The 2016 Meiji Yasuda J2 League (2016 明治安田生命J2リーグ) season was the 45th season of second-tier club football in Japan and the 18th season since the establishment of J2 League.

Omiya Ardija have stayed in the second division for just a year, winning promotion as the champions. Júbilo Iwata have spent only 2 seasons in J2 after their first relegation from the J1 League in 2013 after 20 seasons. Third-placed Avispa Fukuoka won the promotion playoffs and will return to the first division after playing in the J2 for four years. Matsumoto Yamaga were relegated from the J1 immediately after their inaugural promotion. Shimizu S-Pulse also suffered their first relegation to the J2 after 23 seasons in the J1, while Montedio Yamagata returned after one season.

On the other end of the table, Renofa Yamaguchi have been promoted from the 2015 J3 League as the champions of the second season of the J3 League, replacing Tochigi SC and becoming the first club based in Yamaguchi Prefecture to play in the second tier since Eidai SC back in 1973. J3 runners-up Machida Zelvia were also promoted by beating Oita Trinita in the promotion-relegation playoffs.

The participating clubs are listed in the following table:

2016 J.League Road To J1 Play-Offs (2016 J1昇格プレーオフ)

Cerezo Osaka was promoted to J1 League.

2016 J2/J3 Play-Offs (2016 J2・J3入れ替え戦)

Zweigen Kanazawa remains in J2 League.
Tochigi SC remains in J3 League.