Kantoh Collegiate American Football Association
Founded 1934
Motto ONE PLAY, ONE SKY（ひとつ青い空の下、最高のワンプレーを。）
Sports fielded 1 (American football)
Headquarters C/O AJINOMOTO STADIUM, 376–3, Nishimachi, Chofu-shi, Tokyo, Japan
Most recent champion (Waseda Bigbears football)
Official website
The Kantoh Collegiate American Football Association is an American college football league made up of colleges and universities in the Kanto region of Japan .
Overview The Kanto League is the main university football league in eastern Japan. The league is divided into six divisions.
Under the previous format, the league winners played against teams from western Japan in the Koshien Bowl .
In 2024, the new format allows the top three schools to compete in the Koshien Bowl Tournament.
Other participating schools in the tournament are the top three schools from the Kansai Collegiate American Football League Division 1, and the winners of each league from Tohoku , Hokuriku , and Chugoku-Shikoku .
Member schools Division 1 Prior to the 2014 season, the Kantoh league had two conferences. The winners of each conference would then play in the Azuma Bowl , to determine league champion. Starting in 2014, the league switched to a two division format, the Top 8 and Big 8. With the new format, there would be no championship game and the Top 8 conference would be the highest level of play, making the winner of that division the overall conference champion.
Top 8 Institution Location Founded Type Nickname Team Founded Colors Hosei University 法政大学Chiyoda , Tokyo 1880 Private Orange 1935 Blue and Orange Waseda University 早稲田大学Shinjuku, Tokyo 1882 Private Big Bears 1934 Maroon and White Keio University 慶應義塾大学Minato, Tokyo 1858 Private Unicorns 1935 Red and Blue Rikkyo University 立教大学Toshima, Tokyo 1874 Private Rushers 1934 Purple and White University of Tokyo 東京大学Tokyo 1877 National Warriors 1957 Blue Meiji University 明治大学Tokyo 1881 Private Griffins 1934 Gold, Navy, and Yellow J. F. Oberlin University 桜美林大学Machida, Tokyo 1921 Private Three Nails Crowns 1968 Maroon and Gold Chuo University 中央大学Hachiōji, Tokyo 1885 Private Racoons 1967 Blue [citation needed ]
Big 8 Institution Location Founded Type Nickname Team Founded Colors Komazawa University 駒澤大學Setagaya, Tokyo 1592 Private Blue Tide 1972 Aoyama Gakuin University 青山学院大学Shibuya, Tokyo 1874 Private Lightning Green and White Nippon Sport Science University 日本体育大学Setagaya, Tokyo 1893 Private Triumphant Lion Kokushikan University 国士舘大学Setagaya , Tokyo1917 Private Rhinoceros Yokohama National University 横浜国立大学Yokohama , Kanagawa 1876 National Mastiffs 1971 Blue and Orange Teikyo University 帝京大学Itabashi, Tokyo 1931 Private Gladiator Meiji Gakuin University 明治学院大学Yokohama , Kanagawa 1863 Private Saints Navy and Yellow Tokai University 東海大学Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 1942 Private Tritons 1965 Blue and Silver
Division 2 In the 2025 season, Block B will have nine teams, so they will be divided into a first group of five teams and a second group of four teams, and will compete in a first and second league. The first league will be a round-robin format within the group, with the top three schools in Group 1 and the top two schools in Group 2 advancing to the second upper league, and the bottom two schools each moving on to the second lower league.
Block A Institution Location Founded Type Nickname Team Founded Colors Seikei University 成蹊大学Musashino, Tokyo 1906 Private Zelkovas Kanagawa University 神奈川大学Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama , Kanagawa1929 Private Atoms 1974 White, Blue Science Tokyo 東京科学大学Meguro , Tokyo 2024 (Tokyo Tech: 1881) National Buffaloes 1987 National Defense Academy 防衛大学校Yokosuka , Kanagawa 1953 Public Cadets 1954 International Christian University 国際基督教大学Mitaka, Tokyo 1949 Private (Christian ) Apostles 1963 Green University of Electro-Communications 電気通信大学Chōfu, Tokyo 1918 National Crashers Saitama University 埼玉大学Saitama, Saitama 1873 National Primrose Tokyo Gakugei University 東京学芸大学Koganei , Tokyo 1873 National Snails
Block B Institution Group Location Founded Type Nickname Team Founded Colors Senshu University 専修大学1 Chiyoda, Tokyo 1880 Private Green Machine 1963 Green Hitotsubashi University 一橋大学2 Kunitachi, Tokyo 1876 National Crimson 1967 Crimson University of Tsukuba 筑波大学2 Tsukuba, Ibaraki 1872 National Excaliburs Light Blue Shibaura Tech 芝浦工業大学1 Koto, Tokyo 1927 Private Fighting Engineers Green Kanto Gakuin University 関東学院大学1 Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama , Kanagawa1884 Private Hurricanes 1964 Sophia University 上智大学2 Chiyoda, Tokyo 1913 Private Golden Eagles 1969 Tokyo A&T 東京農工大学2 Fuchū, Tokyo 1949 National Blasters Kogakuin University 工学院大学1 Shinjuku, Tokyo 1887 Private Crash Machines 1976 Nihon University 日本大学1 Chiyoda , Tokyo 1889 Private 2024
Division 3 A Block B Block C Block D Block Medical and Dental Division Institution Location Founded Type Nickname Colors Jikei University School of Medicine 東京慈恵会医科大学Minato, Tokyo Private Crickets Dokkyo Medical University 獨協医科大学Mibu, Tochigi 1973 Private Silver Dum Dums University of Tokyo School of Medicine 東京大学医学部Tokyo National Scorpions Showa Medical University 昭和医科大学Tokyo 1928 Private Maddogs Nihon University School of Medicine, School of Dental, and School of Dental in Matsudo 日本大学医学部・歯学部・松戸歯学部Chiyoda, Tokyo Private Boars Saitama Medical University 埼玉医科大学Moroyama, Saitama 1892 Private Mulberry Keio University School of Medicine 慶應義塾大学医学部Minato, Tokyo Private Unicorns
7-a-side American football Division A Block Institution Location Founded Type Nickname Colors Tokyo University of Technology 東京工科大学Hachioji, Tokyo 1947 Private Cerberus Meikai University Dental school 明海大学歯学部Urayasu, Chiba 1970 Private Crusaders Kyorin University 杏林大学Tokyo 1970 Private Cavaliers The Nippon Dental University 日本歯科大学Chiyodaku, Tokyo 1907 Private Bombers
B Block Institution Location Founded Type Nickname Colors Meisei University 明星大学Hino, Tokyo 1951 Private Silver Knights Tokyo Medical University 東京医科大学Minato, Tokyo 1916 Private Meribibazu Surugadai University 駿河台大学Hanno, Saitama 1987 Private Cougars Bunkyo University / Science Tokyo Medical School Joint TeamShinagawa, Tokyo Bunkyō, Tokyo 1927 2024 Private National Odin Stones
Not participating in league match Institution Location Founded Type Nickname Colors Nippon Tech 日本工業大学Miyashiro, Saitama 1907 Private River Horse St. Marianna University School of Medicine 聖マリアンナ医科大学Kawasaki, Kanagawa 1971 Private Roadrunners Toho University School of Medicine 東邦大学医学部Ota, Tokyo 1925 Private Tsurumi University School of Dental 鶴見大学歯学部Yokohama, Kanagawa 1953 Private
Past champions 1947 – Meiji 1948 – Keio 1949 – Keio 1950 – Keio 1951 – Rikkyo 1952 – Rikkyo 1953 – Rikkyo 1954 – Rikkyo 1955 – Nihon 1956 – Nihon 1957 – Nihon 1958 – Nihon 1959 – Nihon 1960 – Rikkyo 1961 – Nihon 1962 – Nihon 1963 – Nihon 1964 – Nihon 1965 – Rikkyo 1966 – Nihon 1967 – Nihon 1968 – Meiji 1969 – Nihon 1970 – Nihon 1971 – Nihon 1972 – Hosei 1973 – Nihon 1974 – Nihon 1975 – Meiji 1976 – Meiji 1977 – Nihon 1978 – Nihon 1979 – Nihon 1980 – Nihon 1981 – Nihon 1982 – Nihon 1983 – Nihon 1984 – Nihon 1985 – Meiji 1986 – Nihon 1987 – Nihon 1988 – Nihon 1989 – Nihon 1990 – Nihon 1991 – Senshu 1992 – Hosei 1993 – Nippon Sport Science 1994 – Hosei 1995 – Hosei 1996 – Hosei 1997 – Hosei 1998 – Hosei 1999 – Hosei 2000 – Hosei 2001 – Hosei 2002 – Waseda 2003 – Hosei 2004 – Hosei 2005 – Hosei 2006 – Hosei 2007 – Nihon 2008 – Hosei 2009 – Hosei 2010 – Waseda 2011 – Nihon 2012 – Hosei 2013 – Nihon 2014 – Nihon 2015 – Waseda 2016 – Waseda 2017 – Nihon 2018 – Waseda 2019 – Waseda 2020 – Nihon 2021 – Hosei 2022 – Waseda 2023 – Hosei 2024 – Hosei 2025 – Waseda Number of championships Institution Number of championships Nihon University 35 Hosei University 20 Waseda University 8 Rikkyo University 6 Meiji University 5 Keio University 3 Senshu University 1 Nippon Sport Science University 1
Main match venues In addition, the grounds of each university will be used.
External links