WE League finally sowing seeds of growth under new stewardship
When J. League Chairman Yoshikazu Nonomura took over the fledgling WE League a year ago, he was tasked with improving the competition's value proposition as a sporting product and bringing the balance sheets to a favorable standing.
The early evidence suggests that a series of scruff-of-the-neck promotional efforts made by the former J. League player have indeed breathed life into this long struggling competition, although all is not yet perfect.
'I feel that this season has been the most exciting yet, with the title race running right down to the final matchday for the first time,' he said during a postseason news conference on May 29.
'Compared to the rest of the world there are areas where we are lagging behind, such as game intensity. But, with time, I am confident we can deliver a style of women's soccer unique to Japan.'
The passing of the leadership baton took place prior to the 2024-25 season opener as Nonomura succeeded Haruna Takata, whose two-year tenure at the helm had become marked by stagnant progress even as the women's game flourishes overseas. Nonomura was quick to cite a lack of synergy between the WE League and other domestic competitions as a key reason behind the shortcomings and noted in his introductory news conference that he wants to improve ties between the WE League, J. League and Japan Football Association (JFA).
Put bluntly, the WE League was largely deemed to have failed to deliver on the ambitious objectives put forth at launch, with meager attendance figures, in particular, showing little to no signs of positive growth. That inevitably deters any would-be sponsors and investors, which are both crucial for the league's financial health.
'Increasing revenue will be key for the league to operate independently without relying on subsidies (from the JFA),' WE League Secretary-General Takashi Kuroda said during the same news conference.
And the early signs suggest that the Nonomura regime is on its way to achieving just that.
J. League Chairman Yoshikazu Nonomura took the reins of the WE League a year ago and oversaw modest improvements in revenue and attendance in his first season at the helm. |
Jiji
The league is expected to gross approximately ¥820 million ($5.69 million) in business revenue for the 2024-25 season, which is around ¥200 million more than the previous season and the largest year-on-year increase since inception. The JFA subsidy is roughly ¥470 million and the league will look to gradually decrease this level of dependence going forward.
As for the bottom line, the league entered the red for the first time since its innaugural season, which can largely be attributed to a ¥270 million increase in operational costs compared with the year before.
Essentially, you could argue that the league is spending money in order to make money.
But it is the healthy increase in gross revenue that highlights the league's newfound growth potential. A big part of that financial boost was due to a marked year-on-year attendance increase to 337,290, up from a total of 271,878 the season prior. The average match also saw an encouraging rise from 1,668 fans to 2,044, and four of the league's five best-attended matches in its young history took place this past season.
These numbers combine both the WE League and its affiliated cup competition, the WE League Kracie Cup.
In March, Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina welcomed 20,156 spectators to Edion Peace Wing for their match against Urawa Reds, setting a new league attendance record for a single contest. That mark, however, was short-lived as the J. League/WE League doubleheader featuring JEF United Chiba and Omiya Ardija Ventus saw an impressive 26,605 fans at National Stadium in Tokyo during the Golden Week holidays.
Stacked against the Women's Super League (WSL) in England, Japan still has a ways to go despite some progress. Case in point: A record 56,784 fans saw Arsenal beat its city rival Tottenham Hotspur at home at the Emirates Stadium in February, and that was without the benefit of a partnership with the men's league.
A match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal at Broadfield Stadium in Crawley, England, in May. The WE League has taken positive strides since its inaugural season but still has a long way to go to reach the heights of some of the top overseas leagues. |
Action Images / via Reuters
And how organic Japan's growth has been is up for debate. The stark difference between the average attendance of 2,044 and the match record of 26,605 will likely invite scrutiny. Hiroshima's effort can be attributed to a large club-led community effort to bring in at least 10,000 fans for the game against Urawa. JEF Chiba, meanwhile, reaped the rewards of its doubleheader event and it is not clear how many would have attended without the support of a high-profile J2 clash to follow.
So while the vehicles by which these records were reached exhibit much needed forward-thinking, they are typically once-a-season events that should not be expected on a regular basis.
But regardless of the gate revenue received on the day, the highly attended matches succeeded in broadening the WE League's audience and exposing more people to the product, and that could have a positive impact on the league's balance sheet in the long term.
The question of profitability goes hand-in-hand with player salaries.
Since launch, the WE League's three salary tiers remain unchanged. Clubs are required to have at least five players on Category A contracts commanding yearly salaries of at least ¥4.6 million, with a further 10 or more signed on either B or C contracts, each stipulating anything between ¥2.6 million and ¥4.6 million. The difference between Categories B and C is that B is guaranteed an annual salary whereas C allows for an appearance- and win-based remuneration structure.
The latest FIFA Women's Football Benchmarking Report found that the global average salary of a female soccer player is $10,900. The report also found that the majority of top leagues across the world remain in a state of underdevelopment, with many offering little to nothing in the way of financial remuneration or additional benefits, such as pregnancy support. In that respect, WE League salaries rank higher than most, with its seldom-used maternity support mechanisms also giving the league an additional feather in its cap.
Still, salaries pale in comparison to the top pro leagues overseas. A 2022 BBC report showed the average salary of a WSL player was £47,000 (¥9. million at the time of writing) with starting salaries at around £20,000.
All told, there is cause for cautious optimism in Japan when looking back on the inaugural season of the Nonomura era. The task now is to not let that modest momentum wane and raise the bar a rung or two higher next season.
"We hope (next season) will be one in which we can continue to convey the appeal of the WE League and women's soccer to the wider soccer family here in Japan," Nonomura said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
40 minutes ago
- Japan Times
Japan ranks in the top 20 on SDG index
Japan remains the only non-European country in the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Index top 20, but has lost ground on its previous ranking, according to a U.N.-initiated list released Tuesday. The SDG Index , released annually by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) nonprofit, rates U.N. member states on a range of indicators including hunger, sustainability, peace and access to justice. This year, Japan ranked 19th, behind Estonia and Belgium and above Portugal and Hungary. The country showed improved performance in the category of 'no poverty' but did worse in fields like 'zero hunger' and 'press freedom.' 'Population with rent overburden,' which tracks households where housing costs represent more than 40% of disposable income, was also an area where Japan's performance declined somewhat. Housing costs have steadily risen as burgeoning inflation takes root in Japan. In April, rents for houses in Tokyo's 23 wards increased 1.3% year-on-year, the largest spike since March 1994, according to Japan's Consumer Price Index. Japan performs well on metrics like 'no poverty' and 'good health and well-being,' but faces significant challenges in areas including 'sustainable diet' and 'gender equality,' said Guillaume Lafortune, vice president of the SDSN and one of the report's lead authors. The recently released World Economic Forum's 2025 Global Gender Gap report placed Japan 118th out of 148 countries. Last year, the fourth-largest economy ranked 18th in the SDG Index, ahead of Iceland and Hungary but behind Belgium and Portugal. Its 2024 ratings highlighted improvement in a number of areas including poverty alleviation, academic output and crime, while declining in access to and affordability of justice. Japan's position in the rankings has slowly declined from 13th place in 2015 — when the index began — as other countries in Asia have gained ground. SDSN spokesperson Alyson Marks, however, said rankings from the past are not fully comparable due to revisions and changes in data. Policies and actions that have negative effects on other countries, described as negative international spillovers, are also taken into account. Lafortune said spillovers from unsustainable consumption — or importing resources and energy exceeding Earth's regeneration capacity — and vulnerability to supply chain disruption proved a challenge for Japan in achieving its climate goals. Across Asia, the picture was broadly improving. East and South Asia had made the most progress on their SDGs since the index began being carried out due to progress in reaching socio-economic goals. Mega economies China (49th) and India (99th) both improved their rankings, entering the top 50 and top 100, respectively. Nepal, Cambodia, the Philippines, Mongolia and Bangladesh were also rapidly gaining ground. But elsewhere the picture was less positive. Globally, press freedom and corruption perception were on a downward trajectory since the index began 10 years ago, while obesity levels were on the rise. And just 17% of SDG targets are on track to be achieved by 2030, with conflict and financial constraints hampering progress.
NHK
an hour ago
- NHK
Japanese shipping firms direct vessels to minimize time in Persian Gulf
Two major Japanese shipping companies have directed their vessels to minimize time spent in the Persian Gulf before passing through the Strait of Hormuz. NYK Line and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines say that they have issued the direction following US strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines currently has around 15 vessels in the Persian Gulf, including tankers carrying oil and natural gas. NYK Line usually operates around 20 tankers and automobile carriers in the gulf. Mitsui O.S.K. says its most experienced captains are monitoring waters in the Middle East around the clock from a safety operations support center at its Tokyo head office.
NHK
an hour ago
- NHK
Struggling Nissan holds stockholders' meeting
Nissan Motor is now holding a stockholders' meeting at its headquarters near Tokyo. Attention is on whether the struggling Japanese automaker can win over its shareholders for its restructuring plans and other proposals. Nissan posted a net loss exceeding 670 billion yen, or about 4.6 billion dollars, in the year that ended in March. To turn around its financial health, the company has hammered out plans to cut its group-wide payroll by 20,000 workers and reduce operations at seven factories globally. Nissan's other proposals include the reappointment of President and CEO Ivan Espinosa, who took the helm in April. Nissan also wants to reappoint external board directors. Among them are three members of a selection committee that elected Espinosa's predecessor Uchida Makoto, who stepped down over deteriorating earnings. A notice about the shareholders' meeting revealed that the former president and three other executives had received 646 million yen combined, or roughly 4.4 million dollars, as part of their resignation package. The stockholders may be critical of these issues.
