Japan national football team
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| Nickname(s) | サムライ・ブルー (Samurai Blue) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Association | 日本サッカー協会 (Japan Football Association) |
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| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | |||
| Sub-confederation | EAFF (East Asia) | |||
| Head coach | Vahid Halilhodžić | |||
| Captain | Makoto Hasebe | |||
| Most caps | Yasuhito Endō (152) | |||
| Top scorer | Kunishige Kamamoto (80)[1] | |||
| FIFA code | JPN | |||
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| FIFA ranking | ||||
| Current | 44  2 (10 August 2017) |
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| Highest | 9 (February–March 1998) | |||
| Lowest | 62 (December 1992) | |||
| Elo ranking | ||||
| Current | 21  (30 April 2017) |
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| Highest | 8 (August 2001, March 2002) | |||
| Lowest | 60 (September 1962) | |||
| First international | ||||
 Japan 0–5 China  (Tokyo; 9 May 1917)[2] |
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| Biggest win | ||||
Japan 15–0 Philippines  (Tokyo; 27 September 1967) |
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| Biggest defeat | ||||
Japan 2–15 Philippines  (Tokyo; 10 May 1917)[3] |
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| World Cup | ||||
| Appearances | 5 (first in 1998) | |||
| Best result | Round of 16, 2002 and 2010 | |||
| Asian Cup | ||||
| Appearances | 8 (first in 1988) | |||
| Best result | Champions, 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011 | |||
| Copa América | ||||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 1999) | |||
| Best result | Group Stage, 1999 | |||
| Confederations Cup | ||||
| Appearances | 5 (first in 1995) | |||
| Best result | Runners-up, 2001 | |||
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Medal record
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The Japan national football team (サッカー日本代表 Sakkā Nippon Daihyō) represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association (JFA), the governing body for association football in Japan. The current head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.[4]
Japan is one of the most successful teams in Asia, having qualified for the last five consecutive FIFA World Cups with second round advancements in 2002 and 2010, and having won the AFC Asian Cup a record four times, in 1992, 2000, 2004 & 2011. The team has also finished second in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. Their principal continental rivals are South Korea and, most recently, Australia.[citation needed]
Japan is the only team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, having been invited in 1999 and 2011.[5] Although they initially accepted the invitation for the 2011 tournament, the JFA later withdrew following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[6]
The Japanese team is commonly known by the fans and media as Sakkā Nippon Daihyō (サッカー日本代表), Nippon Daihyō (日本代表), or Daihyō (代表) as abbreviated expressions. Although the team does not have an official nickname as such, it is often known by the name of the manager. For example, under Takeshi Okada, the team was known as Okada Japan (岡田ジャパン Okada Japan).[7] Recently, the team has been known or nicknamed as the "Samurai Blue", while Japanese news media still refer it to by the manager's last name, as "Halilhodžić Japan" (ハリルホジッチジャパン Hariruhojitchi Japan), or "Halil Japan" (ハリルジャパン Hariru Japan) in an abbreviated form.[8][9]
Contents
History[edit]
Japan's first major achievement in international football came in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where the team won the bronze 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 FIFA World Cup until 30 years later.[10] However, Japan made its first appearance in the Asian Cup in 1988, where they were eliminated in the group stage following a draw with Iran and losses to South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
In 1991, the owners of the semi-professional Japan Soccer League agreed to disband the league and re-form as the professional J. League, partly to raise the sport's profile and to strengthen the national team program. The following year Japan hosted and won the Asian Cup in their second appearance, defeating Saudi Arabia 1–0 in the final. The J. League was officially launched in 1993, causing interest in football and the national team to grow.
However, in its first attempt to qualify with professional players, Japan narrowly missed a ticket to the 1994 World Cup after drawing with Iraq in the final match of the qualification round, remembered by fans as the "Agony of Doha". Japan's next tournament was a defence of their continental title at the 1996 Asian Cup. The team won all their games in the group stage but were eliminated in the quarter-finals after a 2–0 loss to Kuwait.
The nation's first ever World Cup appearance was in 1998, where Japan lost all their games. The first two fixtures went 1–0 in favour of Argentina and Croatia, despite playing well in both matches. Their campaign ended with a 2–1 defeat to Jamaica. In the 2000 Asian Cup, Japan managed to reclaim their title after defeating Saudi Arabia in the final, becoming Asian Champions for the second time.
Two years later, Japan co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with South Korea. After a 2–2 draw with Belgium in their opening match, the Japanese team advanced to the second round with a 1–0 win over Russia and a 2–0 victory against Tunisia. However, they subsequently exited the tournament during the round of 16, after losing 1–0 to eventual third-place finishers Turkey.
On 8 June 2005, Japan qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, its third consecutive World Cup, by beating North Korea 2–0 on neutral ground. However, Japan failed to advance to the Round of 16, losing to Australia 1–3, drawing Croatia 0–0 and losing to Brazil 1–4.
During the 2010 World Cup qualification, in the fourth round of the Asian Qualifiers, Japan became the first team other than the host South Africa to qualify after defeating Uzbekistan 1–0 away. Japan was put in Group E along with the Netherlands, Denmark and Cameroon.[11] Japan won its opening match of the 2010 World Cup 1–0 against Cameroon, but subsequently lost to the Netherlands 0–1 before defeating Denmark 3–1 to advance to the next round against Paraguay. In the first knockout round, Japan were eliminated from the competition following penalties after a 0–0 draw against Paraguay.
After the World Cup, head coach Takeshi Okada resigned. He was replaced by former Juventus and Milan coach Alberto Zaccheroni. In his first few matches, Japan recorded victories over Guatemala (2–1) and Paraguay (1–0), as well as one of their best ever results, a 1–0 victory over Argentina.
At the start of 2011, Japan participated in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. On 29 January, they beat Australia 1–0 in the final after extra time, their fourth Asian Cup triumph and allowing them to qualify for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.[12]
Japan then started their road to 2014 World Cup in Brazil with numerous qualifiers. Throughout, they suffered only two losses to Uzbekistan and Jordan, and drawing against Australia. Afterwards, on 12 October, Japan earned a historic 1–0 victory over France, a team they had never before defeated. After a 1–1 draw with Australia they qualified for the 2014 World Cup, becoming the first nation (outside of Brazil, who hosted the tournament and qualified automatically) to qualify.
Japan started their 2013 Confederations Cup campaign with a 3–0 loss to Brazil. They were then eliminated from the competition after losing to Italy 3–4 in a hard-fought match but received praise for their style of play in the match. They lost their final match 1–2 against Mexico and finished in fourth place in Group A. One month later, in the EAFF East Asian Cup, they started out with a 3–3 draw to China. They then beat Australia 3–2 and beat South Korea 2–1 in the third and final match in the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup to claim the title. The road to Brazil looked bright as Japan managed a 2–2 draw with the Netherlands and a 2–3 victory over Belgium. This was followed by three straight wins against Cyprus, Costa Rica and Zambia.
Japan was placed into Group C at the 2014 World Cup alongside the Ivory Coast, Greece and Colombia. They fell in their first match to Ivory Coast 2–1 despite 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 needed Greece to beat Ivory Coast. Greece beat Ivory Coast 2–1, but Japan could not perform well against Colombia and were beaten 4–1, eliminating them from the World Cup. Alberto Zaccheroni resigned as head coach after the World Cup. In July 2014, former Mexico and Espanyol manager Javier Aguirre took over and Japan lost 0–2 to Uruguay in the first game he managed.
Aguirre would begin a strong revamp of the team, switching out Zaccheroni's long-used 4–2–3–1 formation for his own 4–3–3 and applied this with a roster of the J.League's finest, dropping many regulars. A 2–2 draw against Venezuela was followed by a 1–0 victory over Jamaica. However, they lost their following match to Brazil 4–0, with Neymar scoring all four goals. Japan's sights turned to January and their title defense at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
Japan won its opening match at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Group D against Asian Cup debutantes Palestine 4–0, with goals from Yasuhito Endō, Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda via a penalty and Maya 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 knockout stage as Group D winner with nine points, seven goals scored and no goals conceded. In the quarter-finals, Japan lost to the United Arab Emirates in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw, as Honda and Shinji Kagawa missed their penalty kicks. Japan's elimination marked their worst performance in the tournament in 19 years.
After the Asian Cup, Aguirre was sacked following allegations of corruption during a prior tenure. He was replaced by Vahid Halilhodžić in March 2015.
Rivalries[edit]
Japan maintains a strong rivalry with South Korea. Japan has played 76 matches against the South Korean football team with 14 victories, 22 draws, and 40 losses. The football rivalry is long-seated and is often seen as an extension of an overall rivalry that runs deep between the two nations. Controversies occasionally flare up between matches between the two nations, most recently at the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup, where at the final match of the tournament, played between South Korea and Japan on 28 July, South Korean fans booed the start of the Japanese anthem and later upped the political sloganeering with a banner that covered most of the width of one end of the ground that read, in Korean, "The nation that forgets history has no future."(Korean: 역사를 잊은 민족에게 미래는 없다),[13] in response to the Japanese Rising Sun Flag, apparently aiming at the Japanese leaders' reluctance to admit to wrongdoings during its militaristic and colonial past, after they displayed huge pictures of Ahn Jung-geun, who assassinated the first Prime Minister of Japan and then-Japanese Resident-General of Korea Itō Hirobumi back in 1909, and Yi Sun-sin, a Korean naval commander who is famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty back in the 16th century.[14]
Japan began to develop a fierce rivalry with fellow Asian powerhouse Australia, shortly after the latter joined the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).[15] The rivalry is regarded as one of Asia's biggest football rivalries.[16] 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.[17] The rivalry began at the 2006 World Cup where the two countries were grouped together. The rivalry continued with the two countries meeting regularly in various AFC competitions, such as the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, the 2011 AFC Asian Cup Final and the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup.[18]
Team image[edit]
Fan Chanting[edit]
Japanese national team supporters are known for chanting "Nippon Ole" (Nippon is the Japanese term for Japan) at home matches.[19]
Kits and colors[edit]
Japan's kit is provided by German company Adidas, the team's official apparel sponsor since 1986.
The home kit consists of a blue jersey with Japan's crest and flag on the chest, blue shorts with bright pink patches on the side and blue socks with pink tops. The away kit is neon yellow, accented with navy blue and orange. In the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, Japan temporarily switched the colour of the numbers from white to gold.
Prior to Adidas, Asics and Puma had been the team's official apparel sponsor. The national team kit design has gone through several alterations in the past. In the early 1980s, the kit was white with blue trim. When Japan was coached by Kenzo Yokoyama (1988–1991) the kits were red and white, matching the colors of Japan's national flag. The kits worn for the 1992 Asian Cup consisted of white stripes (stylized to form a wing) with red diamonds. During Japan's first World Cup appearance in 1996 Asian Cup and in 1998, 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). This design is reproduced in the current kit, adopted in 2017.
Japan uses blue and white rather than red and white due to a superstition. In its first major international competition, the 1936 Summer Olympics, Japan used a blue kit in the match against Sweden, where Japan won 3–2.[20]
- Home
      1917
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 1950–75
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   1975–79
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   1979–80
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   1980–83
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   1983–86
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   1986–87
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   1988–91
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   1991–92
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    1992–96
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    1996–98
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     1998–99
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     1999–2000
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     2001
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    2002–03
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     2004–05
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     2005–07
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    2008–09
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    2009–11
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     2012–13
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     2013–15
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- Away
 1980–81
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    1984–85
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   1985
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     1998–99
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     1999–2000
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     2001
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    2002–03
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     2004–05
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     2006–07
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    2008–09
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    2010–11
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     2012–13
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     2014–15
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Sponsorship[edit]
Japan has one of the highest sponsorship incomes for a national squad. In 2006 their sponsorship income amounted to over 16.5 million pounds.
Primary sponsors include Adidas, Kirin, Saison Card International, FamilyMart, JAL, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, Asahi Shinbun, Mizuho Financial, Daito Trust Construction and KDDI.
Mascot[edit]
The mascots are "Karappe" (カラッペ) and "Karara" (カララ), two Yatagarasu wearing the Japan national football team uniform. The mascots were designed by Japanese manga artist Susumu Matsushita. Each year when a new kit is launched, the mascots change uniforms.
For the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Pokémon character Pikachu served as the mascot.[21]
Competitive record[edit]
All time results[edit]
Recent results and fixtures[edit]
* Japan score always listed first
Win Draw Loss
Coaching[edit]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach |  Vahid Halilhodžić |
| Assistant Coach |  Jacky Bonnevay |
| Assistant Coach |  Makoto Teguramori |
| Physical Coach | Cyril Moine |
| Conditioning Coach | Naoki Hayakawa |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Enver Lugušić |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Yukiya Hamano |
Players[edit]
Current squad[edit]
- The following players were called up for a friendly game and a match for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier matches: [22]
- Match date: 7th and 13th June 2017
- Opposition:
Syria and 
Iraq - Caps and goals are correct as of 13th June 2017, after the match against Iraq.
| # | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Eiji Kawashima | 20 March 1983 | 76 | 0 | Metz |
| 12 | GK | Masaaki Higashiguchi | 12 May 1986 | 2 | 0 | Gamba Osaka |
| 23 | GK | Kosuke Nakamura | 27 February 1995 | 0 | 0 | Kashiwa Reysol |
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| 5 | DF | Yūto Nagatomo | 12 September 1986 | 95 | 3 |  Internazionale |
| 22 | DF | Maya Yoshida | 24 August 1988 | 75 | 10 |  Southampton |
| 21 | DF | Gōtoku Sakai | 14 March 1991 | 35 | 0 |  Hamburger SV |
| 19 | DF | Hiroki Sakai | 12 April 1990 | 36 | 0 | Marseille |
| 20 | DF | Tomoaki Makino | 11 May 1987 | 24 | 2 | Urawa Red Diamonds |
| 3 | DF | Gen Shōji | 11 December 1992 | 4 | 0 | Kashima Antlers |
| 13 | DF | Genta Miura | 1 March 1995 | 0 | 0 | Gamba Osaka |
| 2 | DF | Tomoya Ugajin | 23 March 1988 | 0 | 0 | Urawa Red Diamonds |
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| 4 | MF | Keisuke Honda  |
13 June 1986 | 90 | 36 |  Pachuca |
| 17 | MF | Yasuyuki Konno | 25 January 1983 | 90 | 4 | Gamba Osaka |
| 16 | MF | Hotaru Yamaguchi | 6 October 1990 | 33 | 2 | Cerezo Osaka |
| 6 | MF | Wataru Endo | 9 February 1993 | 8 | 0 | Urawa Red Diamonds |
| 14 | MF | Yosuke Ideguchi | 23 August 1996 | 2 | 0 | Gamba Osaka |
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| 9 | FW | Shinji Okazaki | 16 April 1986 | 109 | 50 | Leicester City |
| 8 | FW | Genki Haraguchi | 9 May 1991 | 24 | 6 | Hertha BSC |
| 7 | FW | Shu Kurata | 26 November 1988 | 4 | 0 | Gamba Osaka |
| 10 | FW | Takashi Inui | 2 June 1988 | 20 | 2 |  Eibar |
| 15 | FW | Yuya Osako | 18 May 1990 | 20 | 6 | 1. FC Köln |
| 18 | FW | Takuma Asano | 10 November 1994 | 11 | 2 | VfB Stuttgart |
| 11 | FW | Yuya Kubo | 24 December 1993 | 6 | 2 |  Gent |
Recent call-ups[edit]
The following players have been called up to the Japan squad in last 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Shūsaku Nishikawa | 18 June 1986 | 31 | 0 | Urawa Red Diamonds |
v.  Thailand, 28 March 2017 |
| GK | Akihiro Hayashi | 7 May 1987 | 0 | 0 | FC Tokyo |
v. Thailand, 28 March 2017 |
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| DF | Masato Morishige | 21 May 1987 | 41 | 2 | FC Tokyo |
v. Thailand, 28 March 2017 |
| DF | Naomichi Ueda | 24 October 1994 | 0 | 0 | Kashima Antlers |
v. Thailand, 28 March 2017 |
| DF | Yuichi Maruyama | 16 June 1989 | 2 | 0 | FC Tokyo |
v.  Saudi Arabia, 15 November 2016 |
| DF | Kōsuke Ōta | 23 July 1987 | 6 | 0 | FC Tokyo |
v.  Australia, 11 October 2016 |
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| MF | Takashi Usami | 6 May 1992 | 19 | 3 | FC Augsburg |
v.  Syria, 7 June 2017 |
| MF | Kohei Kato | 14 June 1989 | 0 | 0 |  Beroe Stara Zagora |
v. Syria, 7 June 2017 |
| MF | Shinji Kagawa | 17 March 1989 | 87 | 28 | Borussia Dortmund |
v. Syria, 7 June 2017 INJ |
| MF | Makoto Hasebe | 18 January 1984 | 104 | 2 | Eintracht Frankfurt |
v. Thailand, 28 March 2017 INJ |
| MF | Hiroshi Kiyotake | 12 November 1989 | 44 | 5 | Cerezo Osaka |
v. Thailand, 28 March 2017 INJ |
| MF | Yojiro Takahagi | 2 August 1986 | 2 | 0 | FC Tokyo |
v.  United Arab Emirates, 23 March 2017 |
| MF | Yūki Kobayashi | 24 April 1992 | 2 | 1 |  Heerenveen |
v. Saudi Arabia, 15 November 2016 |
| MF | Ryota Nagaki | 4 June 1988 | 1 | 0 | Kashima Antlers |
v. Saudi Arabia, 15 November 2016 |
| MF | Yōsuke Kashiwagi | 15 December 1987 | 11 | 0 | Urawa Red Diamonds |
v. Australia, 11 October 2016 |
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| FW | Yu Kobayashi | 23 September 1987 | 8 | 0 | Kawasaki Frontale |
v. Thailand, 28 March 2017 |
| FW | Manabu Saitō | 4 April 1990 | 6 | 1 | Yokohama F. Marinos |
v. Saudi Arabia, 15 November 2016 |
| FW | Yoshinori Mutō | 15 July 1992 | 19 | 2 | Mainz 05 |
v. Thailand, 6 September 2016 |
- INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
- PRE Preliminary squad.
- RET Retired from national team.
- SUS Player suspended
Records[edit]
- Statistics below are from matches which the Japan Football Association consider as official.[1][23][24][25]
Updated to 13th June 2017:
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Rosters[edit]
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Managers[edit]
- As of 19 June 2017[26]
| 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% | |||
 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 | 5 | 3 | 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–Present | 27 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 62.96% | |||
Competitions[edit]
- *Denotes draws includes knockout matches decided on penalty shootouts. Red border indicates that the tournament was hosted on home soil. Gold, silver, bronze backgrounds indicates 1st, 2nd and 3rd finishes respectively. Bold text indicates best finish in tournament.
FIFA World Cup[edit]
| FIFA World Cup Finals Record | Qualifications Record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hosts / Year | Result | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA | |
 1930 |
Did Not Enter | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||
| 1934 |
- | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 1938 |
Withdrew | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||
| 1950 |
Withdrew | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||
 1954 |
Did Not Qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||
 1958 |
Did Not Enter | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||
 1962 |
Did Not Qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||
| 1966 |
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 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 51 | 12 | |
 2002 |
Round of 16 | 9th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2006 |
Group Stage | 28th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 5 | |
 2010 |
Round of 16 | 9th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 23 | 9 | |
| 2014 |
Group Stage | 29th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 8 | |
 2018 |
To be determined | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||
 2022 |
To be determined | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||
| Total | Round of 16 | 5/22 | 17 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 22 | 140 | 84 | 28 | 28 | 238 | 90 | |
AFC Asian Cup[edit]
FIFA Confederations Cup[edit]
Olympic Games[edit]Since 1992, the Olympic team has been drawn from a squad with a maximum of three players over 23 years age, and the achievements of this team are not generally regarded as part of the national team's records, nor are the statistics credited to the players' international records.
Copa América[edit]Japan is the only team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, having been invited in both 1999 and 2011.[5] However, Japan declined their invitation on May 16, 2011 after events related with the difficulty to release some Japanese players from European teams to play as a replacement. On May 17, 2011, CONMEBOL invited Costa Rica to replace Japan in the competition, the Costa Rican Football Federation accepted their invitation later that day.
Head-to-head records against other countries[edit]FIFA ranking[edit]Last updated 11 April 2017
Team Records[edit]
Honors[edit]International[edit]
Continental[edit]Regional[edit]
Other[edit]
Invitational[edit]
Individual Awards[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
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