2012 Emperor's Cup

2012 Emperor's Cup
Country	Japan
Champions	Kashiwa Reysol; (3rd title)
Runners-up	Gamba Osaka
Matches played	87
	← 2011 2013 →

The 92nd Emperor's Cup (第92回天皇杯全日本サッカー選手権大会) is a regular edition of an annual Japanese national cup tournament. It started on 1 September 2012 and ended on 1 January 2013 with the final at National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, won by Kashiwa Reysol 1–0 against Gamba Osaka.

The cup winner will be guaranteed a place in the 2013 AFC Champions League. However, as a requirement of AFC in 2012, the spot is only issued if the team holds a J1 license (but not necessary being a Division 1 team).

Calendar

Round	Date	Matches	Clubs	New entries this round
First Round	September 1, 2	24	47+1 → 24	47 prefectural cup winners 1 JFL seeded club (*)
Second Round	September 8, 9	32	24+18+22 → 32	18 J1 clubs 22 J2 clubs
Third Round	October 10	16	32 → 16
Fourth Round	December 15	8	16 → 8
Quarterfinals	December 23	4	8 → 4
Semifinals	December 29	2	4 → 2
Final	January 1, 2013	1	2 → 1

The collegiate champion no longer qualifies for the Emperor Cup. Though, they may still enter the Emperor Cup if they won the prefectural cup.
The highest ranked Japan Football League (JFL) club after the 17th match day (June 24) is to qualify for the tournament.
December 19 was reserved for at most 1 game of Fourth Round in case of event clashes due to 2012 FIFA Club World Cup. As Sanfrecce Hiroshima, the team playing the Club World Cup was already eliminated in Emperor Cup on Second Round, the event was not postponed.

Participating clubs

Starting in the First Round

Prefectural cup winners – 47 teams

Hokkaidō – Sapporo University
Aomori – Vanraure Hachinohe
Iwate – Grulla Morioka
Miyagi – Sony Sendai
Akita – Blaublitz Akita
Yamagata – Nihon University Yamagata High School
Fukushima – Fukushima United
Ibaraki – University of Tsukuba
Tochigi – Vertfee Takahara Nasu
Gunma – Tonan Maebashi
Saitama – Heisei International University
Chiba – Kashiwa Reysol U-18
Tokyo – Yokogawa Musashino
Kanagawa – YSCC Yokohama
Yamanashi – Yamanashi Gakuin University Orions
Nagano – Nagano Parceiro
Niigata – Niigata University of Management
Toyama – Toyama Shinjo Club
Ishikawa – Zweigen Kanazawa
Fukui – Saurcos Fukui
Shizuoka – Hamamatsu University
Aichi – FC Kariya
Mie – Suzuka Rampole
Gifu – FC Gifu Second
Shiga – Sagawa Shiga
Kyoto – Amitie SC
Osaka – Kansai University
Hyōgo – Kwansei Gakuin University
Nara – Nara Club
Wakayama – Arterivo Wakayama
Tottori – Yonago Kita High School
Shimane – Matsue City
Okayama – Fagiano Okayama Next
Hiroshima – Fukuyama University
Yamaguchi – Tokuyama University
Kagawa – Kamatamare Sanuki
Tokushima – Panasonic Energy Tokushima
Ehime – FC Imabari
Kochi – Kochi University
Fukuoka – Fukuoka University
Saga – Saga University
Nagasaki – High school attached to Nagasaki Institute of Applied Science(*1)
Kumamoto – Ozu High School
Ōita – Hoyo Oita
Miyazaki – Miyazaki Sangyo-keiei University
Kagoshima – Volca Kagoshima
Okinawa – FC Ryukyu

(*1) The team is the prefectural runners-up; both prefectural finalists are to qualify for the final tournament after the other finalist V-Varen Nagasaki have qualified as the JFL seeded club.[1]

JFL seeded club – 1 team: V-Varen Nagasaki[2]

Starting in the Second Round

J.League Division 1 – 18 teams

J.League Division 2 – 22 teams

Drawing

Since this year, the drawing of the tournament will be held twice: The first draw determine the pairings of first to third round matches; the second draw will be held after the third round that determines the pairings of the fourth round to the final.

Matches

First round

1 September 2012