The fourth round fixtures of the Emperor's Cup JFA 100th Japan Football Championship will take place on Sunday 13 December.

Due to the effect of COVID-19, this year’s Emperor's Cup has been rearranged so that teams from the same region would face each other up to the third round. Following the conclusion of the third round, a drawing was held to determine the fixtures of the fourth round.

Under the unorthodox regulation, a unique line-up of teams will feature the “Best 12,” including this year’s J1 champion Kawasaki Frontale, J3 champion Blaublitz Akita, the runners-up of J1 (TBD), and J2 champion (TBD).

Fukui United (Fukui) and ReinMeer Aomori (Aomori) have both reached the fourth round for the first time. Both teams have won their match against a university side at the third round, as the JFL side, ReinMeer Aomori, won their match 2-1 against Fuji University (Iwate), while Fukui United, who competes at the Hokushinetsu league, won their match 2-0 against Niigata University of Health and Welfare (Niigata).

Fukuyama City FC (Hiroshima) has reached the fourth round in their first appearance at the Emperor's Cup and the team has yet to concede a goal at the tournament. The Hiroshima side will now face Arterivo Wakayama (Wakayama), who has become a regular face at the Emperor's Cup, making their 12th consecutive appearance. With the Wakayama side coming off a dramatic come from behind victory against FC TIAMO Hirakata (Osaka) at the third round, it will be interesting to see who will win the match between two in-form teams.

The fixture between Verspah Oita (Oita) and Honda FC (Amateur seed) is also an intriguing card. While Verspah Oita has won their first JFL title this season, Honda FC is trying to repeat their feat from last year, as they defeated three J.League clubs to advance to the quarterfinals. Although Verspah Oita has claimed a 1-0 victory at the JFL this season, Honda FC is certainly seeking to turn the tables at the national stage.

University of Tsukuba (Ibaraki) is the only university side remaining at the tournament. The team has fired a total of 26 shots in their overtime victory against Tokyo Musashino City FC (Tokyo) at the third round. Their opponent, Kochi United SC (Kochi) has won two close matches to reach the third round, setting up an enticing fixture between two tenacious teams.

Please stay tuned to find out who earns their ticket to challenge the J.League clubs in the future fixtures.

Fixtures and results 

【1st Round】Wed. 16 September
【2nd Round】Wed. 23, Wed. 30 September
【3rd Round】Wed. 28 October, Wed. 11 November
【4th Round】Sat. 12, Sun. 13 December
【Round of 16】Sun. 20 December
【Quarterfinals】Wed. 23 December
【Semi-final】Sun. 27 December
【Final】Fri. 1 January 2021

Tournament Information