JTTL will be superseded. For the time being, it will continue until 2020, as plans for the 2018 and 2019 seasons are in place, and people will be busy over the Tokyo Olymipcs in 2020.
The folks will consider merging with the T League as early as 2021.
In all honesty, after 40 years(established in 1977), JTTL has been in constant decline in recent years. It is now down to 32 teams(17m/15w), from its peak of 50. Nippon Paint has pulled out and joined the T League. Jin Ueda has left his JTTL team(Kyowa Hakko Kirin) to become a full-time pro and join the T League.
Anyway, here is a table listing the requirements for joining the T League.
Teams: 4 per gender
Team name: Principally region name, but enterprise name is ok
Player level: WR 10
Number of members: 6 and above. 1 manager and 1 coach.
Registration fee: 20 mil yens
Yearly membership fee: 15 mil yens
League format: Home and away team match
Venue: Must have a stadium with 2000 capacity
Training institution: Must have a table tennis school aimed at those 6 and below
The last requirement is interesting.
2017/12/5
「Tリーグ合流は2021年以降に検討」日本リーグ佐藤真二氏が語る「松下とは仲良いよ！」
https://rallys.online/topic/jttl-sato/
2021/6/19
卓球「日本リーグ」、Ｔリーグとの合流は当面見送る方針
https://hochi.news/articles/20210619-OHT1T51172.html?page=1
Over 8 years after talks of merging in 2021 and still a work in progress in 2026. Still so many comments about how it's fine to keep both leagues separate despite complaining about confusion and calling for better clarification when pros/players jump between both of them, when the core issue is unaligned interests leading to overlapping roles and resource allocation.
初の地方加盟団体出身の蓑島専務理事に期待。河田会長「（Tリーグと日本リーグの1本化を）放置しているつもりはない」
https://world-tt.com/blog/news/archives/357396
●−（卓球王国）ファンからも「わかりにくい」と長年指摘されている、Tリーグと日本リーグの一本化、ひとつのピラミッドを作ることについてはどうお考えですか？
河田： 私自身、この平行線の状態に対して非常に強い問題意識を持っています。ファンや関心を持ってくださる方々からすれば「もっと分かりやすくなんとかならないのか」と思われるのは当然です。相手があること（利害関係者）なので、現段階で具体的な内容は明かせませんが、放置するつもりは一切ありません。現在、水面下で動いています。新体制の加藤副会長や蓑島専務理事も同じように前向きな問題意識を共有してくれていますので、お互い（Tリーグと日本リーグ）がWIN-WINとなるような進め方を考え、私の任期中に何とか前進した形にしたいと考えています。（6月21日）
(●- (Table Tennis Kingdom) What are your thoughts on the unification of the T.League and the Japan League, creating a single pyramid, which fans have long pointed out as being "confusing"?
Kawada: I myself have a very strong sense of concern about this stalemate. It's natural for fans and those who are interested to think, "Can't something be done to make it easier to understand?"
Since there are other parties involved (stakeholders), I cannot disclose specific details at this stage, but I have no intention of ignoring it. We are currently working behind the scenes. Vice Chairman Kato and Executive Director Minoshima of the new system also share the same positive concerns, so we are thinking about how to proceed in a way that will be a win-win for both sides (T.League and Japan League), and I hope to make some progress during my term. (June 21))
【卓球】Tリーグと日本リーグは1本化にならないのか。「放置するつもりは一切ありません」（河田会長）
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/cf208f00293a667c6b79213bad7781f58f9a8626
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/cf208f00293a667c6b79213bad7781f58f9a8626/comments
vzt********
36分前
プロ野球と考え方は同じなんですが、ようは『卓球だけでお金を稼ぎ、卓球だけでご飯を食べる＝プロ』、対して『卓球もやるが所属する会社で仕事はしてお金を稼ぎご飯を食べる＝アマ、またはセミプロ』です。これは一緒にはなれないし、抜本的に無理です。かなり厳しい道のりですよ。日本では歴史とスポンサーが強いプロ野球でさえ、四国アイランドリーグや、BCリーグでがプロと同じくするのは難しい道のりになってますから。
(The concept is the same as professional baseball, but essentially, 'making money solely from table tennis and making a living solely from table tennis = professional,' whereas 'playing table tennis but also working for a company to earn money and make a living = amateur or semi-professional.' These two cannot be the same, and it's fundamentally impossible. It's a very difficult road. Even in Japan, where professional baseball has a strong history and sponsors, it's a difficult road for leagues like the Shikoku Island League and the BC League to be on the same level as professionals.)
0 concur, 0 ic, 0 hmm
bdp********
8時間前
Tリーグはプロリーグとはいえ、現実には、日本リーガーと学生選手を借りてしか運営できないメンバー構成が脆弱なチームが存在している。実業団や学生の大きな大会と重なったら、試合に最低限必要な選手をそろえるにも苦労しているチームもある。まずそこからではないのか？と思う。あの程度の観客数で成り立っていることも不思議。大口スポンサーの収入に頼ってるのかもしれないが。
(
Although the T.League is a professional league, in reality, there are teams with weak roster compositions that can only operate by borrowing Japan League players and student players. When it clashes with major corporate or student tournaments, some teams struggle to even assemble the minimum number of players necessary for a match. I think that's where the problem should start.
It's also strange that it can survive with such low attendance figures. Perhaps it relies on income from major sponsors.)
6 concur, 9 ic, 2 hmm
OBM
6時間前
日本リーグは企業チームが主体だから別物じゃなかろうか。
ただ、実業団チームなのに中にプロが混在してるから変な感じになってるだけで。
卓球選手は所属先が多すぎるし移籍が多くて正直分かりにくい。
(The Japan League is mainly composed of corporate teams, so isn't it something different?
However, it's just that even though they're corporate teams, there are professionals mixed in, which makes it seem strange.
Table tennis players belong to too many companies and transfer frequently, so it's honestly hard to keep track of them.)
5 concur, 1 ic, 2 hmm
igz********
5時間前
それよりもプロに学生を入れるべきでは無いですね！
力の足りない小学生入れて何がしたい？
プロと学生は、分けるべきです!
(
More importantly, students shouldn't be included in professional teams!
What's the point of including incompetent elementary school students?
Professionals and students should be kept separate!)
10 concur, 1 ic, 2 hmm
