The J.League on Tuesday announced key details regarding the 2017 MEIJI YASUDA J1 League, which will open on February 25 and conclude on December 2.
After two years of the two-stage and playoff format, the competition will return to the single-stage format that was used between 2005 and 2014.
The winner of the league will be declared after 34 rounds of home-and-away play, with the Championship Series being scrapped.
Rules for promotion and relegation between the J1 and J2 Leagues will remain unchanged, with the three worst-ranked J1 sides dropping to the second division.