There was always a danger that the J. League's ill-fated introduction of a playoff championship format in 2015 would produce a deeply unsatisfying result somewhere down the line. Kashima Antlers' coronation as champions on Saturday night duly delivered it.
Antlers beat Urawa Reds on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate draw in the two-legged final to lift the trophy for the eighth time, despite finishing a full 15 points behind first-place Urawa in the overall league table.
Antlers qualified for the playoffs by finishing third overall, 13 points behind second-place Kawasaki Frontale but just one ahead of fourth-place Gamba Osaka. Once the regular season had ended with Antlers losing their last four games, the Ibaraki side promptly dispatched Frontale 1-0 in a one-off semifinal before coming from behind to edge Urawa in the final.