The championship was founded in 1979 as the Japanese Formula 3 Championship, operating under Formula 3 regulations for four decades. For much of this period it was known by various iterations of the Formula 3 and later Formula Regional designation as FIA nomenclature evolved globally. In Japan, separate parallel efforts emerged around the Formula Regional framework — K2 Planet acquired rights to run an FIA Formula Regional championship in the country under the Formula Regional Japanese Championship — but the historic Japanese Formula 3 series followed its own path.
On 17 August 2019 the series promoters formally surrendered the rights to the Formula Regional championship in Japan and rebranded the series as Super Formula Lights, effective from the 2020 season. The new name draws explicit comparison to the IndyCar feeder structure, where "Lights" has long signified the primary support ladder below the main series.
The series is built around a standardised technical package to keep costs controlled and competition close.
Chassis: The Dallara 320 became the specification car from 2020, shared directly with the Euroformula Open Championship and featuring revised aerodynamics and a Halo cockpit protection device. For the 2024 season the field transitioned to the updated Dallara 324.
Engines: From 2020, multiple engine suppliers competed within the series — Toyota-TOM'S, Mugen-Honda, Toda Racing, and ThreeBond (Nissan) were all official partners, with the Spiess Tuning Volkswagen R4 unit also proving popular among competitors. From 2024 the series standardised on a single TOM'S specification engine based on the Toyota GR Yaris three-cylinder 1.6-litre turbocharged unit, simplifying the landscape and reducing cost differentials.
Tyres: Kumho Tire became the sole tyre supplier, replacing Yokohama who had been involved since 2011 when the series was still known as the Japanese Formula 3 Championship.
Super Formula Lights occupies a clearly defined position in Japanese motorsport's development pathway. It feeds directly into Super Formula, Japan's top domestic open-wheel category, which itself uses Dallara machinery and has historically attracted drivers of international calibre. The shared chassis specification with Euroformula Open also creates crossover opportunities for European drivers looking to gain Japanese experience, and vice versa.
The series runs at circuits including iconic Japanese venues that also feature on the Super Formula calendar, giving drivers early exposure to tracks they will face at the next level. A Masters Class exists within the championship for experienced competitors, creating a tiered competitive structure within the same field.
The rebranding to Super Formula Lights in 2020 placed the Japanese series more explicitly within an international framework of feeder championships branded to reflect their relationship to a parent series — an approach also used by Indy NXT (formerly Indy Lights) in North America, Formula 2 and Formula 3 within the FIA pyramid, and Super2 in Australian Supercars. The series represents Japan's most direct pipeline to Super Formula and, by extension, to international open-wheel competition for drivers emerging from Japanese karting and lower formulae.