Japan national football team

The Japan national football team (サッカー日本代表< span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="display:none">, Sakka Nippon Daihyō< sup>?) is the country's representative team and has been affiliated since 1920 to the Japan Football Association (日本サッカー協会, Nippon Sakkā Kyōkai^?) in official competitions organized by the Asian Football Confederation and the International Football Federation Football Associations. The Japanese Association was founded in 1920, and integrated into FIFA in 1929. Ten years later they would leave for reasons related to the Second World War, and would not join again until 1950 and later in the Asian Confederation. Sufficient background for his first match played in 1917 against the Chinese soccer team to not be considered official, as it was not sponsored by any organization. The Japanese team played and lost by a score of 1-2 in its first official match on May 23, 1923 in Osaka, facing the Philippine soccer team during the Far East Games.

In recent decades, the Japanese team has become one of the strongest in the AFC, becoming champion of the Asian Cup four times and qualifying consecutively for seven World Cups: France 1998, South Korea and Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022. Their greatest achievements include their performances in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, where they were co-hosts and managed to be runners-up, while at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games they took the medal. made of bronze. It is currently the Asian Football Confederation team with the highest position in the FIFA ranking.

In their debut in the World Cup, they lost their first three games to be eliminated in the first phase and finishing penultimate of the thirty-two participants. However, in the 2002 Korea and Japan edition they made history on their own territory, in the first World Cup organized in Asia, by qualifying for the final knockout phase as champions of a group that also included the Russian team, the Belgian team and the Tunisian team. Thus they reached the round of 16, where they fell to the Turkish team, who would finish third in the competition, by a solitary goal. In the 2006 Germany event they fell again in the first phase, after winning a single match and finishing in eighteenth position.

Again in South Africa 2010, they would equal their best performance at the expense of teams such as Denmark and Cameroon. They were close to surprising the Paraguayan team in the round of 16 duel, but the South Americans ended up tipping the even balance in their favor in the penalty shootout, after the final goalless draw.

Under former coach Takeshi Okada, numerous young talents announced their arrival on the international scene during Japan's dazzling parade for the latest FIFA World Cup. The new generation has continued to progress under the care of Italian Alberto Zaccheroni, who took the reins of the Japanese team after their campaign in South Africa 2010. To a series of victories in friendly matches, among which their 1-0 victory over an Argentine team stands out., followed up their great performance at the 2011 Asian Cup, where they beat the Australian team in the final to win their fourth continental title. Japanese football has long been characterized by its imagination and combinative play, which gained new impetus with its continental success. In the Kirin Cup, Zaccheroni tested his 3-4-3 formation for the first time, which he intends to establish in the Japanese team.

The Japanese team is generally known by fans and the press as Nippon Daihyō (日本代表, 'Nippon Daihyō'^?) or Daihyō (代表, 'Daihyō'^?). Another nickname that is also commonly used is The Blue Samurai (サムライ・ブルー< /span>, Samurai buru^?), which, after a vote by fans, was adopted by the Japan Football Federation before the World Cup 2006 as a phrase to support the team. The Japanese team is also known within Japan by the name of its coach. For example, the Japanese team led by Takeshi Okada was nicknamed Okada Japan (岡田ジャパン< /span>, ' Okada Japan'^?), and they are currently known as Zac Japan (ザックジャパン, Zakku Japan^? ), in reference to his coach, Alberto Zaccheroni.

History

Beginnings without the protection of an official organization (1917-1951)

The first match of the "Rising Sun" team was played on May 9, 1917 during the 1917 Far Eastern Games against the Republic of China, a match that ended with a 0-5 defeat for the Japanese team. The next day, May 10, Japan suffered a new defeat, this time against the Philippines by 2-15, the biggest in its history away from home. However, both matches are not considered official by the Federation as they are not sponsored by any official organization. In this competition, the Japanese, represented by a team from a school in Tokyo, would finish in last place. It would be the first participation of a Japanese team in said competition, which would join China and the Philippines, which previously competed in two editions. These Far Eastern Games are considered the predecessors of the Asian Games held today.

It would not be until 1921, when the Japanese Football Federation was born, and 1923, when, once official, the team would play its first international match against the Philippines, at that time a US colony, to which it would lose 1-2.. The Japanese would play 12 more official matches under the auspices of FIFA, to which they joined in 1929, including their first international victory against the aforementioned Philippine team 2-1 in 1927, and their biggest official defeat. against Italy (8-0) in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, the first major competition played by the Asians before the Second World War broke out and due to the disagreements that arose in the dispute, they abandoned their membership of the highest football body. From then on, its matches would once again be considered unofficial, until 1951, the date on which it would once again form part of FIFA. To the already known reasons for unofficial status, was added the fact that several of them were played against the Republic. of China, which until 1934 was made up exclusively or mostly of players from South China AA (also known as Nan Hua), a Chinese club located in Hong Kong. Those played from then until 1942 during the Japanese occupation of China, so the Chinese team did not represent any organization or association.

International affiliation (1951-1969)

FIFA and AFC Member

In 1954 he would join the Asian Football Confederation, and a few years later he would achieve his largest victory in a match against the Philippine team, on September 7, 1967, now independent of the United States, under the name Philippine Commonwealth before becoming the current country. The Japanese would win on their territory by a resounding 15-0.

In that same year, the Japanese team participated for the first time in a qualification to participate in a World Cup, specifically for the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, but They did not qualify, finishing in second place behind the South Korean team, thus beginning a long rivalry, losing the two matches they played (the Taiwanese team also participated in the group match, which finally withdrew).

The Japanese team would participate as host in the 1958 Asian Games, the third edition of the competition. In the soccer competition it was placed in group C, along with the Hong Kong team and the Philippine team. The Japanese failed to win any of the matches, in which they lost 1-0 to the Philippines and 0-2 to Hong Kong. In her participation to date in the Games, she would achieve a bronze medal as the greatest achievement in the football competition in the First Edition of 1951. A discreet background, being the undisputed global dominator in the rest of the sporting modalities. Football still had a long way to go in a country dedicated to promoting other more traditional and historical sports.

Eight years later, he would compete in a new World Cup qualification, the 1962 edition in Chile, without ultimately achieving it. His rival, again the South Korean team, and the Indonesian team, which finally withdrew. Japan lost both matches it played against South Korea and was unable to advance to the final phase of the qualifying tournament to qualify for one of the World Cup spots.

Without a great performance in the major football events, to which they had barely managed to qualify, the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games would arrive, in which they would be the hosts. For this reason, they presented their football representative hoping to change the trend of recent years. In the competition, they would be placed in group D against the Argentine team and the Ghanaian team. His surprising victory against the South Americans by 3-2, in the best and most prestigious victory to date for the Japanese team, thanks to which he would begin to forge the pseudonym of "giant killers" in the Olympic events, would be worth it despite the defeat against Ghana to reach the quarterfinals. In them, they would equal their best classification, where after losing 4-0 against the Czechoslovak team they would finish in 8th position. It was the prelude for a team that was about to achieve its best international result to date.

First great success

Two years later they failed to qualify for the 1968 Asian Cup in Iran, their fourth edition, due to goal difference (Taiwan qualified with 15 goals for and 4 against, while Japan obtained 8 for and 4 against).

That same year, however, they won the bronze medal at the 1968 Olympic Games held in Mexico. Located in a difficult group with the Spanish team, European champion in 1964, the Brazilian team, double world champion, and the Nigerian team. He managed to beat the latter 3-1, which added to the draws with Brazil (1-1) and Spain (0-0), would help them advance to the round. In the quarterfinals they defeated the French team 3-1, which gave them a place to try to get a place in the final. A resounding 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Hungarian team, one of the most powerful currently, would deprive them of this. On October 24, 1968, they beat the host Mexican team in the dispute for third place and the bronze medal by 2-0, achieving their first great success in one of the great football events. The achievement squad was composed of Yokohama, Katayama, Yamaguchi, Kamata, Mori, Ogi, Miyamoto, Watanabe, Kamamoto, Matsumoto, Sugiyama. The hero of the event was Kunishige Kamamoto, who would become the greatest goalscorer in Japanese history, with 55 goals scored in 61 games between 1964 and 1977 (an average of 0.9 goals per game). The coach was the Japanese Okano Shunichiro.

Transitional period (1969-1990)

Despite the bronze medal at the Olympic Games, they did not achieve good results in the following two years. In 1970 they again failed to qualify for a World Cup within a group of 4 teams made up of the South Korean team, the Australian team and the North Korean team (finally withdrawn), and finished in third place, failing to qualify. In 1974 they were included in a group of three countries along with Hong Kong and South Vietnam. They beat the Vietnamese team 4-0, and lost 1-0 to Hong Kong, but went to the next phase of the qualification in second place, and had to play the semifinal against the Israeli team. However, the Japanese were defeated 1-0 in extra time to once again say goodbye to the dream of qualifying for a World Cup, on the occasion in which they were closest to achieving it.

The lack of roots in football, in which success and popularity had not yet arrived, made it necessary to make an effort on the part of all levels of society to promote its development. This is how, through the Japanese Association, different varieties of Japanese culture, among which manga stands out, work for this. They would soon attract the attention of the Japanese public, and football would finally awaken in Japan the interest it aroused on other continents.

Premiere at major events

The first major tournament in which the Japanese participated, thanks to the efforts carried out by football, was the 1988 Asian Cup held in Qatar. Japan only managed to get one point at the end of the first phase in a match against the Iranian team. Despite the discreet result, the golden era of the Japanese team would begin in the coming years.

In the 1992 Asian Cup, the Japanese team was not the same as in the previous Asian Cup, and Japan was also the host country. The Japanese managed to pass the first round as group winners, in the semifinals they managed to beat the Chinese soccer team 3-2, thus reaching the final, being the first final for the Japanese team in a tournament and they won the trophy with a score of 1-0 against the defending champions, Saudi Arabia. By winning the last Asian Cup, he directly participated in the 1995 FIFA Confederations Cup, in Saudi Arabia. In this tournament, the Japanese team went very unnoticed, losing its two games in the group stage and thus saying goodbye to the tournament. In the 1996 Asian Cup, Japan was the defending champion and for the second consecutive time finished first in the group, although on this occasion they did not make it past the quarterfinals where they lost 2-0 against the Kuwait soccer team.

Golden era (1990-act.)

After the Agony of Doha, his first participation in a world cup is quite recent, specifically in the 1998 Soccer World Cup, in France. The Japanese team emerged victorious from the qualifying phase, finishing first in the group ahead of the Oman, Macau and Nepal national football teams. The Japanese won five games and only tied one with the Oman team. Already in the World Cup, the Japanese team was positioned in group H, a group almost entirely of debutants, with the exception of the Argentina soccer team. Apart from Japan's debut, the Croatian soccer team also made its world premiere. and the Jamaican soccer team. Even counting on the talent of the 21-year-old player Hidetoshi Nakata, although inexperienced in this type of tournament, the Japanese team finished its debut with three defeats (0-1 against Argentina, 0-1 against Croatia, and 1-2 against Jamaica).

Due to the rapid growth of Japan, in 1999 it was invited to participate in the 1999 Copa América in Paraguay, where it was eliminated in the first round, precisely in the group where the hosts of the tournament, the Paraguayan soccer team, were located.. Also in the group were the Peruvian soccer team and the Bolivian soccer team. Japan finished the first phase in last position with a draw (1-1) against Bolivia, and two defeats with Paraguay (4-0) and Peru (3-2).

Before the 2002 Soccer World Cup where they would host together with South Korea, they participated in two tournaments. The first of them in 2000 was the 2000 Asian Cup that was played in Lebanon, where they played in group C together with the Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Uzbekistan soccer team. They finished first in their group, winning two matches (Saudi Arabia 1-4, Uzbekistan 8-1) and a draw (Qatar 1-1). After the group stage, the Iraqi soccer team won 4-1 in the quarterfinals, and in the semifinals they won against the Chinese soccer team 2-3. In the final they met again with Saudi Arabia, winning the match 1-0 and thus taking their second title in the Asian Cup.

The Japanese team arrived at the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup as Asian champions and hosts (along with South Korea) in the World Cup that would be played the following year. Japan played its games as part of group B, and played its games against the Brazilian soccer team, Canada's soccer team and Cameroon, the Japanese were first in the group above Brazil, who were second, they won 2 of their games and they tied with Brazil. In the second phase of the tournament, specifically in the semifinals, they faced Australia, winning 1-0, which is why they went to the grand final where they were defeated by France 0-1. Takayuki Suzuki was one of the tournament's top scorers along with six other players with two goals each.

2000 Asian Cup and World Cup venue

Two years after winning the 2000 Asian Cup held in Lebanon, and one after reaching the final of the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, it organized, together with South Korea, the 2002 Soccer World Cup, attracting all the football spotlights on a sport that was beginning to enjoy great success on the Asian continent.

In it, it was paired in group H along with Belgium, Russia and Tunisia. The first game was played by the hosts and the Belgians, who took the initiative despite the field disadvantage and the Japanese goal. A disputed match, in which the Japanese would defend their goal advantage until the 75th minute, when the match would revive to end with a two-goal tie.

In the next match, Japan beats Russia with a result of 1-0, the whole country was excited for it being the first victory of the Japanese team in a World Cup. Finally, in the third match they played against Tunisia they also emerged victorious, which is why Japan made sure to play in the round of 16.

In the round of 16 of the 2002 Soccer World Cup, the Japanese team faced the Turkish soccer team. The Japanese did not have a good day, and they did not have a fast game, and one of the stars of the team, midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata, also did not have a brilliant day. The Turks scored a goal with just one shot at the goal that finally sealed the match and left one of the hosts without advancing to the round.

Asian Cup 2004

Japan arrived at the 2004 Asian Cup as one of the favorites to win the title, this time the hosts were the Chinese soccer team, which has had conflicts between these countries for centuries.

Japan was in group D, having to play its matches with Iran, Thailand and the Oman soccer team. The Japanese team achieved two victories (with Oman 0-1, and with Thailand 1-4) and a goalless draw with the Iranians. The quarterfinals were played against the Jordanian soccer team, and what seemed like it was going to be a simple match for the Japanese became complicated and they had to go to penalties, with Japan taking the final victory. In the semifinals they also had problems, this time with the Bahrain soccer team, reaching the end of the game with a score of 3-3 and consequently playing for their place in the final in extra time, thus Japan just three minutes after starting the extra time he scored and went to the final.

The final was a risky match, given the rivalry between China and Japan. The Japanese team started scoring, but only ten minutes later the Chinese scored, reaching the break with a tie. Finally the match ended with a score of 1-3 in favor of Japan, winning their third Asian Cup and becoming one of the countries with the most titles in this continental tournament.

Germany 2006

The Japanese team was one of the thirty-two countries participating in the 2006 Soccer World Cup, held in Germany. Japan was the first team to qualify for the World Cup after taking first place in the Asian qualifying group. Germany 2006 would be the Japanese team's third appearance in a world tournament, after having had two completely opposite results: in its debut in 1998, Japan finished in penultimate place in the tournament but when it organized it in 2002, it reached the round of 16. Thus, Japan arrived in German lands ready to demonstrate its progress in recent years.

The Japanese were part of group F (also made up of Brazil, Australia and Croatia), it was a challenge that the Japanese squad could not overcome. It was defeated 3:1 by Australia in the last minutes of the match and by the five-time champion team 4:1. Japan earned a point after a lackluster draw against the Croatians.

Asian Cup 2007

After participating in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the Asian team participated in the 2007 Asian Cup, which was hosted by Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Japan, which was in group B along with Qatar, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates, finished first in the group, with 2 victories (1-3 with the United Arab Emirates and 1-4 with Vietnam) and a draw with Qatar.

The Japanese team reached the quarterfinals where they faced the Australian soccer team, having to go to penalties and giving the Japanese the winner. In the semifinals they lost 2-3 to Saudi Arabia, one of the rivals that Japan has always had in the different editions of the Asian Cup. Finally, the Japanese played for third place with South Korea, being a match of great rivalry that they have obtained over the years. The Koreans won the match in a penalty shootout, with the Asian team finishing in fourth position.

World Cup in South Africa 2010

Having comfortably reached the fourth and final Asian qualifying round for South Africa 2010, Japan won four, drew three and only lost one of their eight qualifiers in Group 1. A 2-1 defeat in Australia and a frustrating 0 -0 at home against the same rival were the low moments of this last stage, although coach Takeshi Okada's pupils still finished well above Bahrain, Qatar and Uzbekistan in the quintet.

After the draw to form the groups of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, Japan was finally in group E along with the Netherlands, Denmark and Cameroon. The Japanese team finished second in the group behind the Netherlands Low, with results of two victories (1-0 against Cameroon and 1-3 with Denmark) and a defeat against the first in the group, the Netherlands.

The Paraguayan soccer team beat its counterpart from Japan 3-5 on penalties and qualified for the first time in its history for the quarterfinals of the Soccer World Cup. The Guaraníes, who had tied 0-0 in regulation time, had to suffer more than expected to leave behind a brave Japanese team that sold their defeat dearly on June 29, 2010 in Pretoria.

Japan came out ready to show its teeth in the rival field. Thus, when not even a minute had passed in the game, Yoshito Okubo approached Justo Villar's area and finished powerfully but wide. It was a warning from the Japanese, who were far from being intimidated by the potential exhibited by the Guaraníes in the group stage. Gerardo Martino's team took a while to get settled on the field but, when they did, they were dangerous. Lucas Barrios built a good maneuver on the left and demanded Eiji Kawashima with his right leg. The response was not long in coming: Daisuke Matsui took a dead ball from outside the area and shook the crossbar with a measured right hand. The redhead had one more option before the break when Roque Santa Cruz misjudged his shot inside the area, in a confusing play after a corner kick. It was the last emotional situation in that first half.

The situation did not change in the second half, a lot of nerves and few ideas. Martino tried to gain weight on offense with the entry of Nelson Haedo Valdez, but the forward was not fine. In fact, just minutes after the striker came on, it was Marcus Tulio Tanaka who brought the danger closer with a good header that went wide. Nerves and fear of error gained ground, so the last minutes of the second half were spent between friction, missed passes and little traffic in the areas. Just a cross that Tanaka was close to connecting aroused some emotion in the fans. In this way the extension had to be reached.

Everything they couldn't produce in regulation time came in extra time. Barrios quickly warned with a header that ended up in the hands of Kawashima. The goalkeeper was attentive to win another duel against Nelson Haedo, although he had a bit of luck in a deflected touch from the admitted Edgar Barreto. On the contrary, Villar had to make an effort minutes earlier to repel a poisonous kick from Honda. It would be the last emotion before the penalties. In the definition, the first of the contest, the Guarani were infallible while Yūichi Komano crashed his shot into the crossbar. Paraguay thus advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in its history.

New continental achievement: the 2011 Asian Cup

In January 2011, he won the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar in authoritative fashion. With two victories with Saudi Arabia (0-5), Syria (1-2) and a draw with Jordan (1-1), reaching the quarterfinals. The match was played with the hosts, the Qatar soccer team winning with a goal in the 90th minute, the final result being 3-2 with a Japanese victory. The semifinal against South Korea ended after extra time with a score of 2-2, in this way they played for victory on penalties, with the Japanese team winning. The Koreans missed three penalties in a row, which is the reason why they lost. In the final, Alberto Zaccheroni's team beat Australia 1-0 with a goal in extra time. Thus, the Japanese won the fourth Asian Cup, becoming the Asian country with the most tournaments in its possession.

Withdrawal from the Copa América

From July 3 to 24, 2011, Japan had to attend the 2011 Copa América at the invitation of CONMEBOL, but they decided to withdraw due to the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami. On April 14, however, the The Japanese Football Association announced that the Japanese team would finally compete, a month later it would finally withdraw for the second and final time, being replaced by Costa Rica due to what happened on March 11 of that same year with the earthquake and tsunami that occurred in the country, in addition to the Fukushima nuclear accident.

Appearance in 2013 Confederations Cup

In June 2013, Japan attended the 2013 Confederations Cup, as a representative of the AFC, after having won the 2011 Asian Cup. Japan would make its fifth participation, remaining in group A with the host, Brazil, with the North American champion, Mexico, and the European runner-up. Italy in its first match loses (3-0) with the host, Brazil, and later loses its second (4-3) with Italy in a very difficult match for both and its last match falls (2-1) with Mexico, thus remaining last in his group.

Brazil 2014: fifth consecutive World Cup

Japan secured first place in its group and therefore certified its participation in the World Cup, its fifth consecutive since 1998, in the 2014 World Cup that took place in Brazil. They shared group C with the Colombian team, the Greek team and the Ivory Coast team. The Japanese team could not advance from the first phase after losing against Ivory Coast (2-1), drawing against Greece and losing again against Colombia (4-1). The failure caused the resignation of Alberto Zaccheroni, who would be replaced by Javier Aguirre. However, the Mexican coach only lasted a few months in office, since the elimination of Japan in the quarterfinals of the Asia Cup (tournament of the which was the current champion) and Aguirre's involvement in alleged match-fixing in the Spanish League led to his dismissal.

On March 12, 2015, Vahid Halilhodžić was named the new Japan coach.

Rejection of Copa América for Asian Cup

Japan was going to participate as a guest in the 2015 Copa América to be organized in Chile, but rejected the invitation due to the surcharge that its team would suffer, since in January of the same year the 2015 Asian Cup will be played in which it is the current champion, and months later the qualifying process for the 2018 Soccer World Cup will begin. He was going to be replaced by the Chinese soccer team, but for the same reasons he declined his participation in Chile.

In the 2015 Asian Cup, Japan, the defending champion, got off to a good start by defeating (4:0) Palestine and defeating (1:0) Iraq; In their last match they beat Jordan (2:0), moving to the quarterfinals, where they face the United Arab Emirates in an even match (1:1), they resort to a penalty shootout, where they are defeated (5:1). 4), being eliminated from the Cup. Thus Japan was unable to defend the title for the second time (it had defended it in 2004 after having won in 2000).

Russian World Cup 2018

In the World Cup in Russia, the Japanese team shared group H with Colombia, Senegal and Poland.

The Japanese team, which surprised by beating Colombia 2-1 (goals from Kagawa at 6' from a penalty, Quintero at 39' and Osako at 73'), tied with Senegal 2-2 (Sadio Mané 11', Takashi Inui 34', Moussa Wagué 71' and Keisuke Honda 78') and lost 1-0 (Jan Bednarek 59') against Poland at the close of group H, remaining together with Senegal in second place behind Colombia, which finished as leader from group H with six points after beating Senegal 1-0 with a goal from Yerry Mina.

Japan and Senegal both finished equal in points, goal difference, goals scored, and in head-to-head matches. But the Asian team reached the second phase (for the first time since South Africa 2010) thanks to the new 'Fair Play' regulations. (Fair Play), which is applied when two teams are equal in all aspects. The blue samurai received four yellow cards throughout the group stage, while the African team had six warnings.

In this way, Japan made history by qualifying for the round of 16 with a method never before applied in the history of the tournament.

Already in the round of 16, the Asians had to face the powerful Belgian team, led by great footballers such as Eden Hazard (awarded the Silver Ball in that World Cup), Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, among others. After going into halftime with a goalless draw, Japan surprised the world and in less than five minutes took a two-goal lead in the second half (goals from Haraguchi and Inui). Unfortunately, the red devils reacted and achieved equality with goals from Vertonghen and Fellaini; and when it seemed that extra time was inevitable, Nacer Chadli completed a perfect counterattack and gave Belgium a 3-2 victory in the 94th minute.

Despite the final bitterness, the public recognized the work of the Japanese, who were on the verge of eliminating a very tough rival: Belgium would win the Bronze Medal, after beating England in the match for third place.

Copa América 2019

The Japanese soccer team was invited to participate in the 2019 Copa América. It was placed in group C, with Uruguay, Ecuador and Chile; In their debut (June 17) they lost 4-0 to Chile, then, on June 20, they tied 2-2 with Uruguay (the Japanese goals were scored by Miyoshi). They necessarily had to beat Ecuador to pass as the best 3rd. However, they tied 1-1 with a goal from Nakajima, and did not advance to the quarterfinals, with only 2 points (same as Paraguay, but with a more negative goal difference [-4])

In the overall team ranking of the tournament, Japan ranked ninth.

Qatar World Cup 2022

Seventh consecutive World Cup for the Japanese team, led by Hajime Moriyasu, was placed in Group E, along with Costa Rica, Spain and Germany. In the first match against Germany he came back with 2 goals in the second half from Ritsu Dōan in the 30th minute and then another from Takuma Asano in the 38th minute, to take the victory. In the second match against Costa Rica, the Japanese fell 1-0, with the Ticos emerging victorious. Against Spain, the Japanese team came back again with two goals in the second half, the first from Doan and then from Tanaka to finish 2-1, giving them the victory and qualifying for the round of 16, finishing first in Group E. In In the round of 16, they tied 1-1 against Croatia 1-1, losing on penalties 1-3 and thus saying goodbye to the 2022 World Cup. With this participation Japan became the third team in 52 years to come back from a game twice. in the tournament after Brazil and West Germany, in the second team to beat an opponent with the lowest possession of the ball (18%) ever known since the 1966 World Cup, being in the duel against Spain and in the first Asian team in reach the next round twice in a row.

Stadiums

Japanese national anthem that is heard in the stadium before the selection matches.
	Japan national anthem "Kimi ga yo"
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The Japanese team has normally always played all its matches at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium which has a capacity of 57,363 spectators. This venue is the work of architect Kenzō Tange and was created especially for the Olympic Games held in that city in 1964, which represented the Japanese resurgence after the Second World War. That happened until 2002 when new stadiums were built for the 2002 Soccer World Cup.

After the World Cup organized jointly with South Korea ends, the stadium they would often use would be the Yokohama International Stadium. Capable of receiving 72,370 spectators, 3 matches of the first round of the FIFA World Cup were held there. 2002 and hosted the final between Germany and Brazil that was played on June 30, 2002 (a match that Brazil won, 2–0). Since March 1, 2005, it changed its name to Nissan Stadium (in Japanese: 日産スタジアム Nissan Sutajiamu), as it is owned by the automobile company Nissan Motor Co. During the development of the World Club Championship FIFA 2005 was renamed Yokohama International Stadium, since FIFA does not allow any type of advertising in the name of the stadiums.

On some occasions the Japanese team also uses the Saitama Stadium or Saitama stadium, as it is normally known. Built by Azusa Sekkei to host matches for the 2002 World Cup, construction was completed in September 2001. The stadium has a capacity of 63,700, although for security reasons at J. League matches there is a capacity of 62,300. spectators. Saitama Stadium hosted four matches during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, including the first Japan-Belgium match.

Uniform and shield

The traditional uniform consists of a blue shirt (main color), white pants and blue socks, while the away kit inverts the colors. Thanks to the suppliers, in recent years marketing has been very favorable for Japan's kits, especially in recent years they have changed the design of the shirts, adding decorations such as flames on the back in 1998 (the wearing was green with red and blue flames or black with red and orange flames) and in 1996, white lines and red triangles in 1993, 1994 and 1995 (the goalkeeper wore a completely green uniform with black lines and red or orange triangles and black with patterns) or white and blue curves in 2006.

The shield has a white background with a red vertical stripe that runs through the middle. Above it, the letters JFA appear, the English acronym for the Japanese Football Association. Below them, a stylized black Yatagarasu appears holding a red soccer ball with one of its three legs. The current kit is blue with a red line from the neck to the bottom, similar to the shield. The official uniform suppliers throughout its history have been the German companies Adidas and Puma and the national Asics.

First equipment

(See evolution)

Current balance

Rivalries

The most notable rivalry on the Asian continent, which even has a word to define it: «Haniljeon» in Korean and Nikkansen (日韓戦, Nikkansen^?< /span>) in Japanese, it is the duel between South Korea and Japan.

Rivalry between neighboring countries, and coming from war disputes, is considered a clash of nationalist feelings and pride, which goes beyond sports. After thirty-five years under the occupation of the Empire of Japan, it was in the 1948 London Games that Korean athletes participated for the first time as Korea, free from Japanese rule after their surrender at the end of World War II. This is how what is currently known as the two Koreas, the North and the South, emerged.

Blue samurai have historically been inferior since then. Although lately it can be considered almost equal, there has always been a complex on the part of the Japanese team, which saw how they were surpassed by their neighbors. Of the seventy-five matches played to date, Japan has only achieved sixteen victories, while South Korea achieved forty-three.

Despite this rivalry, both countries jointly organized the 2002 Soccer World Cup, where the greatest interest among the hosts was to see which of them would go further in the competition. Japan, eliminated in the round of 16, was left in the shadows, while Korea, the surprise of the tournament, qualified for the semifinals after defeating favorites such as Spain, with referee controversy, and Italy with another controversial performance by the referees.

However, in the semifinals of the 2011 Asian Cup held in Qatar, it was the Japanese who defeated the "red devils" in the penalty shootout, advancing to the final to win their fourth Asian title.

Other of the great Asian rivalries that the Japanese team has is none other than its neighbor, the Chinese team. This rivalry goes back centuries in war contexts, which have been transferred to current sports, and not only in the football field. Both nations maintained tense disputes for Asian dominance, which were especially represented by the First and Second Sino-Japanese Wars. All these conflicts mean that the two Asian powers maintain a football rivalry, which however is more notable in Chinese territory than in Japan. This has been increased with events in different matches, such as the 2004 Asian Cup final when the Japanese beat the Chinese 1-3 in their own country.

Despite this, these matches are more balanced compared to the South Korea-Japan matches.

Impact on Japanese culture

Football, traditionally separated from the country's culture, did not fully take root in the sporting society of the Asian country, which focused its efforts on other modalities more related to the country's history such as falconry, hunting, competition of kites, the kemari ( , 'kemari'< /span>^?), (ancient ball game) and the yabusame< span style="font-weight: normal"> (流鏑馬, 'yabusame'^? japanese archery). Special mention should be made of the Japanese martial arts, which are traditional sports, among which the most important ones such as aikido stand out (合 氣道, aikidō^?, contact sport), the iaido (居合道, iaidō< span class="t_nihongo_help">^?, Japanese swordsmanship), judo (柔道, jūdō ^?, contact sport), jujutsu (< span class="t_nihongo_kanji" lang="ja">柔術, jūjutsu^?, contact sport), karate (空手, karate^? sport of contact), kendo (剣道, kendō^?, Japanese fencing), kenjutsu (剣術, kenjutsu^? Japanese swordsmanship), the shurikenjutsu (手裏剣術, 'shurikenjutsu'^? handling of the shuriken or Japanese blade) and the popular sumo (相撲, sumō^?, contact sport).

Among modern sports, before the football discipline, sports such as baseball, volleyball, or table tennis among others prospered. It would not be until the beginning of the 80s when football aroused real interest among the population. This resurgence was increased, in particular, thanks to another of Japan's traditional pastimes, manga.

One of the great works of the aforementioned Japanese art was «Captain Tsubasa» (キャプテン翼 , Kyaputen Tsubasa< sup>?), better known in Spanish as Supercampeones (Champions: Oliver and Benji in Spain), written by Yōichi Takahashi, a manga whose central theme was soccer. This tells the adventures of Tsubasa Ozora (Oliver Atton in the Spanish anime) and his friends from childhood until they become professionals and become part of the Japanese national team. The Japan Football Association supported the development of the series, due to its potential to create fans of this sport since it was beginning to achieve success and impact at a high international level, and could even be reflected in the series itself, since that the uniforms of the Japan team are faithful reproductions of those worn at the time by the team's authentic players.

The saga achieved great success and was one of the main drivers for the development of football in the country, resulting in its greatest successes (four Asian Cups since 1992) and its uninterrupted presence in the Football World Cup since 1998. Its impact has even led sports companies as deeply rooted in the football world as the German Adidas to publish their own anime to continue promoting the development of this sport in Asia. More recently, in 2011, the news came to light that manga and football would reverse their roles. The player of the Japanese women's soccer team Nahomi Kawasumi, women's world champion in 2011, would be the protagonist of a new manga published in the magazine Weekly Shonen Sunday (小学館, Shōgakukan^?), something unpublished until now.^{,< /sup>}

Players

Current roster

List of 26 players were called up for 2023.

N.o	Name	Position	Age	PJ	Goles	Club
	Daniel Schmidt	Porter	31 years	14	0	Sint-Truidense
	Keisuke Osako	Porter	24 years	5	0	Sanfrecce Hiroshima
	Kōsuke Nakamura	Porter	28 years	8	0	Portimonense S. C.
	Ko Itakura	Defence	26 years	21	1	Borussia Mönchengladbach
	Hiroki Itō	Defence	24 years	12	1	VfB Stuttgart
	Kōki Machida	Defence	26 years	1	0	R. Union Saint-Gilloise
	Shōgo Taniguchi	Defence	32 years	20	1	Al-Rayyan S. C.
	Takehiro Tomiyasu	Defence	24 years	34	1	Arsenal F. C.
	Yukinari Sugawara	Defence	23 years	6	0	AZ Alkmaar
	Daiki Hashioka	Defence	24 years	5	0	Sint-Truidense
	Seiya Maikuma	Defence	25 years	1	0	Cerezo Osaka
	Hidemasa Morita	Mediocampista	28 years	25	2	Sporting C. P.
	Wataru Endō	Mediocampista	30 years	52	2	Liverpool F. C.
	Ao Tanaka	Mediocampista	25 years	21	4	Fortuna Düsseldorf
	Daichi Kamada	Mediocampista	27 years	30	6	Lazio
	Atsuki Ito	Mediocampista	25 years	2	1	Urawa Red Diamonds
	Ryoya Morishita	Mediocampista	26 years	1	0	Nagoya Grampus
	Kaoru Mitoma	Delantero	26 years	18	7	Brighton & Hove Albion F. C.
	Daizen Maeda	Delantero	25 years	13	3	Celtic F.C.
	Keito Nakamura	Delantero	23 years	3	3	Stade de Reims
	Ritsu Dōan	Delantero	25 years	39	6	S. C. Fribourg
	Take Kubo	Delantero	22 years	27	2	Real Society
	Junya Ito	Delantero	30 years	47	12	Stade de Reims
	Takuma Asano	Delantero	28 years	45	9	VfL Bochum
	Kyōgo Furuhashi	Delantero	28 years	19	4	Celtic F.C.
	Ayase Ueda	Delantero	25 years	16	2	Feyenoord

Top scorers

The players with the most goals with the Japanese shirt:

Players with the most presences

These are the players with the most games played:

Coaches

Throughout the history of the national team, there have been twenty-seven selectors leading the team. From the first, Hitoshi Sasaki, who led Japan for the first time in 1921, to the current one, Akira Nishino, passing through Vahid Halilhodžić; who would get them their ticket to the next World Cup, have led Japan to position itself as one of the soccer powers of the Asian continent.

To them we should add unofficially the Japanese Hiromi Hara, one of the technical directors of the Japanese Football Association, who took charge of the national team in a testimonial manner for two games while the Italian Zaccheroni processed his visa to settle in front of the team.

Among them, eight have been foreign coaches, and curiously with them, the greatest successes of the team would come, which began with the first Asian Cup won by the Japanese in 1992, in their own territory, under the command of the Dutchman Hans Ooft. He was followed by fellow foreigners Paulo Roberto Falcão (Brazilian), Philippe Troussier (French), Zico (Brazilian), Ivica Osim (Bosnian-Herzegovinian), Alberto Zaccheroni (Italian), Javier Aguirre (Mexican), and Vahid Halilhodžić (Bosnian-Herzegovinan), this The latter would be the one who led them to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Thanks to them, Japan has won four Asian Cups, placing them at the top of the competition's record, and a runner-up finish in the FIFA Confederations Cup, becoming ahead in a very short time of the most historic Asian teams.

In that recent period, three Japanese already coached and currently manages another recently appointed one (Akira Nishino) to the national team: Shu Kamo and Takeshi Okada in two stages, without managing to match the successes of the foreign coaches. In total, 19 Japanese coaches tried without success to strengthen their country in the football discipline, where only a bronze medal stood out in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, achieved under the orders of former footballer Ken Naganuma, who would later become president of the Japanese Association. of Soccer from 1994 to 1998.

Nineteen Japanese for an Olympic bronze medal, 2 Brazilians for an Asian Cup, a Dutchman, a Frenchman and an Italian for three Asian Cups, a Dutchman and two Bosnian Herzegovians for one of them to finish fourth in the inter-Asian tournament, and with the other just paving the way to the last soccer world championship (2018), is the background of the selectors in Japanese soccer history.

Latest matches and upcoming matches

Updated to the last match played on September 12, 2023

Date	City	Local	Outcome	Visitor	Competition
28-03-2023	Osaka	JapanJPN	1:2	COLColombia	Friendly Party
15-06-2023	Toyota	JapanJPN	6:0	El SalvadorEl Salvador	Friendly Party
20-06-2023	Osaka	JapanJPN	4:1	PERPeru	Friendly Party
09-09-2023	Wolfsburg	GermanyGER	1:4	JPNJapan	Friendly Party
12-09-2023	Genk	TurkeyTUR	2:4	JPNJapan	Friendly Party
13-10-2023	Niigata	JapanJPN	-:	CANCanada	Friendly Party
17-10-2023	Kōbe	JapanJPN	-:	TUNTunisia	Friendly Party
16-11-2023	Osaka	JapanJPN	-:		World Cup 2026
21-11-2023	TBD	SyriaSYR	-:	JPNJapan	World Cup 2026
14-01-2024	Rayán	JapanJPN	-:	VIEVietnam	Asian Cup 2023
19-01-2024	Rayán	IraqIRQ	-:	JapanJapan	Asian Cup 2023
24-01-2024	Rayán	JapanJPN	-:	IndonesiaIndonesia	Asian Cup 2023
21-03-2024	TBD	JapanJPN	-:	PRKNorth Korea	World Cup 2026

Results against other teams

Last update: September 12, 2023.

Selección	Primer Partido	Último Partido	PJ	PG	PE	PP	GF	GC	GD
AFG Afganistán	1951	2015	3	3	0	0	13	0	+13
GER Alemania	2004	2023	4	2	1	1	8	7	+1
ANG Angola	2005	2005	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1
KSA Arabia Saudita	1990	2021	16	10	1	5	25	13	+12
ARG Argentina	1992	2010	7	1	0	6	4	15	−11
AUS Australia	1956	2022	27	11	9	7	39	32	+7
AUT Austria	2007	2007	1	0	1	0	0	0	0
AZE Azerbaiyán	2012	2012	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2
BHR Baréin	1978	2010	10	8	0	2	17	7	+10
BAN Bangladés	1975	1993	5	5	0	0	22	1	+21
BEL Bélgica	1999	2018	6	2	2	2	11	8	+3
BLR Bielorrusia	2013	2013	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1
MYA Birmania	1955	2021	14	7	5	2	29	12	+17
BOL Bolivia	1999	2019	3	2	1	0	4	1	+3
BIH Bosnia y Herzegovina	2006	2016	3	1	1	1	6	4	+2
BRA Brasil	1989	2022	13	0	2	11	5	35	−30
BRU Brunéi	1980	2000	3	3	0	0	18	2	+16
BUL Bulgaria	1976	2016	6	1	1	4	10	13	−3
CAM Camboya	1970	2015	4	4	0	0	10	1	+9
CMR Camerún	2001	2020	5	3	2	0	5	0	+5
CAN Canadá	2001	2022	3	2	0	1	6	3	+3
QAT Catar	1983	2019	10	2	4	4	12	15	−3
CHI Chile	2008	2019	3	1	1	1	4	4	0
CHN China	1917	2022	36	15	9	12	45	52	−7
TPE China Taipéi	1963	1983	7	4	2	1	17	8	+9
COL Colombia	2003	2023	5	1	1	3	3	7	−4
PRK Corea del Norte	1975	2017	19	8	4	7	19	14	+5
KOR Corea del Sur	1954	2022	81	16	23	42	76	124	−48
CIV Costa de Marfil	1993	2020	5	3	0	2	4	4	0
CRC Costa Rica	1995	2022	5	3	1	1	10	3	+7
CRO Croacia	1997	2022	4	1	2	1	5	5	0
CYP Chipre	2014	2014	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1
CZE República Checa	1998	2011	3	1	2	0	1	0	+1
DEN Dinamarca	1971	2010	2	1	0	1	5	4	+1
ECU Ecuador	1995	2022	4	2	2	0	5	1	+4
EGY Egipto	1998	2007	2	2	0	0	5	1	+4
SLV El Salvador	2019	2023	2	2	0	0	8	0	+8
UAE Emiratos Árabes Unidos	1981	2017	19	6	9	4	22	17	+5
SCO Escocia	1995	2009	3	1	2	0	2	0	+2
SVK Eslovaquia	2000	2004	3	2	1	0	5	2	+3
ESP España	2001	2022	2	1	0	1	2	2	0
USA Estados Unidos	1993	2022	3	2	0	1	7	4	+3
PHI Filipinas	1917	1983	20	15	0	5	88	35	+53
FIN Finlandia	2006	2009	2	2	0	0	7	1	+6
FRA Francia	1994	2012	6	1	1	4	5	14	−9
WAL Gales	1992	1992	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1
GHA Ghana	1964	2022	8	5	0	3	18	14	+4
GRE Grecia	2005	2014	2	1	1	0	1	0	+1
GUA Guatemala	2010	2013	2	2	0	0	5	1	+4
HAI Haití	2017	2017	1	0	1	0	3	3	0
HON Honduras	2002	2014	3	2	1	0	14	7	+7
HKG Hong Kong	1958	2022	24	13	5	6	48	21	+27
HUN Hungría	1993	2004	2	0	0	2	2	4	−2
ISL Islandia	1971	2012	3	3	0	0	8	3	+5
IND India	1954	2006	12	9	0	3	36	11	+25
IDN Indonesia	1934	1989	18	10	2	6	39	25	+14
ENG Inglaterra	1995	2010	3	0	1	2	3	5	−2
IRN Irán	1951	2019	18	6	6	6	21	19	+2
IRQ Irak	1978	2016	13	7	3	3	19	10	+9
ISR Israel	1973	1977	7	0	0	7	2	17	−15
ITA Italia	1936	2013	3	0	1	2	4	13	−9
JAM Jamaica	1998	2014	4	2	1	1	7	3	+4
JOR Jordania	1988	2015	6	2	3	1	12	5	+7
KAZ Kazajistán	1997	2005	3	2	1	0	10	2	+8
KUW Kuwait	1978	1996	5	1	0	4	2	8	−6
KGZ Kirguistán	2018	2021	3	3	0	0	11	1	+10
LVA Letonia	2005	2013	2	1	1	0	5	2	+3
LIB Líbano	1967	1967	1	1	0	0	3	1	+2
MAC Macao	1980	2000	4	4	0	0	26	0	+26
MAS Malasia	1958	2004	26	9	7	10	40	43	−3
MLI Malí	2018	2018	1	0	1	0	1	1	0
MLT Malta	2006	2006	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1
MEX México	1996	2020	7	1	0	6	6	15	−9
MNG Mongolia	1942	2021	3	3	0	0	32	0	+32
MNE Montenegro	2007	2007	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2
NEP Nepal	1986	1997	5	5	0	0	28	0	+28
NZL Nueva Zelanda	1981	2017	6	3	0	3	10	8	+2
NGA Nigeria	1968	2003	4	2	1	1	8	6	+2
NOR Noruega	2002	2002	1	0	0	1	0	3	−3
OMA Omán	1988	2021	15	10	3	2	21	6	+15
NED Países Bajos	2009	2013	3	0	1	2	2	6	−4
PAK Pakistán	1962	1988	3	1	1	1	5	4	+1
PLE Palestina	2015	2015	1	1	0	0	4	0	+4
PAN Panamá	2018	2020	2	2	0	0	4	0	+4
PAR Paraguay	1995	2022	12	5	4	2	19	11	+8
PER Perú	1967	2023	8	3	3	2	8	6	+2
POL Polonia	1981	2018	7	2	0	5	10	14	−4
ROU Rumania	1974	2003	4	0	1	3	3	12	−9
RUS Rusia	1978	2002	4	1	0	3	3	11	−8
SEN Senegal	1987	2018	4	0	2	2	4	7	−3
SRB Serbia	1961	2021	10	4	0	6	7	20	−13
SIN Singapur	1959	2015	26	21	2	3	58	18	+40
RSA Sudáfrica	2009	2009	1	0	1	0	0	0	0
SRI Sri Lanka	1972	1993	3	3	0	0	16	0	+16
SWE Suecia	1936	2002	5	1	3	1	7	7	0
SUI Suiza	2007	2018	2	1	0	1	4	5	−1
SYR Siria	1978	2017	11	9	2	0	27	9	+18
TJK Tayikistán	2011	2021	4	4	0	0	19	1	+18
THA Tailandia	1962	2017	22	16	4	2	52	16	+36
TOG Togo	2009	2009	1	1	0	0	5	0	+5
TRI Trinidad y Tobago	2006	2019	2	1	1	0	2	0	+2
TUN Túnez	1996	2022	5	4	0	1	6	3	+3
TUR Turquía	1997	2023	3	2	0	1	5	3	+2
TKM Turkmenistán	2019	2019	1	1	0	0	3	2	+1
UKR Ucrania	2002	2018	3	1	0	2	2	3	−1
URU Uruguay	1985	2023	9	2	2	5	18	25	−7
UZB Uzbekistán	1996	2019	11	7	3	1	30	10	+20
VEN Venezuela	2010	2019	5	1	3	1	6	6	0
VIE Vietnam	1961	2022	10	8	1	1	22	7	+15
YEM Yemen	2006	2010	4	4	0	0	8	3	+5
Yemen del Sur Yemen del Sur	1982	1982	1	1	0	0	3	1	+2
ZAM Zambia	2014	2014	1	1	0	0	4	3	+1
Total	1917	2022	775	364	163	247	1,362	941	+424

Statistics

Legend: PJ: Matches played; PG: Matches won; PE: Matches tied; PP: Lost matches; GF: Goals scored; GC: Goals against.

Football in the Olympic Games

Year	Round	Position	PJ	PG	PE	P	GF	GC
London 1908	There was no Japan football selection
Stockholm 1912
Antwerp 1920	No.
Paris 1924
Amsterdam 1928
Los Angeles 1932	There was no football competition.
Berlin 1936	Final rooms	8.	2	1	0	1	3	10
London 1948	No.
Total	1/7	-	2	1	0	1	3	10

Soccer World Cup

Year	Round	Position	PJ	PG	PE	P	GF	GC	DG	Goleador
Uruguay 1930	No participation
Italy 1934
France 1938	Withdrawal
Brazil 1950	Not admitted by FIFA for its role in World War II
Switzerland 1954	He didn't qualify.
Sweden	No participation
Chile 1962	He didn't qualify.
England 1966	No participation
Mexico 1970	He didn't qualify.
Germany Federal 1974
Argentina 1978
Spain 1982
Mexico 1986
Italy 1990
United States 1994
France 1998	Group phase	31.o	3	0	0	3	1	4	-3	Nakayama: 1
Korea and Japan 2002	Final Octavos	9.	4	2	1	1	5	3	+2	Inamoto: 2
Germany 2006	Group phase	28.o	3	0	1	2	2	7	-5	Nakamura and Tamada: 1
South Africa 2010	Final Octavos	9.	4	2	1	1	4	2	+2	Honda: 2
Brazil 2014	Group phase	29.o	3	0	1	2	2	6	-4	Honda and Okazaki: 1
Russia	Final Octavos	15.	4	1	1	2	6	7	-1	Inui: 2
Qatar 2022	Final Octavos	9.°	4	2	1	1	5	4	+1	Dōan: 2
North America 2026	To dispute
Total	7/23	9.	25	7	6	12	25	33	-8	Honda: 4

FIFA Confederations Cup

Year	Round	Position	PJ	PG	PE	P	GF	GC
Saudi Arabia 1992	No participation
Saudi Arabia 1995	First round	6.o	3	0	0	3	1	8
Saudi Arabia 1997	He didn't qualify.
Mexico 1999
South Korea and Japan 2001	Subfield	2.	5	3	1	1	6	1
France 2003	First round	7.	3	1	0	2	4	3
Germany 2005	First round	5.o	3	1	1	1	4	4
South Africa 2009	He didn't qualify.
Brazil 2013	First round	7.	3	0	0	3	4	9
Russia 2017	He didn't qualify.
Total	5/10	9.	17	5	2	10	19	25

Asian Cup

Year	Round	Position	PJ	PG	PE	P	GF	GC
Hong Kong 1956	No participation
South Korea 1960
Israel 1964
Iran 1968	He didn't qualify.
Thailand 1972	Withdrawal
Iran 1976	He didn't qualify.
Kuwait	Withdrawal
Singapore 1984
Qatar 1988	First round	10.	4	0	1	3	0	6
Japan 1992	Champion	1.o	5	3	2	0	6	3
United Arab Emirates 1996	Final rooms	5.o	4	3	0	1	7	3
Lebanon 2000	Champion	1.o	6	5	1	0	21	6
China	Champion	1.o	6	4	2	0	13	6
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam 2007	Fourth place	4.o	6	2	3	1	11	7
Catar 2011	Champion	1.o	6	5	1	0	16	6
Australia 2015	Final rooms	5.o	5	3	0	1	8	1
United Arab Emirates 2019	Subfield	2.	7	6	0	1	12	6
Qatar 2023	Classified
Total	10/18	1.o	49	31	10	7	94	45

East Asian Championship

Year	Round	Position	PJ	PG	PE	P	GF	GC
Japan 2003	Subfield	2.	3	2	1	0	3	0
South Korea 2005	Subfield	2.	3	1	1	1	3	4
China 2008	Subfield	2.	3	1	2	0	3	2
Japan 2010	Third post	3.o	3	1	1	1	4	3
South Korea 2013	Champion	1.o	3	2	1	0	8	6
China 2015	Fourth place	4.o	3	0	2	1	3	4
Japan 2017	Subfield	2.	3	2	0	1	7	3
South Korea 2019	Subfield	2.	3	2	0	1	7	2
Japan 2022	Champion	1.o	3	2	1	0	9	0
Total	9/9	2.	27	13	9	5	44	25

Afro-Asian Nations Cup

Year	Round	Position	PJ	PG	PE	P	GF	GC
1978	He didn't qualify.
1985
1988
1991
1993	Champion	1.o	1	0	0	0	1	0
1995	He didn't qualify.
1997
2007	Champion	1.o	1	0	0	0	4	1
Total	2/8	-	2	2	0	0	5	1

AFC/OFC Challenge Cup

Year	Round	Position	PJ	PG	PE	P	GF	GC
2001	Champion	1.o	1	0	0	0	3	0
2003	He didn't qualify.
Total	1/2	-	1	1	0	0	3	0

America's Cup

Year	Round	Position	PJ	PG	PE	P	GF	GC	DIF
Argentina 1916 - Bolivia 1997	No participation
Paraguay 1999	First phase	10.	3	0	1	2	3	8	-5
Colombia 2001 - Venezuela 2007	No participation
Argentina 2011	Withdrawal
Chile 2015	Withdrawal
United States 2016	No participation
Brazil 2019	First phase	9.	3	0	2	1	3	7	-4
Brazil 2021 - United States 2024	No participation
Total	2/4	10.	6	0	3	3	6	15	-9

Lower categories

The lower categories of the Japanese football team are the set of teams of the Japanese Football Association made up of players between sixteen and twenty-three years old, who represent Japan in the different international tournaments grouped into different age categories and which constitute the ranks prior to the absolute selection.

The different categories are established by the year of birth of the players and normally include footballers born in two consecutive years. Traditionally, the name of the team refers to the maximum age of the players, thus having official competitions from under-15 to under-23.

U23 national team

The under-23 team (or Olympic team) has been, since the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, in charge of defending Japan in the football competition, which is why it is called Olympic. Players participating in them must be under 23 years of age, except for three per squad who may be older.

The Olympic tournament is thus considered a U-23 World Cup. Since the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, the Japan U-23 team has participated in every Olympic game, with its best result being 4th place at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

U20 team

The under-20 category is the youth category in charge of defending Japan in the Under-20 World Championship since its creation in the 70s. In it the category has been runner-up in the 1999 edition after losing 4-0 with the Spanish under-20 soccer team, this being Japan's greatest achievement in this category.

U17 team

The Japan under-17 football team is the team made up of 17-year-old players, which represents the Japan Football Association in the Under-17 World Cup. It is one of the lower categories of the Japan soccer team and internationally replaced the under-16 team since in official competitions, that category became under-17 in 1991 for FIFA.

Other modalities

Futsal team

Main Article: Japan national futsal team

Japan's history in the FIFA Futsal World Championship is a reflection of sustained progression. The Asian champions were present in the first edition in 1989, but returned home after having lost their 3 matches in the first phase. It was a similar story in 2004, when (after three editions without qualifying) they returned to the final phase to close their group again, although, yes, they added their first point with a 1-1 against the United States. Four years later, history changed completely, and the Japanese were competitive in a very tough quintet that included Brazil and Russia, and they packed their bags after winning and convincing against Cuba and the Solomon Islands.

Beach soccer team

Since the beginning of the sport, in the 1990s, Japan has always formed competitive teams, and the clear reflection of this was seen in the first edition of the 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, when the Japanese team Led by Ruy Ramos, now the coach again, he reached the semifinals and finished in fourth place. Since then, he has never failed to access the World Cup event, although he has only passed the first phase again in the 2009 edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, in Dubai.

Palmarés

Absolute selection (7)

• Asian Cup (4): 1992, 2000, 2011.

Note: It is the team that has the most titles in this competition.

• African-Asian Nations Cup (2): 1993, 2007.

Note:It is the team that has the most titles in this competition.

• AFC/OFC Challenge Cup (1): 2001.

Regional titles (5)

• Dynasty Cup (3): 1992, 1995, 1998.

Note:It is the team that has the most titles in this competition.

• East Asian Football Championship (2): 2013, 2022.

Friendly tournaments

• Kirin Cup: 1991, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011.
• Anniversary 2600 of the Japanese Empire (Tokio): 1940.
• Manchuria 10th Anniversary Tournament: 1942.
• Tokyo Tournament: 1963.
• Asics Cup: 1994.
• JFA's 75th Anniversary: 1996.
• Puma Cup Soccer: 1996.
• Tiger Beer Challenge (Singapore): 2003.

Olympic team

• Olympic Games:
  • Bronze Medal: 1968.

• AFC Sub-23 Championship: 2016.

• Asian Games:
  • Gold Medal: 2010.
  • Silver Medal: 2002.
  • Bronze Medal: 1951, 1966.

• Far East Games:
  • Gold Medal: 1930.
  • Silver Medal: 1927, 1934.
  • Bronze Medal: 1917, 1921, 1923, 1925.

• East Asia:
  • Gold Medal: 2001.
  • Silver Medal: 1997, 2009.
  • Bronze Medal: 2005, 2013.

• South East Asia Games:
  • Gold Medal: 1956.

Youth team

• AFC Sub-19 Championship: 2016.

Pre-youth selection

• AFC Sub-16 Championship (3): 1994, 2006, 2018.