The J. League's scheduling software, known affectionately as "Nittei-kun" by fans, has earned a reputation over the years as having an uncanny ability to schedule dramatic fixtures at the end of the season.
That FC Tokyo’s 2-0 loss to Kawasaki Frontale in Saturday's Tamagawa Clasico turned out to be the least-meaningful game of Round 33 is indeed no fault of Nittei-kun's, but rather a manifestation of the consistent dominance which Frontale rode to their second straight league title, this year clinched with two rounds to spare.
The real drama occurred far afield from the capital, where Nagoya Grampus, Sagan Tosu, and Shonan Bellmare all won their games, each assuring itself of at least a spot in the J1 Playoff and dooming Kashiwa Reysol to automatic relegation in the process.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.