The first awards were given in the 2013 season to J1 League and J2 League players. The J3 League was created in 2014, but they weren't included in the awards until the 2019 season.
The winners are chosen by a selection committee currently made up of a mix of J.League officials, commentators and some members of the media. A selection committee meeting is held each month where the members cast their votes for the winners of the MVP award.[1] The winners receive prize money (J1: 300,000 yen, J2: 200,000 yen, J3: 100,000 yen) and their award is presented on the player's first home game following the announcement.[2]
It has been previously known as the Coca-Cola J.League Monthly MVP (2013-2014), Meiji Yasuda J.League Coca-Cola Monthly MVP (2015),[3] Meiji Yasuda J.League Monthly MVP (2016),[4] Meiji Yasuda J.League Mastercard priceless japan Monthly MVP (2017–2018);[5] since the 2019 season, it has been known as the Meiji Yasuda J.League KONAMI Monthly MVP.[6]
Takashi Usami has been named Monthly MVP the most, winning 6 awards across both the J1 and J2 League. No player has ever won consecutive J1 or J3 League awards, but three players have won consecutive J2 League awards: Akihiro Ienaga, Jong Tae-se and Leonardo. Yuya Osako is the only player to have won three J1 MVP awards in a single season, achieved in 2023. Jong Tae-se won three J2 MVP awards in the 2016 season and Koki Ogawa achieved the same in the 2022 season.
J1 League
List of winners
Shunsuke Nakamura won the first J1 Monthly MVP award in March 2013.Zlatan Ljubijankić was the first European player to win the J1 award.Shusaku Nishikawa was the first player to win the J1 award two and three times, and also the first to win it with different clubs.Léo Silva was the first South American player to win the J1 award.Yu Kobayashi won the J1 award three times.Mu Kanazaki won the J1 award twice.Simão Mate was the first African player to win the J1 award.Yuya Osako had a ten year gap between his first and second award (August 2013 and May 2023)
Wataru Endo was the first defender to win the J2 award.Jay Bothroyd was the first European player to win the J2 award.Jong Tae-se was the first player to have won three J2 awards and the first player across all divisions to win three awards in one season.Wellington won the J2 award twice.Leonardo won the J2 award twice.Erik won the J2 award twice in the 2023 season.