa	9th	2017	2021–22	2017	0	—
Omiya Ardija Ventus	6th	2021–22	2021–22	2021–22	0	—
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina	5th	2021–22	2021–22	2021–22	—	—
Tokyo Verdy Beleza	3rd	1989	2021–22	1989	17	2019
Urawa Red Diamonds	1st	1999	2021–22	1999	5	2022–23

Tokyo clubs:
Urawa
Tokyo
Sagamihara

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Locations of WE League clubs

Locations of WE League clubs in and near Tokyo

List of winners

Season	Champions	Runners-up
2021–22	INAC Kobe Leonessa	Urawa Red Diamonds
2022–23	Urawa Red Diamonds	INAC Kobe Leonessa
2023–24	Urawa Red Diamonds	INAC Kobe Leonessa

Sponsorship

Title Partner

Company	Period
Yogibo Japan (Webshark)	2021–2023
SOMPO Holdings	2024–present

Cup Title Partner

Company	Period
Kracie	2024–present

Gold Partner/Grassroots Partner

Company	Period
Daihatsu	2021–present

Silver Partners

Company	Period
Plenus	2021–2023
Asahi Kasei	2021–present
MediQttO	2021–2022
x-girl	2021–present
Persol	2021–present
TRE Holdings	2022–2023
Kracie	2023–present