The 2024 Emperor's Cup or the JFA 104th Japan Football Championship (Japanese: 天çÂÂæ¯ JFA 第104Ã¥ÂÂå ¨æ¥拵ãÂÂã«ã¼é¸æÂÂ権大ä¼Â) was the 104th edition of the annually known contested cup. As usual it featured 88 teams representing the prefectural football associations, university football federation, J1 League, J2 League and Japan Football League. The winner qualified to the group stage of the 2025âÂÂ26 AFC Champions League Elite.
Kawasaki Frontale were the defending champions, winning the 2023 final on penalties against Kashiwa Reysol.
On 19 September 2023, it was announced by JFA that Urawa Red Diamonds was banned from participating in this tournament following supporters clash after a 0âÂÂ3 loss against Nagoya Grampus in the 4th round of the previous year's edition. For this reason, instead of one, two specially designated amateur clubs were designated by JFA, being them 2023 Japan Football League champions Honda FC and 2023 University Championship winners Meiji University. Both teams were given a bye from prefectural qualifications, as usual.
The schedule for the first round to the quarter-finals was announced on 15 December 2023 in JFA's 12th Board of Directors meeting.
As only J1 and J2 League clubs qualify directly for the first round, teams from outside of it who wants to qualify to the Emperor's Cup (exception being made to the JFA-seeded team), have to undergo a prefectural qualification, with regulations and schedules varying from one association to another. In total, there are 47 prefectural cup qualifications, with the winners of each prefectural cup earning their right to play in the Emperor's Cup, with all of them assigned to start the competition in the first round.
In bold, it's displayed the teams that won each final, and not necessarily the home team.
All teams playing in the 2024 J1 League (except Urawa Red Diamonds, who were disqualified) join in the second round.
All 20 teams playing in the 2024 J2 League join in the second round.
Urawa Red Diamonds, as a J1 club, would be automatically assigned to the second round. As they were excluded from this year's cup, 2023 Japan Football League winners Honda FC filled the automatic entry slots for the second round. Another team was then, needed to fill the automatic entry slots of the first round. JFA assigned for this slot the 2023 University Championship winners, Meiji University.
Meiji University is the last university team to be awarded a direct entry since Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences, who were specially designated to the 2011 Emperor's Cup. Until 2011, it was an annual practice by JFA to give an automatic entry to Prime Minister's Cup champions.
All the 47 prefectural tournaments winners (prefectural representatives) joins in the first round.
On 12 March 2024, the JFA announced the schedule from the first to the third round.
A draw was held on 12 July to determine the pairings for this round onwards.