FC Tokyo and Kyoto Sanga's all-J2 Emperor's Cup final on Sunday was a high-profile showcase for the J. League second division, but away from the spotlight there is plenty to suggest the lower tier is in rude health.
No team from J2 had ever reached the New Year's Day final prior to Sunday's match, but Tokyo and Kyoto both overcame a series of first-division opponents to book their places at National Stadium. Giant-killing acts are standard in any cup competition, but the fact that many of this year's upsets came as little surprise suggests the gap between the divisions is not as great as it once was.
The most obvious evidence of this is, of course, Kashiwa Reysol's achievement of winning the 2011 J. League championship just a year after clinching the second-division title. But while Kashiwa's triumph was unprecedented and undeniably impressive, it was not entirely without warning.