January 24

In just under a week's time the J-League fixture list will officially be announced, allowing fans up and down the country to start planning their weekends from March to December. With interest in the 2008 season gradually building, however, the J-League have announced the opening home fixtures for the eighteen top flight clubs.

Round 1

March 8

Kashima Antlers vs Consadole Sapporo (Kashima Stadium)

FC Tokyo vs Vissel Kobe (Ajinomoto Stadium)

Yokohama F. Marinos vs Urawa Reds (Nissan Stadium)

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Oita Trinita (Nihondaira Stadium)

Nagoya Grampus vs Kyoto Sanga FC (Toyota Stadium)

Gamba Osaka vs JEF United (Expo '70 Stadium)

March 9

Omiya Ardija vs Albirex Niigata (Omiya Park Stadium)

Kashiwa Reysol vs Jubilo Iwata (Kashiwa Hitachi Stadium)

Round 2

March 15

Consadole Sapporo vs Yokohama F. Marinos (Sapporo Dome)

Urawa Reds vs Nagoya Grampus (Saitama Stadium)

JEF United vs Shimizu S-Pulse (Fukuda Denshi Arena)

Albirex Niigata vs FC Tokyo (Big Swan Stadium)

Jubilo Iwata vs Gamba Osaka (Ecopa Stadium)

Vissel Kobe vs Kawasaki Frontale (Kobe Wing Stadium)

Oita Trinita vs Kashiwa Reysol (Kyushu Oil Dome)

March 16

Tokyo Verdy vs Kashima Antlers (Ajinomoto Stadium)

Kyoto Sanga FC vs Omiya Ardija (Nishikyogoku Stadium)

The obvious stand-out from the opening weekend sees the eternal grudge match between Yokohama F. Marinos and Urawa Reds take place at Nissan Stadium. Both teams don't have things much easier on the second weekend, where Marinos trek north to the chilly climes of Sapporo to take on last season's J2 champions Consadole, while Urawa host Nagoya Grampus at Saitama Stadium in a clash between two of Japan's wealthiest clubs.

For the second season in a row JEF United host Shimizu S-Pulse in their opening clash. S-Pulse hammered United 3-1 at 'Fukuari' last season, but it will be a radically different United line-up that takes to the pitch this time around, with almost all of their key players having left the club.

The J2 fixture list has also been announced, and it too will have a radically different look to last season. Two new clubs make their professional bow in the forms of FC Gifu and Roasso Kumamoto, and the season has been shortened from the marathon 52 rounds of last season to a half-marathon-esque schedule of 45 rounds (or something like that) this time around.

New boys Roasso Kumamoto travel to Ehime FC for their opening fixture, whilst FC Gifu host a tough-looking Vegalta Sendai in their first ever J-League clash. Elsewhere the likes of Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Cerezo Osaka will be looking to clamber back up to the top flight after they both endured nightmare seasons last year, while Pierre Littbarski's Avispa Fukuoka will be quietly confident of making a return to J1 at the end of the season.

The new J-League season gets underway on March 1 with the season-opening Super Cup clash between J1 winners Kashima Antlers and Emperor's Cup runner-up Sanfrecce Hiroshima at the National Stadium in Tokyo.