The first Formula Three championship in Japan was organised by the Nippon Formula 3 Association in 1979, with Toshio Suzuki winning the inaugural title. By 1981 the series had evolved into a fully national-level championship organised by the Japan Automobile Federation. Through the 1980s international participation increased, and from the early 1990s onward foreign drivers began to dominate the champion's roll, reflecting the series' growing reputation as a quality proving ground for drivers from Europe, South America, and other parts of Asia.
The championship operated as a stepping stone toward the Super Formula championship, Japan's premier single-seater series, giving it a clearly defined place within the domestic racing ladder. The combination of competitive grids, quality circuits, and the technical demands of Formula Three machinery made it an attractive destination for drivers seeking professional mileage outside of Europe's more expensive championships.
Like most Formula Three championships worldwide, the Japanese series was an open formula allowing multiple eligible chassis suppliers, though in practice the field converged over time. Only Dallara chassis were used from 2007 onward; earlier decades had seen March, Reynard, Ralt, and Japanese manufacturers including TOM'S and Dome also supply cars.
Engine competition remained more varied. Toyota-TOM'S and Mugen-Honda were the principal suppliers, with Toda Racing and ThreeBond providing Nissan-based units. Earlier eras had included Volkswagen, HKS on a Mitsubishi base, Fiat, and Opel engines. Tyre supply was unified under Hankook from 2009, having previously involved Bridgestone (sole supplier from 1988 to 2008) and earlier Dunlop and Yokohama.
In 2008 the championship adopted a two-tier class system to broaden participation. The Championship class was open to cars conforming to the current three-year cycle specifications, while the lower National class accepted cars from the previous three-year cycle using a specification Toyota engine, providing a cost-effective entry point for smaller teams and developing drivers.
Prior to the FIA's revision of superlicence requirements for the 2016 Formula One season, the Japanese Formula Three Championship was one of four major national Formula Three championships worldwide whose winner was automatically granted an FIA Super Licence. Under the revised points-based system introduced in 2016, the championship winner earned 10 superlicence points, with drivers finishing second through fifth receiving a proportionally smaller allocation.
On 13 August 2019, series promoter Japan Race Promotion announced a rebranding of the championship as Super Formula Lights, effective from 2020. The change was driven by FIA naming regulations that reserved the Formula Three designation for the European-based FIA Formula 3 Championship and the Formula Regional name for regional series being reorganised under that banner. Using either name without FIA authorisation was prohibited, and the series chose to align with the Super Formula brand rather than adopt Formula Regional status.
The rebranding formally ended the Japanese Formula Three Championship after 41 years of operation. Separately, the FIA awarded rights to a Formula Regional championship in Japan to K2, the promoters of the F4 Japanese Championship, creating a distinct Formula Regional Japanese Championship alongside the rebranded Super Formula Lights. The Japan Formula 3 Association continued to administer the successor Super Formula Lights series.
The Japanese Formula Three Championship's four-decade run made it one of the longest-standing national Formula Three competitions outside Europe. Its consistent role as the primary feeder to Super Formula, combined with the strong infrastructure of Japanese circuit racing, gave it a stability that many comparable series elsewhere lost to consolidation or cost pressures. The championship's increasing openness to international talent from the 1990s onward also made it a genuinely competitive international proving ground rather than a closed domestic affair.