Kawasaki Frontale captured their first J-League championship in a dramatic climax to the season on Saturday, overturning a two-point deficit to pip leaders and defending champions Kashima Antlers to the title on goal difference.

Striker and club captain Yu Kobayashi scored a hat-trick as Kawasaki hammered already relegated Omiya Ardija 5-0 and were crowned champions after Kashima were held to a 0-0 draw away to Jubilo Iwata.

Both teams finished the season with 72 points, with Kawasaki clinching the title -- their first major domestic trophy -- with a 17-plus goal difference over eight-time champions Antlers.

Kobayashi's treble saw him end the league campaign as the top flight's leading scorer with 23 goals.

The title win helped erase the disappointment of finishing runners-up for the fourth time in the League Cup final as well as being knocked out of the Asian Champions League in the quarterfinals by eventual winners Urawa Reds after leading the first leg 3-1.

"It has been a really tough season for us and I feel that we are the team that has had to suffer the most," Kawasaki boss Toru Oniki said in an emotional post-match interview.

"I thought a gift might roll our way right at the end and thanks to the players and supporters we have won the title," added Oniki, who is in his first season in charge.

Kawasaki's high-octane performance came on the back of just two days of rest after they kept alive their title hopes with a gritty 1-0 win away to Urawa on Wednesday.

"I figured when you get to this stage fatigue doesn't come into it," said Oniki. "The players kept on going for goals and demonstrating our brand of soccer. I'm really grateful to them."

Kawasaki grabbed the lead when Hiroyuki Abe rifled home Elsinho's pass from the edge of the box with less than a minute on the clock.

Kobayashi headed in Akihiro Ienaga's cross on the stroke of halftime to put the home side in control and added his second of the afternoon by prodding in another Ienaga delivery at the far post on the hour.

Kobayashi completed his hat-trick by sweeping home from the penalty spot with nine minutes left and Tatsuya Hasegawa made it 5-0 in the sixth minute of injury time.

"I am grateful to my teammates for all the good balls they fed me," said Kobayashi. "I just went into the game wanting to score and for us to win."

"I think I have outdone myself today but I am more pleased that the team won the title than I am about my own personal achievements."

"I think losing in the Emperor's Cup final (to Kashima) on New Year's Day, getting knocked out of the ACL and losing in the Levain (League Cup) final were the sacrifices for winning this championship."

"I have been captain this season but I have left the team affairs to players like Shogo (Taniguchi) and Kengo-san (Nakamura) and tried to focus on pulling the team forward by scoring goals."

Kashima missed the chance to win the title last weekend after being held 0-0 at home to Kashiwa Reysol and manager Go Oiwa could not hide his disappointment after another goalless stalemate cost them dearly.

"The players battled well over 90 minutes today and it stings that we were unable to score," said Oiwa, who took over as manager from sacked Masatada Ishii in May after Antlers failed to advance to the last eight of the ACL.

"The players worked hard for me after the change of managers and I wanted to end (the season) at the top, but I guess this is down to my lack of experience."

"I am grateful to the supporters and feel sorry that I could not finish the season with a win for them."

At the other end of the table, Ventforet Kofu slipped through the relegation trapdoor despite a 1-0 win at home to Vegalta Sendai. Third-from-bottom Kofu needed to win and for Shimizu S-Pulse to lose but Shimizu ran out 3-1 winners away to Vissel Kobe.

In other matches it was Consadole Sapporo 3, Sagan Tosu 2; Urawa 0, Yokohama F Marinos 1; Kashiwa 1, Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0; FC Tokyo 0, Gamba Osaka 0; Albirex Niigata 1, Cerezo Osaka 0.