J. League Division 2 is the second tier of professional football in Japan, operating under the J. League system. Established in 1999, it features clubs that compete for promotion to the top division, J. League Division 1. The league typically consists of 22 teams that play a round-robin format, with each team facing every other team twice, once at home and once away. The top teams at the end of the season earn promotion, while the bottom teams may be relegated to the Japan Football League.