Editing Playoffs (section)

=== Japan ===
[[J.League]] in Japan used a test match series between the third-from-bottom team in [[J1 League|J1]] and third-place team in [[J2 League|J2]] (see [[J. League promotion/relegation Series]]) from 2004 to 2008. The promotion/relegation Series concept dates as far back as 1965 and the first season of the [[Japan Soccer League]].

The [[J.League Championship]] was held in [[J1 League|J.League Division 1]] from the inaugural season in 1993 to the 2004 season, and in the [[J1 League]] for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, as a post-season tournament to determine the annual champion.

Promotion/relegation Series occurred with the 2012–2016 seasons of [[J2 League|J. League Division 2/J2 League]], conditional on the top two [[J3 League]] ([[Japan Football League|JFL]] teams from 2012 to 2013) fulfilling [[J. League Associate Membership|J. League club criteria]]. In turn, J2 implemented a promotion playoff to J1 on the style of England for the 3rd to 6th clubs. The new [[J3 League]] did the same beginning in 2024.

The [[Japan Football League]], the current Japanese 4th division, uses the promotion/relegation Series only when the number of clubs in the league needs to be filled with clubs from the [[Japanese Regional Leagues]]. In 2024 a promotion/relegation series was also added for the second places against the bottom J3 clubs, provided that they qualify for promotion criteria.