Wikipedia

Japan national football team

(Redirected fromSamurai Blue)
This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, seeJapan women's national football team.

TheJapan national football team(サッカー Nhật Bản đại biểu,Sakkā Nihon DaihyōorSakkā Nippon Daihyō),also known by the nicknameSamurai Blue(サムライ・ブルー,Samurai Burū),[1][2]representsJapanin men's internationalfootball.It is controlled by theJapan Football Association(JFA), the governing body forfootball in Japan.

Japan
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)サムライ・ブルー
(SamuraiBlue)[1][2]
Since 19 October 2009[3]
AssociationJapan Football Association(JFA)
ConfederationAFC(Asia)
Sub-confederationEAFF(East Asia)
Head coachHajime Moriyasu[4][5][6]
CaptainWataru Endō
MostcapsYasuhito Endō(152)
Top scorerKunishige Kamamoto(75)[7]
Home stadiumVarious
FIFA codeJPN
Firstcolours
Secondcolours
FIFA ranking
Current15Increase1 (24 October 2024)[8]
Highest9 (February–March 1998)
Lowest66 (December 1992)
First international
Japan0–5China
(Tokyo,Japan;9 May 1917)
Biggest win
Japan15–0Philippines
(Tokyo; 27 September 1967)
Biggest defeat
Japan2–15Philippines
(Tokyo; 10 May 1917)
World Cup
Appearances7 (first in1998)
Best resultRound of 16 (2002,2010,2018,2022)
Asian Cup
Appearances11 (first in1988)
Best resultChampions(1992,2000,2004,2011)
Copa América(as guest)
Appearances2 (first in1999)
Best resultGroup stage (1999,2019)
EAFF Championship
Appearances9 (first in2003)
Best resultChampions(2013,2022)
Confederations Cup
Appearances5 (first in1995)
Best resultRunners-up (2001)
Medal record
Men'sfootball
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1968 Mexico Team
FIFA Confederations Cup
Silver medal – second place 2001 Korea/Japan Team
Asian Cup
Gold medal – first place 1992 Japan Team
Gold medal – first place 2000 Lebanon Team
Gold medal – first place 2004 China Team
Gold medal – first place 2011 Qatar Team
Silver medal – second place 2019 UAE Team
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 1951 New Delhi Team
Bronze medal – third place 1966 Bangkok Team
EAFF Championship
Gold medal – first place 2013 South Korea Team
Gold medal – first place 2022 Japan Team
Silver medal – second place 2003 Japan Team
Silver medal – second place 2005 South Korea Team
Silver medal – second place 2008 China Team
Silver medal – second place 2017 Japan Team
Silver medal – second place 2019 South Korea Team
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Japan Team
Websitejfa.jp/eng/samuraiblue/

Until the end of the 1980s, Japan was a small and amateur team. For a long time, football was less popular thanbaseballandsumo.[10][11]Since the early 1990s, when Japanese football became fully professionalized, Japan has emerged as one of the most successful teams in Asia; they have qualified for everyFIFA World Cupsince1998(including an automatic berth in2002as co-hosts withSouth Korea) with knockout stage appearances that year, and in2010,2018and2022.They have won theAsian Cupa record four times, in1992,2000,2004and2011.The team also finished runners-up in the2001 FIFA Confederations Cupand the2019 Asian Cup.Japan is one of three teams from theAsian Football Confederation(AFC) to have reached the final of a seniorFIFAmen's competition, the others beingAustraliaandSaudi Arabia.

Japan's progression in a short period has served as an inspiration and example of how to develop football.[12][13]Their principal continentalrivalsare South Korea and,most recently,Australia; they also developed rivalries againstIranand Saudi Arabia.

Japan was the first team from outside the Americas to participate in theCopa América,having been invited in the1999,2011,2015,and2019editions of the tournament, although they only played in the 1999 and 2019 events.[14]

As of October 2024, Japan is the highest-ranked AFC team at 15th, and has been since December 2022.[15]

History

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1910s–1930s: Pre-war era

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Far Eastern Championship Gameslogo in 1917

Japan's earliest international matches were at the1917 Far Eastern Championship GamesinTokyo,where it was represented by a team from theTokyo Higher Normal School.Although Japan made strong showings in swimming, baseball, and track and field, its football team suffered resounding defeats to the Republic of China and the Philippines.[16]Nevertheless, the game was promoted in Japanese schools in the 1920s.[17]The Japan Football Association was formed in 1921,[18]and Japan joined FIFA in May 1929.[17]

Japan's first "true" national team (as opposed to a university team chosen to represent the country) was fielded at the1930 Far Eastern Championship Games,and drew with China for the championship title.[17]Shigeyoshi Suzukicoached the national team to its first Olympic appearance at the1936 Summer OlympicsinBerlin.[18]Japan was an entrant for1938 World Cup qualifying,but withdrew before its scheduled qualifying match against theDutch East Indies.[19]

AfterWorld War IIbegan, Japan did not play in international competition, except for a handful of matches againstManchuriaand other colonies.[17]Its last prewar match for purposes ofElo ratingswas a friendly against the Philippines in June 1940.[20]While Korea wasunder Japanese rule,multiple Koreans played in international competition for Japan, includingKim Yong-sik(1936–40),Kim Sung-gan(1940) andLee Yoo-hyung(1940).

1950s–1980s: Post-war era

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Japan playing Argentine clubRacing de Córdobaat the1981President's Cup

Japan's postwar debut was in the1951 Asian Gamesin India.[20]Japan re-joined FIFA in 1950 and played inqualifiers for the 1954 World Cup,but lost the AFC qualifying berth toSouth Koreaafter two matches.[18]Japan also joined theAsian Football Confederationin 1954.[17]

Dettmar Cramerjoined the Japan national team as coach in 1960, and helped lead the team to the round of eight at the1964 Summer Olympicsin Tokyo.[21]Japan's first major achievement in international football came in the1968 Summer OlympicsinMexico City,where the team won thebronze medal.Although this result earned the sport increased recognition in Japan, the absence of a professional domestic league hindered its growth and Japan would not qualify for the World Cup until 30 years later.[22]Nonetheless, Japan were close to qualifying for the1986 FIFA World Cup,but lost to South Korea in the deciding matches.

Japan made its first appearance in the Asian Cup in1988,where they were eliminated in the group stage following a draw withIranand losses toSouth Korea,theUnited Arab EmiratesandQatar.

The late 1980s saw concrete moves to professionalize the sport in Japan. JFA introduced a Special Licensed Player system in 1986, allowing a limited number of professional players to compete in the domestic semi-professional league. Action committees were held in 1988 and 1989 to discuss the introduction of a full professional league in Japan.[21]

1990s: Rise

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The1998 World Cupmatch vs.ArgentinainToulouse,France

In the 1990s, the Japan Football Association began theprofessionalization of its national football team.In 1991, the owners of the semi-professionalJapan Soccer Leagueagreed to disband the league and re-form as the professionalJ.League,partly to raise the sport's profile and to strengthen the national team program. The following year, Japan hosted the1992 Asian Cupand won their first title by defeatingSaudi Arabia1–0 in the final.[23]The J.League was officially launched in 1993.[24]

However, in its first attempt to qualify with professional players, Japan narrowly missed a ticket to the1994 World Cupafter drawing withIraqin the final match of the qualification round, remembered by fans as the "Agony of Doha".[25]Japan's next tournament was a defence of their continental title at the1996 Asian Cup.The team won all their games in the group stage but were eliminated in the quarter-finals after a 2–0 loss toKuwait.[26]

The nation's first ever World Cup appearance was in1998,where Japan lost all their games. The first two fixtures went 1–0 in favour ofArgentinaandCroatia,and the campaign ended with a 2–1 defeat toJamaica.Japan impressed, however, as all three defeats were only by a one goal margin.[27]

2000s: Two Asian Cup titles, World Cup co-hosts

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In the2000 AFC Asian Cup,Japan managed to reclaim their title after defeating Saudi Arabia in the final, becoming Asian champions for the second time.[28]

The2002 World Cupmatch vs.BelgiumatSaitama Stadium 2002on 4 June

Two years later, Japan co-hosted the2002 World Cupwith South Korea. After a 2–2 draw withBelgiumin their opening match, the Japanese team advanced to the second round with a 1–0 win overRussiaand a 2–0 victory againstTunisia.However, they subsequently exited the tournament during the round of 16, after losing 1–0 to eventual third-place finishersTurkeyin extra time.[29]

With the2004 Asian Cuphosted by China, the Japanese managed to retain the title by winning their group after two victories overThailandandOman,before achieving victories againstJordanandBahrain.They defeated the hosts in the final 3–1.[30]

Japan againstBrazilatSignal Iduna ParkinDortmund,Germany in the2006 World Cup

On 8 June 2005, Japan qualified for the2006 World Cupin Germany, its third consecutive World Cup, by beatingNorth Korea2–0 on neutral ground. However, Japan failed to advance to the round of 16, losing to future AFC rivalAustralia3–1, drawing Croatia 0–0 and falling toBrazil4–1.[31]

The2007 AFC Asian Cupsaw Japan fail to defend its title. Although easily winning the group overVietnam,Qatar and theUAE,the Japanese were totally exhausted in their game against Australia, where Japan won only by a penalty shootout. Japan lost to Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals,[32]before failing in the third-place match against South Korea.

2010s

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During the2010 World Cup qualification,in thefourth round of the Asian qualifiers,Japan became the first team other than the hostSouth Africato qualify after defeatingUzbekistan1–0 away. Japan was drawn inGroup Ealong with theNetherlands,DenmarkandCameroon.[33]Japan started with a 1–0 win against Cameroon,[34]before subsequently losing to the Netherlands 1–0.[35]Then, Japan resoundingly beat Denmark 3–1 to advance to the next round againstParaguay.[36]In the round of 16, Japan were eliminated from the competition following penalties after a 0–0 draw against Paraguay.[37]

After the World Cup, head coachTakeshi Okadaresigned. He was replaced by formerJuventusandMilancoachAlberto Zaccheroni.In his first few matches, Japan recorded victories overGuatemala(2–1) and Paraguay (1–0), as well as a 1–0 victory over Argentina.

Japan participated in the2011 Asian CupinQatar.On 29 January, they beat Australia 1–0 in thefinalafter extra time, their fourth Asian Cup triumph and allowing them to qualify for the2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.[38]The country then started their road to the2014 World CupinBrazil.Throughout, they suffered only two losses to Uzbekistan andJordan,and drew against Australia. After a 1–1 draw with Australia, they qualified for the 2014 World Cup, becoming the first nation aside from the hosts to qualify.[39]

Japan started their 2013 Confederations Cup campaign with a 3–0 loss to Brazil.[40]They were then eliminated from the competition after losing toItaly4–3.[41]They lost their final match 1–2 againstMexicoand finished in fourth place in Group A.[42]One month later, in theEAFF East Asian Cup,they started out with a 3–3 draw toChina.They then beat Australia 3–2 and beat South Korea 2–1 in the third and final match in thetournamentto claim the title.[43]

Japan was placed into Group C at the 2014 World Cup alongside theIvory Coast,GreeceandColombia.They fell in their first match to Ivory Coast 2–1 after initially taking the lead, allowing two goals in a two-minute span. They drew their second game to Greece 0–0. To qualify for the second round, they needed a victory against Colombia and Greece to win against Ivory Coast. Greece beat Ivory Coast 2–1, but Colombia won 4–1, eliminating Japan from the World Cup.[44]Alberto Zaccheroni resigned as head coach.[45]In July 2014, former Mexico andEspanyolmanagerJavier Aguirretook over,[46]and Japan lost 0–2 toUruguayin the first game he managed.

Japan vs.Paraguayin 2008

Japan won its opening match at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup inGroup Dagainst Asian Cup debutantesPalestine4–0, with goals fromYasuhito Endō,Shinji Okazaki,Keisuke HondaandMaya Yoshida.Okazaki was named man of the match. They then faced Iraq and Jordan in their next group matches, which they won 1–0 and 2–0 respectively. They qualified to the knockout stage as Group D winners with nine points, seven goals scored and no goals conceded. In the quarter-finals, Japan lost to the UAE in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw, as Honda andShinji Kagawamissed their penalty kicks. Japan's elimination marked their worst performance in the tournament in 19 years.[47]

After the Asian Cup, Aguirre was sacked following allegations of corruption during a prior tenure.[48]He was replaced byVahid Halilhodžićin March 2015.[49]Japan started on a rough note during qualification, losing to the UAE 1–2 at home.[50]They then picked up the pace in their other qualifier games against Iraq, Australia, and Thailand, picking up five wins and two draws. On 31 August 2017, Japan defeated Australia 2–0 at home, thus qualifying them for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, making it their sixth successive World Cup.[51]However, the Japan Football Association decided to sack Halilhodžić on 9 April 2018, only ten weeks before the World Cup, citing reasons of a breakdown in relationship between the coach and players, and poor recent friendly results, and appoint the Technical Director, Japanese coachAkira Nishinoas the new manager.[52]

Japan before their match againstIranat the2019 Asian Cup

Japan made history in the2018 World Cupby defeatingColombia2–1, their first ever victory by any AFC team against aCONMEBOLteam in an official tournament,[53]as well as Japan's first ever victory at the World Cup finals in UEFA nations. Their second match againstSenegalended in a draw with goals fromTakashi Inuiand Keisuke Honda.[54]Japan were defeated in their last group game in the Group H againstPoland1–0,[55]leaving Japan and Senegal tied for second with an identical record; however, as Japan had received two fewer yellow cards, Japan advanced to the knockout stage on the Fair Play Points tiebreaker, the first team to do so.[56]The match with Poland causedcontroversy,as Japan were made aware of their advantage over Senegal with ten minutes left and decided to play an extremely conservative game with no attempts to take a shot on goal, despite losing 1–0, with some fans booing the players.[57][58][59]The match received comparison to the1982 World CupDisgrace of Gijón,in which a similar game was played.[60]Japan were the only AFC team to have qualified to the knockout stage.[61]

In the round of 16 againstBelgium,Japan took a 2–0 lead with a goal in the 48th minute byGenki Haraguchiand another in the 52nd byTakashi Inui,but yielded three goals afterwards, including the winner byNacer Chadlion the counterattack in the 94th minute. The defeat to Belgium was the first time a nation had lost a knockout match at the World Cup after taking a two-goal advantage sinceEnglandlost toWest Germany3–2 inextra-timein thequarter-finalof the1970 edition.[62][63]Despite losing a 2–0 lead, Japan's impressive performance was praised by fans, pundits and the media.[64]

Japan participated in the2019 Asian Cup,finishing on top of group F after defeatingTurkmenistan3–2,[65]Oman1–0[66]and Uzbekistan 2–1.[67]Japan defeated Saudi Arabia in the round of sixteen and dark horse Vietnam in the quarter-finals by a 1–0 margin.[68][69]After defeating Iran 3–0 to reach the final,[70]Japan's hope to win their fifth Asian Cup was lost with the team suffering a 3–1 defeat to Qatar, who won the Asian Cup for the first time.[71]

Japan were invited to the2019 Copa America,their second appearance at the tournament, and brought a young squad to the competition. They were placed in Group C with Uruguay, Chile and Ecuador. The nation lost their opening match 4–0 to Chile,[72]before bouncing back and drawing against Uruguay 2–2.[73]Japan needed a win against Ecuador to qualify for the knockouts, however they drew 1–1 and missed out due to inferior goal difference to Paraguay.[74]Aftermath saw Japan played a friendly game against the Paraguayans, and won 2–0 at home.

2020s

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After China was removed as host of the2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship,it was announced that Japan was the new host. After topping the table with two wins and one draw, Japan won the competition for the second time in their history.[75]

Japan qualified for the2022 World Cupin Qatar, and were drawn intoGroup Ewith Germany,Costa RicaandSpain.On 23 November, Japan produced an upset, beating Germany 2–1, with two goals in an eight-minute span during the second half.[76]After losing to Costa Rica 1–0,[77]going into the final matchday, every team in Group E could qualify or be eliminated, with no team assured of any placement. In the end, Japan managed to qualify for the round of 16 by defeating Spain 2–1 in their final group stage match, while also contributing to Germany's elimination from the tournament.[78]By topping their group, Japan went on to face Croatia[79]in the round of 16 where they would lose 3–1 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.[80]It was the third team in 52 years to have come from behind twice in one tournament, following Brazil and (West) Germany.[81]They beat Spain with the lowest possession (18%) of the ball ever for a winning side since the1966 World Cup.[82][83]It also was the first time that an Asian team topped their World Cup group held outside their home country, and also the first Asian team to reach the knockouts twice in a row.[84]

Japan were considered the favourites for the2023 Asian Cupin Qatar,[85]but disappointed;Hajime Moriyasu's men began the tournament with an unconvincing victory over aVietnamese sidedeprived of a number of key players (4–2),[86]before going on to play a nightmarish game againstIraq(a 2–1 loss). This defeat, Japan's first in the group stage since their first appearance in1988,condemned them to finish second in the group due to their unfavourable head-to-head record. The Japanese sealed three points after overcoming Indonesia 3–1[87]and then eliminated Bahrain by the same scoreline in the round of 16.[88]Japan met Iran in the quarter-finals for a rematch of the previous edition's semi-final, and got the game off to a perfect start withHidemasa Morita's 28th-minute opener, before falling completely flat in the second half, succumbing to Iran's fiery attacks, 2–1.[89]The country suffered two defeats at the Asian Cup for the first time since their debut in 1988, while conceding at least one goal in every match.[90][91][92]The squad also had to contend with an extra controversy, with the sudden departure ofJunya Itōshortly before the match against Iran, due to theStade de Reimsplayer having been accused ofsexual assault.[93]

Team image

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Nicknames

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Japan's national football team is nicknamed theSamuraiBlue(サムライ・ブルー,Samurai Burū)by theJFA.[1][2]The team also is often known by thelast nameof the manager. For example, underTakeshi Okada,the team was known as Okada Japan(Cương điền ジャパン,Okada Japan),[a]or during the 2022 World Cup, the team is referred by the current manager's (Hajime Moriyasu) name, as "Moriyasu Japan"(Sâm bảo ジャパン,Moriyasu Japan).[94][95]

Kits

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toJapan national football team kits.
Boeing 777-289SamuraiBlue Jet

The national team kit design has gone through several alterations in the past.[96]In the early 1980s, the kit was white with blue trim. The kits worn for the 1992 Asian Cup consisted of white stripes (stylized to form a wing) with red diamonds. During the 1996 Asian Cup and the 1998 World Cup, the national team kits were blue jerseys with red and white flame designs on the sleeves, and were designed by JFA (with the sponsor alternating each year between Asics, Puma, and Adidas). The 1996 design was reproduced in a special kit used againstSyriaon 7 June 2017.

Japan uses blue and white rather than red and white due to a superstition. Japan first used blue shirts in the1930 Far Eastern Championship Games,where a team of theTokyo Imperial University(whose color is light blue) represented Japan wearing light blue shirts,[97]and then in a match againstSwedenin the1936 Summer Olympics.[98]Between 1988 and 1992, the kits were red and white, matching the colours of Japan's national flag. After failing to qualify for the1990 World Cupand1992 Summer Olympics,the red shirt was scrapped.

In the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2015 Asian Cup, Japan temporarily switched the colour of the numbers from white to gold.

Japan's kit is provided by German companyAdidas,the team's exclusive kit supplier since April 1999.[99]Before that,AsicsandPumahad been the team's official apparel sponsor.

On 3 June 2021, Japan released the special 100th anniversary kit for a friendly match againstJamaica,but the match was cancelled and replaced with a match against theU-24 team.The kit was also used by the U-24 team againstU-24 Ghanaon 5 June 2021.

Kit suppliers

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Kit provider Period
None 1936–1978
Asics 1979
Puma 1980–1985
Adidas 1986
Asics 1987–1988
Adidas 1989–1992
Asics 1993–1998
Adidas 1999–present

Crest

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Yatagarasu

The crest or emblem of the national team was adopted in late 2017 as part of a larger rebranding by the Japan Football Association.[100]The crest features theYatagarasu,a three-legged crow fromJapanese mythologythat is a symbol for the sun, holding a solid red ball that is like the sun fromnational flag.The text "JFA" (for the Japan Football Association) is inscribed at the bottom of the crow. A red stripe is also present at the center of the shield behind the crow. The shield has a metallic gold trim and has a thicker black outline. The name of the country represented by the national team "Japan" is also inscribed within the black border.[101][102]

The previous crest used from 1996 had a shield with a more complex shape. The ball held by the Yatagarasu had white details. The text "Japan" is absent and "JFA" is written in a different typeface.[101]

Before 1988, Japan used thenational flagoutlined in red (and with JFA written in black on the lower left corner of the flag) on the shirts.

The Yatagarasu was first seen on the Japan shirts in 1988, where it was on a yellow circle with a blue outline with "JAPAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION" written around it. In 1991, the emblem changed to a white shield with a red vertical stripe on the center with the crow on it and "JFA" written in a greenGothic typeface.This crest was used until 1996.

Home stadium

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Main article:List of football stadiums in Japan
Saitama Stadium 2002,where Japan usually plays in FIFA World Cup qualification

Japan plays its home matches among various stadiums, in rotation, around the country, especially theSaitama Stadium 2002.

Rivalries

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South Korea

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Main article:Japan–South Korea football rivalry

Japan maintains a strong football rivalry withSouth Korea.The rivalry is long-seated and is often seen as an extension of an overall historic rivalry between the two nations. Japan have met South Korea 80 times, trailing the statistic at 15 wins, 23 draws, and 42 losses, while scoring 73 goals and conceding 153. Both countries have made themselves unrivalled in both Asian Cup and World Cup records, being two of the most successful Asian football teams, and they hosted the2002 World Cupin a joint bid.

North Korea

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Japan also maintains a significant rivalry withNorth Korea,although the rivalry is infrequent due to political circumstances.[103]Like the rivalry against South Korea, the rivalry against North Korea is another extension of historical feud between Japan and Korea. They have met each other 20 times, with the head-to-head record being equal with 8 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses.

China

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Main article:China–Japan football rivalry

Japan andChinaused to have a strong rivalry, with the former defeating the latter 3–1 in the2004 AFC Asian Cup final.[104]

Australia

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Main article:Australia–Japan football rivalry

Japan began to develop a fierce rivalry with fellow Asian powerhouseAustralia,shortly after the latter joined the Asian Football Confederation.[105]The rivalry is regarded as one of Asia's biggest football rivalries.[106]The rivalry is a relatively recent one, born from a number of highly competitive matches between the two teams since Australia joined the AFC in 2006.[107]The rivalry began at the 2006 World Cup where the two countries were grouped together, and continued with the two countries meeting regularly in various AFC competitions, such as the2007 AFC Asian Cup,the2011 AFC Asian Cup Finaland the2013 EAFF East Asian Cup.[108]

Japan have met Australia 27 times, with a record of 11 wins, 9 draws and 7 losses.

Saudi Arabia

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Japan andSaudi Arabiaare two of the most historically successful national teams in Asia and have frequently met each other in many major tournaments, including in the Asian Cup and World Cup qualification.[109]The frequency is also rivalled by high-level performances of Japan and Saudi Arabia in the Asian and global football stage, as they are two of the three AFC members (alongside Australia) to reach the final of any senior FIFA competition. Both countries also gained headlines for producing "unexpected" wins in the2022 World Cup,with Japan earning wins againstGermanyandSpainand Saudi Arabia against eventual championsArgentinain the group stage. These wins over World Cup-winning oppositions have allowed comparisons of developments between Japan and Saudi Arabia to emerge.[110][111]

In the head-to-head record, Japan have an advantage over the Saudis with 10 wins, 1 draw and 5 losses.[112]

Iran

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Japan and Iran have a combined seven Asian Cup titles, with a rivalry developing in the 1990s due to the famous "Joy of Johor Bahru"(ジョホール・バル の 歓 hỉ,Johōru Baru no kanki)that gave Japan a ticket to their first World Cup defeating the Persians by 3–2 in a neutral Asian play-off hosted inJohor Bahru,Malaysia.

More recently, the two countries met in the 2019 and 2023 Asian Cups. The Samurai Blue defeated Team Melli 3–0 in the semifinals of the 2019 edition. The Iranians got revenge four years later eliminating Japan 2–1 in the quarter-finals.

Supporters

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Fans wavingnational flagsin support of the Japanese national team

Japanese national team supporters are known for chanting "Nippon Ole" (Nippon is theJapaneseword for Japan) at home matches.[113]

Sponsorship

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Japan has one of the highest sponsorship incomes for a national squad. In 2006 their sponsorship income amounted to over 16.5 million pounds.[citation needed]

Primary sponsors includeAdidas,ANA,Kirin,Saison Card International,FamilyMart,JAL,MS&AD Insurance Group,Asahi Shinbun,Mizuho Financial,Daito Trust ConstructionandKDDI.[114]

Mascot

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The mascots are "Karappe" (カラッペ) and "Karara" (カララ), twoYatagarasuwearing the Japan national football team kit. The mascots were designed by Japanese manga artistSusumu Matsushita.Each year when a new kit is launched, the mascots' uniforms are updated in order to match the kit being used by the team.

For the2014 World Cup,thePokémoncharacterPikachuserved as the mascot.[115]

Results and fixtures

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Main article:Japan national football team results (2020–present)
See also:2024 in Japanese football

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Win Draw Loss Fixture

2024

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Main article:2024 Japan national football team
1 January2024 Toyo Tires Cup[116][117]Japan5–0ThailandTokyo,Japan
14:00UTC+9
Report Stadium:Japan National Stadium
Attendance: 61,916
Referee:Kim Woo-sung(South Korea)
9 JanuaryUnofficial FriendlyJapan6–1JordanDoha,Qatar
14:30UTC+3
Report
Stadium:Al Ersal Stadium
Attendance: 0
14 January2023 AFC Asian Cup GSJapan4–2VietnamDoha,Qatar
14:30UTC+3
Report
Stadium:Al Thumama Stadium
Attendance: 17,385
Referee:Kim Jong-hyeok(South Korea)
19 January2023 AFC Asian Cup GSIraq2–1JapanAl Rayyan,Qatar
14:30UTC+3
Report
Stadium:Education City Stadium
Attendance: 38,663
Referee:Khalid Al-Turais(Saudi Arabia)
24 January2023 AFC Asian Cup GSJapan3–1IndonesiaDoha,Qatar
14:30UTC+3
Report
Stadium:Al Thumama Stadium
Attendance: 26,453
Referee:Khamis Al-Marri(Qatar)
31 January2023 AFC Asian Cup R16Bahrain1–3JapanDoha,Qatar
14:30UTC+3
Report
Stadium:Al Thumama Stadium
Attendance: 31,832
Referee:Ahmad Al-Ali(Kuwait)
3 February2023 AFC Asian Cup QFIran2–1JapanAl Rayyan,Qatar
14:30UTC+3
Report
Stadium:Education City Stadium
Attendance: 35,640
Referee:Ma Ning(China)
21 March2026 World Cup qualification 2RJapan1–0North KoreaTokyo,Japan
19:20UTC+9
Report Stadium:Japan National Stadium
Attendance: 59,354
Referee: Adel Al-Naqbi (United Arab Emirates)
26 March2026 World Cup qualification 2RNorth Korea0–3
Awarded[b]		Japan
Report
6 June2026 World Cup qualification 2RMyanmar0–5JapanYangon,Myanmar
18:40UTC+6:30 Report
Stadium:Thuwunna Stadium
Attendance: 21,200
Referee:Majed Al-Shamrani(Saudi Arabia)
11 June2026 World Cup qualification 2RJapan5–0SyriaHiroshima,Japan
19:10UTC+9
Report Stadium:Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima
Attendance: 26,650
Referee:Ahmed Al-Ali(Kuwait)
5 September2026 World Cup qualification 3RJapan7–0ChinaSaitama,Japan
19:35UTC+9
Report Stadium:Saitama Stadium 2002
Attendance: 52,398
Referee:Abdulrahman Al-Jassim(Qatar)
10 September2026 World Cup qualification 3RBahrain0–5JapanRiffa,Bahrain
19:00UTC+3 Report
Stadium:Bahrain National Stadium
Attendance: 22,729
Referee: Rustam Lutfullin (Uzbekistan)
10 October2026 World Cup qualification 3RSaudi Arabia0–2JapanJeddah,Saudi Arabia
21:00UTC+3 Report
Stadium:King Abdullah Sports City Stadium
Attendance: 56,283
Referee:Kim Jong-hyeok(South Korea)
15 October2026 World Cup qualification 3RJapan1–1AustraliaSaitama,Japan
19:35UTC+9
Report
Stadium:Saitama Stadium 2002
Attendance: 58,730
Referee: Ahmed Al-Ali (Kuwait)
15 November2026 World Cup qualification 3RIndonesia0–4JapanJakarta,Indonesia
19:00UTC+7 Report
Stadium:Gelora Bung Karno Stadium
Attendance: 60,304
Referee:Mooud Bonyadifard(Iran)
19 November2026 World Cup qualification 3RChina1–3JapanXiamen,China
20:00UTC+8
Report
Stadium:Xiamen Egret Stadium
Attendance: 45,336
Referee:Muhammad Taqi(Singapore)

2025

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20 March2026 World Cup qualification 3RJapanvBahrainSaitama,Japan
19:35UTC+9 Report Stadium:Saitama Stadium 2002
25 March2026 World Cup qualification 3RJapanvSaudi ArabiaSaitama,Japan
19:35UTC+9 Report Stadium:Saitama Stadium 2002
5 June2026 World Cup qualification 3RAustraliavJapanAustralia
--:--UTC+11 Report
10 June2026 World Cup qualification 3RJapanvIndonesiaJapan
--:--UTC+9 Report

Coaching staff

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Current staff

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See also:List of Asian national football team managers
As of 29 August 2024
Hajime Moriyasu, current manager of Japan
Role Name
Manager Hajime Moriyasu
Assistant coach Makoto Hasebe
Ryoichi Maeda
Hiroshi Nanami
Toshihide Saito
Physical coach Ryoichi Matsumoto
Goalkeeper coach Takashi Shimoda

Manager history

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As of 19 November 2024after the match againstChina.
Manager Period Record
Matches Won Draw Lost Win %
Masujiro Nishida 1923 2 0 0 2 0%
Goro Yamada 1925 2 0 0 2 0%
Vacant 1925 2 1 0 1 50%
Shigeyoshi Suzuki(1st) 1930 2 1 1 0 50%
Shigemaru Takenokoshi(1st) 1934 3 1 0 2 33.33%
Shigeyoshi Suzuki(2nd) 1936 2 1 1 0 50%
Shigemaru Takenokoshi(2nd) 1940 1 1 0 0 100%
Hirokazu Ninomiya 1951 3 1 1 1 33.33%
Shigemaru Takenokoshi(3rd) 1954–56 12 2 4 6 16.66%
Taizo Kawamoto 1958 2 0 0 2 0%
Shigemaru Takenokoshi(4th) 1958–59 12 4 2 6 33.33%
Vacant 1960 1 0 0 1 0%
Hidetoki Takahashi 1961–1962 14 3 2 9 21.43%
Ken Naganuma(1st) 1963–1969 31 18 7 6 58.06%
Shunichiro Okano 1970–1971 19 11 2 6 57.90%
Ken Naganuma(2nd) 1972–1976 42 16 6 20 38.09%
Hiroshi Ninomiya 1976–1978 27 6 6 15 22.22%
Yukio Shimomura 1979–1980 14 8 4 2 57.14%
Masashi Watanabe 1980 3 2 0 1 66.67%
Saburō Kawabuchi 1980–1981 10 3 2 5 30%
Takaji Mori 1981–1985 43 22 5 16 51.16%
Yoshinobu Ishii 1986–1987 17 11 2 4 64.70%
Kenzo Yokoyama 1988–1991 24 5 7 12 20.83%
Hans Ooft 1992–1993 27 16 7 4 59.25%
Paulo Roberto Falcão 1994 9 3 4 2 33.33%
Shu Kamo 1994–1997 46 23 10 13 50%
Takeshi Okada(1st) 1997–1998 15 5 4 6 33.33%
Philippe Troussier 1998–2002 50 23 16 11 46%
Zico 2002–2006 71 37 16 18 52.11%
Ivica Osim 2006–2007 20 13 2 5 65%
Takeshi Okada(2nd) 2007–2010 50 26 13 11 52%
Hiromi Hara(caretaker) 2010 2 2 0 0 100%
Alberto Zaccheroni 2010–2014 55 30 12 13 54.54%
Javier Aguirre 2014–2015 10 7 1 2 70%
Vahid Halilhodžić 2015–2018 38 21 9 8 55.26%
Akira Nishino 2018 7 2 1 4 28.57%
Hajime Moriyasu[121][122][4][5][6] 2018–present 88 62 11 15 70.45%
Manager Period Record
Matches Won Draw Lost Win %

Players

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Main article:List of Japan international footballers
See also:Category:Japan men's international footballers

Current squad

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The following players were called up for the2026 FIFA World Cup qualificationmatches againstIndonesiaandChinaon 15 and 19 November 2024, respectively.[123]

Capsandgoalsas of 19 November 2024, after the match againstChina.[124]

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Zion Suzuki (2002-08-21)21 August 2002(age 22) 16 0 Parma
12 1GK Keisuke Osako (1999-07-28)28 July 1999(age 25) 8 0 Sanfrecce Hiroshima
23 1GK Kosei Tani (2000-11-20)20 November 2000(age 24) 2 0 Machida Zelvia
2 2DF Yukinari Sugawara (2000-06-28)28 June 2000(age 24) 14 2 Southampton
3 2DF Daiki Hashioka (1999-05-17)17 May 1999(age 25) 11 0 Luton Town
4 2DF Ko Itakura (1997-01-27)27 January 1997(age 27) 35 2 Borussia Mönchengladbach
16 2DF Kōki Machida (1997-08-25)25 August 1997(age 27) 16 0 Union Saint-Gilloise
22 2DF Ayumu Seko (2000-06-07)7 June 2000(age 24) 4 0 Grasshopper
2DF Yuto Nagatomo (1986-09-12)12 September 1986(age 38) 142 4 FC Tokyo
2DF Kota Takai (2004-09-04)4 September 2004(age 20) 1 0 Kawasaki Frontale
2DF Hiroki Sekine (2002-08-11)11 August 2002(age 22) 0 0 Kashiwa Reysol
5 3MF Hidemasa Morita (1995-05-10)10 May 1995(age 29) 39 6 Sporting CP
6 3MF Wataru Endō(captain) (1993-02-09)9 February 1993(age 31) 67 4 Liverpool
7 3MF Kaoru Mitoma (1997-05-20)20 May 1997(age 27) 26 8 Brighton & Hove Albion
8 3MF Takumi Minamino (1995-01-16)16 January 1995(age 29) 65 24 Monaco[c]
10 3MF Ritsu Dōan (1998-06-16)16 June 1998(age 26) 55 10 SC Freiburg
13 3MF Keito Nakamura (2000-07-28)28 July 2000(age 24) 14 8 Reims
14 3MF Junya Itō (1993-03-09)9 March 1993(age 31) 60 14 Reims
15 3MF Daichi Kamada (1996-08-05)5 August 1996(age 28) 38 8 Crystal Palace
17 3MF Ao Tanaka (1998-09-10)10 September 1998(age 26) 30 8 Leeds United
20 3MF Takefusa Kubo (2001-06-04)4 June 2001(age 23) 40 5 Real Sociedad
21 3MF Reo Hatate (1997-11-21)21 November 1997(age 27) 10 0 Celtic
3MF Joel Chima Fujita (2002-02-16)16 February 2002(age 22) 2 0 Sint-Truiden
9 4FW Kyogo Furuhashi (1995-01-20)20 January 1995(age 29) 22 5 Celtic
11 4FW Daizen Maeda (1997-10-20)20 October 1997(age 27) 22 4 Celtic
18 4FW Yuki Ohashi (1996-07-27)27 July 1996(age 28) 1 0 Blackburn Rovers
19 4FW Koki Ogawa (1997-08-08)8 August 1997(age 27) 9 9 NEC Nijmegen

Recent call-ups

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The following players have also been called up to the squad within the last twelve months.[125]

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Daiya Maekawa (1994-09-08)8 September 1994(age 30) 2 0 Vissel Kobe v.Syria,11 June 2024
GK Taishi Brandon Nozawa (2002-12-25)25 December 2002(age 21) 0 0 FC Tokyo 2023 AFC Asian Cup
DF Shogo Taniguchi (1991-07-15)15 July 1991(age 33) 32 1 Sint-Truiden v.Indonesia,15 November 2024INJ
DF Henry Heroki Mochizuki (2001-09-20)20 September 2001(age 23) 0 0 Machida Zelvia v.Australia,15 October 2024
DF Yūta Nakayama (1997-02-16)16 February 1997(age 27) 22 0 Machida Zelvia v.Bahrain,10 September 2024
DF Takehiro Tomiyasu (1998-11-05)5 November 1998(age 26) 42 1 Arsenal v.Syria,11 June 2024
DF Hiroki Itō (1999-05-12)12 May 1999(age 25) 19 1 Bayern Munich v.Syria,11 June 2024
DF Seiya Maikuma (1997-10-16)16 October 1997(age 27) 8 0 AZ v.North Korea,21 March 2024
DF Tsuyoshi Watanabe (1997-02-05)5 February 1997(age 27) 3 0 Gent v.North Korea,21 March 2024
DF Ryoya Morishita (1997-04-11)11 April 1997(age 27) 2 0 Legia Warsaw v.Thailand,1 January 2024
DF Haruya Fujii (2000-12-26)26 December 2000(age 23) 1 0 Kortrijk v.Thailand,1 January 2024
DF Sota Miura (2000-09-07)7 September 2000(age 24) 1 0 Kawasaki Frontale v.Thailand,1 January 2024
MF Yuki Soma (1997-02-25)25 February 1997(age 27) 14 5 Machida Zelvia v.Syria,11 June 2024
MF Takumu Kawamura (1999-08-28)28 August 1999(age 25) 3 1 Red Bull Salzburg v.Syria,11 June 2024
MF Kaishū Sano (2000-12-30)30 December 2000(age 23) 4 0 Mainz 05 v.North Korea,21 March 2024INJ
MF Ryotaro Ito (1998-02-06)6 February 1998(age 26) 1 0 Sint-Truiden v.Thailand,1 January 2024
MF Kanji Okunuki (1999-08-11)11 August 1999(age 25) 1 0 1. FC Nürnberg v.Thailand,1 January 2024
FW Ayase Ueda (1998-08-28)28 August 1998(age 26) 30 14 Feyenoord v.Australia,15 October 2024
FW Takuma Asano (1994-11-10)10 November 1994(age 30) 53 9 Mallorca v.Bahrain,10 September 2024
FW Mao Hosoya (2001-09-07)7 September 2001(age 23) 6 1 Kashiwa Reysol v.Bahrain,10 September 2024
FW Yuito Suzuki (2001-10-25)25 October 2001(age 23) 1 0 Brøndby v.Syria,11 June 2024

INJWithdrew due to injury
PREPreliminary squad / standby
RETRetired from the national team
SUSServing suspension
WDPlayer withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Records

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Main article:Japan national football team records and statistics
As of 19 November 2024.[126]
Players inboldare still active with Japan.

Most appearances

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Yasuhito Endōis Japan's most capped player with 152 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Pos Career Ref.
1 Yasuhito Endō 152 15 MF 2002–2015 [127]
2 Yuto Nagatomo 142 4 DF 2008–present [128]
3 Maya Yoshida 126 12 DF 2010–2022 [129]
4 Masami Ihara 122 5 DF 1988–1999
5 Shinji Okazaki 119 50 FW 2008– 2019 [130]
6 Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi 116 0 GK 1997–2010
7 Makoto Hasebe 114 2 MF 2006–2018 [131]
8 Yuji Nakazawa 110 17 DF 1999–2010
9 Keisuke Honda 98 37 MF 2008–2018 [132]
Shunsuke Nakamura 98 24 MF 2000–2010

Top goalscorers

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See also:List of Japan national football team hat-tricks
Kunishige Kamamotois Japan's top scorer with 75 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career Ref.
1 Kunishige Kamamoto 75 76 0.99 1964–1977
2 Kazuyoshi Miura 55 89 0.62 1990–2000
3 Shinji Okazaki 50 119 0.42 2008–2019 [130]
4 Hiromi Hara 37 75 0.49 1978–1988
Keisuke Honda 98 0.38 2008–2018 [132]
6 Shinji Kagawa 31 97 0.32 2008–2019 [133]
7 Takuya Takagi 27 44 0.61 1992–1997
8 Kazushi Kimura 26 54 0.48 1979–1986
9 Yuya Osako 25 57 0.44 2013–2022 [134]
10 Takumi Minamino 24 64 0.38 2015–present [135]

Captains

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Name Pos Period Note
Shigeo Yaegashi MF 1968 Summer Olympicsbronze medalist leading captain (1968)
Aritatsu Ogi MF 1969–1974
Kunishige Kamamoto FW 1975–1977
Nobuo Fujishima MF 1978
Hiroshi Ochiai MFDF 1978–1979
Hideki Maeda MF 1980–1981
Mitsuhisa Taguchi GK 1982–1984
Kazushi Kimura MF 1986
Hisashi Kato DF 1985–1987
Hiromi Hara FW 1988
Shigetatsu Matsunaga GK 1989
Shinichi Morishita 1990
Tetsuji Hashiratani MF 1991–1995 AFC Asian Cupwinning captain (1992)
Masami Ihara DF 1996–1999
Masashi Nakayama FW 2001 FIFA Confederations Cuprunners-up leading captain (2001)
Ryuzo Morioka CB 2000–2002 AFC Asian Cupwinning captain (2000)
Hidetoshi Nakata CM 2002–2004
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto CB 2003–2006 AFC Asian Cupwinning captain (2004),East Asian Football Championshiprunners-up leading captain (2003) (2005)
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi GK 2006–2008 East Asian Football Championshiprunners-up leading captain (2008)
Yuji Nakazawa CB 2008–2010 East Asian Football Championshipthird place leading captain (2010)
Makoto Hasebe DM 2010–2018 AFC Asian Cupwinning captain (2011)
Yuichi Komano DF 2013 EAFF East Asian Cupwinning captain (2013)
Gen Shoji CB 2017 EAFF E-1 Championshiprunners-up leading captain (2017)
Maya Yoshida CB 2018–2022 AFC Asian Cuprunners-up leading captain (2019)
Sho Sasaki LB 2019 EAFF E-1 Championshiprunners-up leading captain (2019)
Shogo Taniguchi CB 2022 EAFF E-1 Championshipwinning captain (2022)
Wataru Endo DM 2023–present

Competitive record

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ChampionsRunners-upThird placeFourth place

*Denotes draws includes knockout matches decided onpenalty shootouts.Red border indicates that the tournament was hosted on home soil. Gold, silver, bronze backgrounds indicate 1st, 2nd and 3rd finishes respectively. Bold text indicates best finish in tournament.

FIFA World Cup

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Main article:Japan at the FIFA World Cup
See also:FIFA World Cup records and statistics
FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
1930 Withdrew Qualified as invitees
1934 Did not enter Did not enter
1938 Withdrew Withdrew
1950 Suspended from FIFA Suspended from FIFA
1954 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 3 7
1958 Did not enter Did not enter
1962 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 4
1966 Did not enter Did not enter
1970 Did not qualify 4 0 2 2 4 8
1974 4 1 0 3 5 4
1978 4 0 1 3 0 5
1982 4 2 0 2 4 2
1986 8 5 1 2 15 5
1990 6 2 3 1 7 3
1994 13 9 3 1 35 6
1998 Group stage 31st 3 0 0 3 1 4 Squad 15 9 5 1 51 12
2002 Round of 16 9th 4 2 1 1 5 3 Squad Qualified as co-hosts
2006 Group stage 28th 3 0 1 2 2 7 Squad 12 11 0 1 25 5
2010 Round of 16 9th 4 2 1 1 4 2 Squad 14 8 4 2 23 9
2014 Group stage 29th 3 0 1 2 2 6 Squad 14 8 3 3 30 8
2018 Round of 16 15th 4 1 1 2 6 7 Squad 18 13 3 2 44 7
2022 9th 4 2 1 1 5 4 Squad 18 15 1 2 58 6
2026 To be determined 9 8 1 0 37 1
2030 To be determined
2034
Total Round of 16 7/22 25 7 6 12 25 33 — 147 91 28 28 342 92

Match history

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FIFA World Cup history
Year Round Opponent Score Result
1998 Group stage Argentina 0–1 Loss
Croatia 0–1 Loss
Jamaica 1–2 Loss
2002 Group stage Belgium 2–2 Draw
Russia 1–0 Win
Tunisia 2–0 Win
Round of 16 Turkey 0–1 Loss
2006 Group stage Australia 1–3 Loss
Croatia 0–0 Draw
Brazil 1–4 Loss
2010 Group stage Cameroon 1–0 Win
Netherlands 0–1 Loss
Denmark 3–1 Win
Round of 16 Paraguay 0–0(3–5p) Draw(Loss)
2014 Group stage Ivory Coast 1–2 Loss
Greece 0–0 Draw
Colombia 1–4 Loss
2018 Group stage Colombia 2–1 Win
Senegal 2–2 Draw
Poland 0–1 Loss
Round of 16 Belgium 2–3 Loss
2022 Group stage Germany 2–1 Win
Costa Rica 0–1 Loss
Spain 2–1 Win
Round of 16 Croatia 1–1(1–3p) Draw(Loss)

AFC Asian Cup

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Main article:Japan at the AFC Asian Cup
See also:AFC Asian Cup records and statistics
AFC Asian Cuprecord Qualificationrecord
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
1956 Withdrew Withdrew
1960
1964
1968 Did not qualify 4 3 1 0 8 4
1972 Withdrew Withdrew
1976 Did not qualify 5 2 1 2 4 4
1980 Withdrew Withdrew
1984
1988 Group stage 10th 4 0 1 3 0 6 Squad 4 2 1 1 6 3
1992 Champions 1st 5 3 2 0 6 3 Squad Qualified as hosts
1996 Quarter-finals 5th 4 3 0 1 7 3 Squad Qualified as defending champions
2000 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 21 6 Squad 3 3 0 0 15 0
2004 Champions 1st 6 4 2 0 13 6 Squad Qualified as defending champions
2007 Fourth place 4th 6 2 3 1 11 7 Squad 6 5 0 1 15 2
2011 Champions 1st 6 4 2 0 14 6 Squad 6 5 0 1 17 4
2015 Quarter-finals 5th 4 3 1 0 8 1 Squad Qualified as defending champions
2019 Runners-up 2nd 7 6 0 1 12 6 Squad 8 7 1 0 27 0
2023 Quarter-finals 7th 5 3 0 2 12 8 Squad 8 8 0 0 46 2
2027 Qualified 6 6 0 0 24 0
Total 4 Titles 11/19 53 33 12 8 104 52 — 50 41 4 5 162 19

Match history

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AFC Asian Cup history
Year Round Opponent Score Result
1988 Group stage Iran 0–0 Draw
South Korea 0–2 Loss
United Arab Emirates 0–1 Loss
Qatar 0–3 Loss
1992 Group stage United Arab Emirates 0–0 Draw
North Korea 1–1 Draw
Iran 1–0 Win
Semi-finals China 3–2 Win
Final Saudi Arabia 1–0 Win
1996 Group stage Syria 2–1 Win
Uzbekistan 4–0 Win
China 1–0 Win
Quarter-finals Kuwait 0–2 Loss
2000 Group stage Saudi Arabia 4–1 Win
Uzbekistan 8–1 Win
Qatar 1–1 Draw
Quarter-finals Iraq 4–1 Win
Semi-finals China 3–2 Win
Final Saudi Arabia 1–0 Win
2004 Group stage Oman 1–0 Win
Thailand 4–1 Win
Iran 0–0 Draw
Quarter-finals Jordan 1–1(4–3p) Draw(Win)
Semi-finals Bahrain 4–3 Win
Final China 3–1 Win
2007 Group stage Qatar 1–1 Draw
United Arab Emirates 3–1 Win
Vietnam 4–1 Win
Quarter-finals Australia 1–1(4–3p) Draw(Win)
Semi-finals Saudi Arabia 2–3 Loss
Third place play-off South Korea 0–0(5–6p) Draw(Loss)
2011 Group stage Jordan 1–1 Draw
Syria 2–1 Win
Saudi Arabia 5–0 Win
Quarter-finals Qatar 3–2 Win
Semi-finals South Korea 2–2(3–0p) Draw(Win)
Final Australia 1–0 Win
2015 Group stage Palestine 4–0 Win
Iraq 1–0 Win
Jordan 2–0 Win
Quarter-finals United Arab Emirates 1–1(4–5p) Draw(Loss)
2019 Group stage Turkmenistan 3–2 Win
Oman 1–0 Win
Uzbekistan 2–1 Win
Round of 16 Saudi Arabia 1–0 Win
Quarter-finals Vietnam 1–0 Win
Semi-finals Iran 3–0 Win
Final Qatar 1–3 Loss
2023 Group stage Vietnam 4–2 Win
Iraq 1–2 Loss
Indonesia 3–1 Win
Round of 16 Bahrain 3–1 Win
Quarter-finals Iran 1–2 Loss

Copa América

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Main article:Japan at the Copa América

Japan was the first team from outside theAmericasto participate in theCopa América,having been invited to the1999 tournament.[14]Japan was also invited in2011and initially accepted the invitation. However, following theTōhoku earthquake,the JFA later withdrew on 16 May 2011, citing the difficulty of releasing some Japanese players from European teams to play as replacements.[136]On the next day,CONMEBOLinvitedCosta Ricato replace Japan in the competition.

On 16 August 2013, CONMEBOL presidentEugenio Figueredoannounced that Japan was invited to the2015 Copa América.[137]However, Japan later declined the invitation due to scheduling problems.[138]

On 14 May 2018, CONMEBOL announced that Japan, alongsideQatar,would be the two invited teams for the2019 Copa América.[139]

FIFA Confederations Cup

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See also:FIFA Confederations Cup records and statisticsandFIFA Confederations Cup
FIFA Confederations Cup record
year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad
1992 Did not qualify
1995 Group stage 6th 2 0 0 2 1 8 Squad
1997 Did not qualify
1999
2001 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 1 1 6 1 Squad
2003 Group stage 6th 3 1 0 2 4 3 Squad
2005 Group stage 5th 3 1 1 1 4 4 Squad
2009 Did not qualify
2013 Group stage 7th 3 0 0 3 4 9 Squad
2017 Did not qualify
Total Runners-up 5/10 16 5 2 9 19 25 —

Match history

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Olympic Games

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Main article:Japan at the Olympics
See also:Japan national under-23 football team
Summer Olympics record Qualification record
Year Result Position M W D L GF GA Squad M W D L GF GA
1908 Did not enter Did not enter
1912
1920
1924
1928
1936 Quarter-finals 8th 2 1 0 1 3 10 Squad No qualification
1948 Did not enter Did not enter
1952
1956 First round 10th 1 0 0 1 0 2 Squad No qualification
1960 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 1 2
1964 Quarter-finals 8th 3 1 0 3 6 15 Squad Qualified as hosts
1968 Bronze medalists 3rd 6 3 2 1 9 8 Squad 5 4 1 0 26 4
1972 Did not qualify 4 2 0 2 14 7
1976 6 2 1 3 9 11
1980 5 3 1 1 16 5
1984 10 3 1 6 26 17
1988 8 6 1 1 19 3
1992–present SeeJapan national under-23 team SeeJapan national under-23 team
Total Bronze medalists 4/17 12 5 2 6 18 35 — 40 21 5 14 111 49

Match history

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Asian Games

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Main article:Japan at the Asian Games
See also:Japan national under-23 football team

EAFF E-1 Championship

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EAFF E-1 Championship record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad
2003 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 1 0 3 0 Squad
2005 3 1 1 1 3 3 Squad
2008 3 1 2 0 3 2 Squad
2010 Third Place 3rd 3 1 1 1 4 3 Squad
2013 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 8 6 Squad
2015 Fourth Place 4th 3 0 2 1 3 4 Squad
2017 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 4 5 Squad
2019 3 2 0 1 7 2 Squad
2022 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 9 0 Squad
Total Champions 9/9 27 13 9 5 44 25 —

Match history

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EAFF E-1 Championship history
Year Round Opponent Score Result
2003 First match China 2–0 Win
Second match Hong Kong 1–0
Third match South Korea 0–0 Draw
2005 First match North Korea 0–1 Loss
Second match China 2–2 Draw
Third match South Korea 1–0 Win
2008 First match North Korea 1–1 Draw
Second match China 1–0 Win
Third match South Korea 1–1 Draw
2010 First match China 0–0 Draw
Second match Hong Kong 3–0 Win
Third match South Korea 1–3 Loss
2013 First match China 3–3 Draw
Second match Australia 3–2 Win
Third match South Korea 2–1 Win
2015 First match North Korea 1–2 Loss
Second match South Korea 1–1 Draw
Third match China 1–1 Draw
2017 First match North Korea 1–0 Win
Second match China 2–1
Third match South Korea 1–4 Loss
2019 First match China 2–1 Win
Second match Hong Kong 5–0
Third match South Korea 0–1 Loss
2022 First match Hong Kong 6–0 Win
Second match China 0–0 Draw
Third match South Korea 3–0 Win

Head-to-head record

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Main article:Japan national football team records and statistics § Head-to-head record
The following table shows Japan's all-time international record, correct as of 18 November 2024.[140]
Opponent From To Pld W D L GF GA GD
Afghanistan 1951 2015 3 3 0 0 13 0 +13
Angola 2005 2005 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1
Argentina 1964 2010 8 1 0 7 4 16 −12
Australia 1956 2024 28 11 10 6 40 31 +9
Austria 2007 2007 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
Azerbaijan 2012 2012 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2
Bahrain 1978 2024 13 10 1 2 26 11 +15
Bangladesh 1975 1993 5 5 0 0 22 1 +21
Belarus 2013 2013 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1
Belgium 1999 2018 6 2 2 2 11 8 +3
Bolivia 1999 2019 4 2 1 1 5 2 +3
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2006 2016 3 1 1 1 6 4 +2
Brazil 1968 2022 13 0 2 11 5 35 −30
Brunei 1980 2000 4 4 0 0 29 1 +28
Bulgaria 1976 2016 6 1 1 4 10 13 −3
Cambodia 1964 2015 4 4 0 0 10 0 +10
Cameroon 2001 2020 6 3 3 0 5 0 +5
Canada 2001 2023 4 3 0 1 10 4 +6
Chile 2008 2019 3 1 1 1 4 4 0
China 1917 2024 36 18 8 10 56 42 +14
Chinese Taipei 1963 1983 7 6 0 1 24 7 +17
Colombia 2003 2023 6 1 1 4 4 9 −5
Costa Rica 1995 2022 5 3 1 1 10 3 +7
Croatia 1997 2022 4 1 2 1 5 5 0
Cyprus 2014 2014 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1
Czech Republic 1998 2011 3 1 2 0 1 0 +1
Denmark 1971 2010 2 1 0 1 5 4 +1
Ecuador 1995 2022 4 2 2 0 5 1 +4
Egypt 1998 2007 2 2 0 0 5 1 +4
El Salvador 2019 2023 2 2 0 0 8 0 +8
England 1995 2010 3 0 1 2 3 5 −2
Finland 2006 2009 2 2 0 0 7 1 +6
France 1968 2012 6 1 1 4 5 14 −9
Germany 2004 2023 4 2 1 1 8 7 +1
Ghana 1994 2022 7 5 0 2 16 9 +5
Greece 2005 2014 2 1 1 0 1 0 +1
Guatemala 2010 2013 2 2 0 0 5 1 +4
Haiti 2017 2017 1 0 1 0 3 3 0
Honduras 2002 2014 3 2 1 0 14 7 +7
Hong Kong 1958 2022 27 16 6 5 59 17 +42
Hungary 1993 2004 2 0 0 2 2 4 −2
Iceland 1971 2012 4 3 0 1 9 4 +5
India 1954 2006 12 11 1 6 41 19 +22
Indonesia 1954 2024 17 10 2 5 40 24 +16
Iran 1951 2024 19 6 6 7 22 21 +1
Iraq 1978 2024 13 7 3 3 19 10 +9
Israel 1973 1977 5 0 0 5 1 10 −9
Italy 2001 2013 2 0 1 1 4 5 −1
Ivory Coast 1993 2020 5 3 0 2 4 4 0
Jamaica 1998 2014 4 2 1 1 7 3 +4
Jordan 1988 2015 6 3 2 1 12 4 +8
Kazakhstan 1997 2005 3 2 1 0 10 2 +8
Kuwait 1978 1998 5 1 0 4 2 8 −6
Kyrgyzstan 2018 2021 3 3 0 0 11 1 +10
Latvia 2005 2013 2 1 1 0 5 2 +3
Macau 1980 2000 5 5 0 0 45 0 +45
Malaysia 1958 2004 35 13 11 11 56 55 +1
Mali 2018 2018 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
Malta 2006 2006 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1
Mexico 1996 2020 6 1 0 5 6 11 −5
Mongolia 1942 2021 5 5 0 0 71 0 +71
Montenegro 2007 2007 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2
Myanmar 1994 2024 5 5 0 0 27 0 +27
Nepal 1986 1998 4 4 0 0 19 0 +19
Netherlands 2009 2013 3 0 1 2 2 6 −4
New Zealand 1981 2017 4 3 0 1 9 4 +5
Nigeria 1995 2003 2 1 0 1 3 3 0
North Korea 1975 2024 22 10 4 8 23 16 +7
Norway 2002 2002 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3
Oman 1988 2021 14 10 3 1 21 5 +16
Pakistan 1960 1988 3 1 1 1 6 5 +1
Palestine 2015 2015 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4
Panama 2018 2020 2 2 0 0 4 0 +4
Paraguay 1995 2022 12 5 4 2 15 10 +5
Peru 1999 2023 6 2 2 2 8 5 +3
Philippines 1917 1974 13 8 0 5 33 33 0
Poland 1996 2018 3 2 0 1 7 1 +6
Qatar 1982 2019 10 3 4 3 12 13 −1
Romania 1974 2003 6 1 2 3 6 13 −7
Russia 1995 2002 2 2 0 0 4 2 +2
Saudi Arabia 1982 2024 19 12 1 6 29 17 +12
Scotland 1995 2009 3 1 2 0 2 0 +2
Senegal 1987 2018 4 0 2 2 4 7 −3
Serbia 2010 2021 3 1 0 2 1 5 −4
Singapore 1959 2015 28 23 2 3 67 21 +46
Slovakia 2000 2004 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3
Spain 2001 2022 2 1 0 1 2 2 0
South Africa 2009 2009 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
South Korea 1954 2022 81 16 23 42 76 124 −48
Sri Lanka 1972 1993 3 3 0 0 16 0 +16
Sweden 1936 2002 5 1 3 1 7 7 0
Switzerland 1993 2018 3 1 1 1 5 6 −1
Syria 1978 2024 13 11 2 0 37 9 +28
Tajikistan 2011 2021 4 4 0 0 19 1 +18
Thailand 1960 2024 28 19 6 3 70 23 +47
Togo 2009 2009 1 1 0 0 5 0 +5
Trinidad and Tobago 2006 2019 2 1 1 0 2 0 +2
Tunisia 1996 2023 6 5 0 1 8 3 +5
Turkey 1997 2023 3 2 0 1 5 3 +2
Turkmenistan 2019 2019 1 1 0 0 3 2 +1
Ukraine 2002 2018 3 1 0 2 2 3 −1
United Arab Emirates 1981 2017 20 6 9 5 22 18 +4
United States 1993 2022 3 2 0 1 7 4 +3
Uruguay 1985 2023 9 2 3 4 18 24 −6
Uzbekistan 1996 2019 11 7 3 1 30 10 +20
Venezuela 2010 2019 5 1 3 1 6 6 0
Vietnam 2007 2024 6 5 1 0 12 4 +8
Wales 1992 1992 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1
Yemen 2006 2010 4 4 0 0 8 3 +5
Zambia 2014 2014 1 1 0 0 4 3 +1
Total (110 Countries) 1917 2024 811 387 165 249 1,436 952 +484

Honours

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Major competitions

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Worldwide

Intercontinental

Continental

Regional

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Friendly

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  • Kirin Cup
    • Champions (12):1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015
  • Bangabandhu Cup
    • Champions (1):1999

Awards

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Years:2000, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011
Years:2002

Summary

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Competition Total
Olympic Games 0 0 1 1
FIFA Confederations Cup 0 1 0 1
AFC Asian Cup 4 1 0 5
Asian Games 1 3 2 6
Afro-Asian Cup of Nations 2 0 0 2
AFC–OFC Challenge Cup 1 0 0 1
EAFF E-1 Football Championship 2 5 1 8
Far Eastern Games 1 0 0 1
Dynasty Cup 3 0 0 3
Total 14 10 4 28

See also

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National teams
Men's
Women's

Notes

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  1. ^A common methodology of nickname creation is done by taking the last name of incumbent head coach followed by "Japan". Past teams have been referred to as, "OsimJapan "(オシムジャパン,Oshimu Japan),"ZicoJapan "(ジーコジャパン,Jīko Japan),"TroussierJapan "(トルシエジャパン,Torushie Japan)
  2. ^North Korea were originally scheduled to play host to Japan inKim Il-sung Stadium.However, North Korea then decided against hosting it due to "a malignant infectious disease" spreading in Japan.[118]Due to the time gap and North Korea's inability to provide an alternative venue, FIFA subsequently decided that the match shall neither be played nor rescheduled, and the matter will be decided by FIFA Disciplinary Committee.[119]It was later announced that Japan would be awarded a 3–0 victory by forfeit.[120]
  3. ^Monacois a Monégasque club playing in theFrench football league system.

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toJapan national association football team.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Asian Champions
1992(1st title) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Asian Champions
2000(2nd title)
2004(3rd title) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Asian Champions
2011(4th title) 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Japan_national_football_team&oldid=1259661765"