Kashima Antlers are the most successful club in Japanese football by quite some distance.
With eight J1 League triumphs to their names, they sit three titles clear of closest challengers Yokohama F. Marinos -- while their haul of six J.League Cups is also a record.
In addition to five Emperor's Cup crowns, Kashima's haul 19 major domestic titles is unparalleled and, for good measure, they also won the AFC Champions League -- Asian football's premier club competition -- in 2018.
Yet, for all their traditional dominance, the Antlers have been crowned J1 League champions just once since 2009.
It has not exactly been a case of inconsistency with Kashima given they have not dropped out of the top five in the past 11 years, although a solitary title -- in 2016 -- suggests that others have moved level with, if not surpassed, them as Japan's most formidable team.
But with the 2024 campaign now into its second half and with the Antlers sitting second on the table, could this be the season they end a seven-year title drought?
They certainly look a real chance, even if Sunday's 3-1 loss to defending champions Vissel Kobe saw them fall further behind surprise leaders Machida Zelvia, who have now established a five-point margin at the summit.
With 38 points to their names, Kashima are level with Gamba Osaka and one ahead of Vissel, while five other teams -- including former champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima, FC Tokyo and Urawa Red Diamonds -- are all within touching distance past the 30-point mark.
The fact that the upper end of the J1 League this season is proving to be more competitive compared to previous years, when they were effectively two-horse races eventually won by Marinos and Vissel, means that many of these clubs will have good reason to believe they can emerge triumphant should they be able to maintain form in the weeks and months ahead.
And the Antlers certainly have the personnel required to mount a title challenge of their own.
A relatively-stable starting XI is built from the back by a perfect mix of experienced stalwarts and rising stars.
Naomichi Ueda, who seems to have been around much longer than his 29 years suggest, has seamlessly slotted back into the heart of defence after stints with Cercle Brugge and Nîmes, while full-back Koki Anzai is another who has been a handy reacquisition with the experience of a stint in Europe.
With goalkeepers naturally late bloomers, Tomoki Hayakawa -- at the age of 25 -- is now firmly established as the No. 1 and is proving that the Kashima were savvy in turning to him as the long-term successor to Kwoun Sun-Tae and fellow young gun Ikuma Sekigawa -- Ueda's centre-back partner and still just 23 -- has already racked up over a hundred appearances for the club and should be a future Japan international.
The backline is rounded off by the rampaging Kimito Nono, the youngest of the quintet at 22, who has remarkably already scored five league goals in the current campaign from right-back and has been one of the revelations of the season.
In the engine room, the energy and bite is provided by Kaishu Sano and Kei Chinen -- with the latter's transformation into a central midfielder a real masterstroke by former coach Daiki Iwamasa after he spent most of his career previously as a back-up striking option at Kawasaki Frontale.
Pulling the strings in the attacking third is Shintaro Nago, who has emerged as one of the competition's best playmakers this season with his six assists only bettered by Cerezo Osaka's Lucas Fernandes, while Hayato Nakama and Yuta Higuchi are among a pack of steady contributors on the wings.
Then, of course, there is the ace in the Antlers pack up forward: Yuma Suzuki.
Like Ueda and Anzai, Suzuki returned to Ibaraki after time in Europe, where he had a 17-goal campaign in the Belgian Pro League with Sint-Truiden in 2020-21.
After taking some time to adjust to life back in Kashima, Suzuki was at his best with 14 goals last term and is already up to ten in 2024.
Unafraid to use his body as a battering ram but also possessing exquisite skills -- both often proving inspirational to those around him -- the 28-year-old is simply the barometer for the Antlers' success.
It is hardly surprising that Sunday's loss to Vissel, which snapped an 11-game unbeaten streak, coincided with him missing through suspension.
The settled nature of Kashima's strongest XI also means they have quality options waiting in reserve, including Slovakian striker Aleksandar Čavrić, veteran playmaker Shoma Doi and even 60-cap Japan international Gaku Shibasaki, who is officially the captain but still having to bide his time despite spending over six years in Spain -- including two seasons in LaLiga with Getafe.
There is no denying the quality within the Antlers ranks and there always will be, especially for a club of their stature.
Finding the right coach to get the best of their talented squad has proven to be the challenge, with Kashima undergoing six managerial changes since they lost won the league under Masatada Ishii.
That task, as of the start of this season, has fallen on the shoulders of Ranko Popović, who has experience coaching in Japanese football as far back as 2006 -- when he was assistant to compatriot Mihailo Petrović at Sanfrecce.
Popovic would go on to lead his own team with both Oita Trinita, Machida Zelvia (twice) and Cerezo, while he also had notable spells in charge of Real Zaragoza, Vojvodina and even Thai League 1 giants Buriram United.
Success, in the form of silverware, has largely proven elusive thus far yet the Kashima hierarchy clearly saw something in him to hand him the reins.
He has thus far given them little reason to regret that decision but the jury will remain out until the end of the season.
If Popovic proves to be the real deal, the Antlers could also just be in their quest to end their seven-year J1 League title drought.