The defending champion Yokohama B-Corsairs (24-28) failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Eastern Conference
-Toyama (42-10 record) is the top seed, getting a bye into the conference semis on May 10-11 at home.
-Iwate (40-12), winner of 12 straight games, is the No. 2 seed, also getting a bye and a home series on the same dates.
-Akita (40-12), is the No. 3 seed and meets No. 6 Aomori (27-25) on May 3-4 in Akita.
-Shinshu (33-19) is the fourth seed and faces No. 5 Niigata (31-21) on May 3-4 in Nagano Prefecture.
Western Conference
-Ryukyu (43-9) is the No. 1 seed and gets a bye into the conference semis at home on May 10-11 in Okinawa.
-Kyoto (34-18) is the second seed and also gets a bye into the conference semis at home on May 10-11.
-Shiga (27-25) is the No. 3 seed and faces No. 6 Osaka (24-28) at home on May 3-4.
-Hamamatsu (27-25) is the No. 4 seed and takes on No. 5 Fukuoka (26-26) at home on May 3-4.
*The opening two rounds of the playoffs will feature a mini-game tiebreaker after Game 2 if necessary. (Some coaches refer to this as the "worst gimmick" in league history.
*The Final Four will be held on May 24-25 at Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo.