Japan national football team

Japan

Nickname(s)	Samurai Blue Japanese Representatives (of soccer) ((サッカー)日本代表, (Sakkā) Nippon Daihyō?) Okada Japan (岡田ジャパン, Okada Japan?)[1]
Association	Japan Football Association
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Head coach	Takeshi Okada
Captain	Yuji Nakazawa
Most caps	Masami Ihara (123)
Top scorer	Kunishige Kamamoto (75)
FIFA code	JPN
FIFA ranking	43
Highest FIFA ranking	9 (February 1998)
Lowest FIFA ranking	62 (February 2000)
Elo ranking	17
Highest Elo ranking	8 (August 2001, March 2002)
Lowest Elo ranking	112 (September 1962)
Home colours Away colours
First international
Japan 0 - 5 Republic of China  (Tokyo, Japan; May 9, 1917)
Biggest win
Japan 15 - 0 Philippines  (Tokyo, Japan; September 27, 1967)
Biggest defeat
Japan 2 - 15 Philippines  (Tokyo, Japan; May 10, 1917)
World Cup
Appearances	4 (First in 1998)
Best result	Round of 16, 2002
Asian Cup
Appearances	6 (First in 1988)
Best result	Champions, 1992, 2000, 2004
Confederations Cup
Appearances	4 (First in 1995)
Best result	Runners-Up, 2001

Olympic medal record
Men’s Football
Bronze	1968 Mexico City	Team

The Japan national football team is the national football team of Japan and is controlled by the Japan Football Association.

On July 21, 2006, Bosnian Ivica Osim, who previously coached Yugoslavia and most recently JEF United Ichihara Chiba, took over as manager, succeeding Zico, who had coached Japan from 2002 through the end of Japan's 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign. However, in late 2007 Osim suffered a stroke and was replaced by Takeshi Okada, who had previously served as the manager for Japan leading up to and during the 1998 FIFA World Cup.^[2]

The team is commonly known by the fans and media as Soccer Nippon Daihyō (サッカー日本代表^?, lit. Japanese representatives of soccer), or Nippon Daihyō (日本代表^?, lit. Japanese representatives), Daihyō (代表^?, lit. representatives) 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 Ivica Osim, the team is known as Osim Japan. Recently the team has been known or nicknamed as the Blue Samurai.

Japan is one of the most successful national teams in Asia, being a three-time winner of the Asian Cup and having qualified for the last four consecutive World Cup finals.

Contents 1 History 2 Kits 3 Sponsorship 4 Schedule and recent results 5 Players 5.1 Current Squad 5.1.1 Recent Call Ups 5.2 Top Goalscorers 5.3 Most Capped 5.4 Past Competition Rosters 5.4.1 World Cup Rosters 5.4.2 Asian Cup Rosters 5.4.3 Confederations Cup Rosters 5.4.4 Summer Olympics Rosters 6 Manager History 7 Competition Records 7.1 FIFA World Cup Record 7.2 FIFA Confederations Cup Record 7.3 AFC Asian Cup Record 7.4 Olympic Games Record 7.5 East Asian Football Championship Record 7.6 Copa América Record 8 Honors 8.1 International 8.2 Regional 9 Youth National Programs 9.1 U-20 National Team 9.2 U-17 National Team 10 See also 11 References 12 External links

History

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.^[3]

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. With the launch of the new league in 1993, interest in football and the national team grew.

However, in its first attempt to qualify with professional players, Japan narrowly missed a ticket to the 1994 FIFA World Cup after failing to beat Iraq in the final match of the qualification round, remembered by fans as the Agony of Doha.

The nation's first FIFA World Cup appearance was in 1998, where they lost all three matches. Japan's first two fixtures went 1-0 in favor of Argentina and Croatia, despite playing well in both games. Their campaign ended with an unexpected 2-1 defeat to rank outsiders Jamaica.

Four years later, Japan co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with South Korea. Despite being held to a 2-2 draw by Belgium in their opening game, 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 June 8, 2005, Japan qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, its third consecutive World Cup, by beating North Korea 2-0 in Bangkok, Thailand. However, Japan failed to advance to the Round of 16 after finishing group play without a win, losing to Australia 1-3, drawing Croatia 0-0 and losing to Brazil 1-4.

Japan has had considerably more success in the Asian Cup, taking home the winner's trophy in three of the last four finals, in 1992, 2000 and 2004. Their principal continental rivals are South Korea, followed by Saudi Arabia, and most recently Australia.

Japan is the only team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, having been invited in 1999 and 2011^[4].

In August 2006, incoming head coach Ivica Osim gave the captaincy to Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, as he felt that the extra responsibilities detracted from former captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto's contributions to his club team.

During the 2010 FIFA 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, in Tashkent.

Kits

Japan's 1988 kit

Japan's current uniforms are provided by Adidas, the team's official apparel sponsor. The home kit consists of a blue jersey with yellow trims, white shorts, and blue socks. The away kit consists of a white jersey, blue shorts, and white socks.^[5]

The national team kit design has gone through several alterations in the past. From 1988 to 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 with red diamonds. During Japan's first World Cup appearance in 1998, the national team kits were blue jerseys with red and white flames. Japan also used a third kit consisting of another white jersey with black shorts and red socks in the J-League vs. K-League match.

Sponsorship

Japan has one of the highest sponsorship incomes for a national squad. In 2006 their sponsorship income amounted to over 16.5 million pounds^[6]. Primary sponsors include Kirin, Adidas, Sony, Saison Card International, FamilyMart, Fujifilm, JAL, and Nissan.

Schedule and recent results

For 2008 results refer to Japan national football team in 2008

Date	Opponent	Result	Score1	Venue	Competition
Jan 20, 2009	Yemen	W	2-1	KKWing Stadium, Kumamoto, Japan	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
Jan 28, 2009	Bahrain	L	0-1	National Stadium, Madinat 'Isa, Bahrain	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
Feb 04, 2009	Finland	W	5-1	National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan	Friendly Match (2009 Kirin Challenge Cup)
Feb 11, 2009	Australia	D	0-0	International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
Mar 28, 2009	Bahrain	W	1-0	Saitama Stadium, Saitama, Japan	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
May 27, 2009	Chile	W	4-0	Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan	2009 Kirin Cup
May 31, 2009	Belgium	W	4-0	National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan	2009 Kirin Cup
Jun 06, 2009	Uzbekistan	W	1-0	Pakhtakor Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
Jun 10, 2009	Qatar	D	1-1	International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
Jun 17, 2009	Australia	L	1-2	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
Sep 05, 2009	Netherlands	L	0-3	De Grolsch Veste, Enschede, Netherlands	Friendly Match
Sep 09, 2009	Ghana	W	4-3	Stadion Galgenwaard, Utrecht, Netherlands	Friendly Match
Oct 08, 2009	Hong Kong	W	6-0	Outsourcing Stadium, Shizuoka, Japan	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
Oct 10, 2009	Scotland	W	2-0	Nissan Stadium, Yokohama. Japan	Friendly Match (2009 Kirin Challenge Cup)
Oct 14, 2009	Togo	W	5-0	Miyagi Stadium, Rifu, Japan	Friendly Match (2009 Kirin Challenge Cup)
Nov 14, 2009	South Africa	D	0-0	Nelson Mandela Stadium, Port Elizabeth, South Africa	Friendly Match
Nov 18, 2009	Hong Kong	W	4-0	Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
Jan 06, 2010	Yemen			Ali Muhesen Stadium, Sana'a, Yemen	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
Feb 06, 2010	China PR			National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan	2010 East Asian Football Championship
Feb 11, 2010	Hong Kong			Tokyo Stadium, Tokyo, Japan	2010 East Asian Football Championship
Feb 14, 2010	Korea Republic			Tokyo Stadium, Tokyo, Japan	2010 East Asian Football Championship
Mar 03, 2010	Bahrain			TBA, Japan	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
Jun, 2010	TBA			TBA, South Africa	2010 FIFA World Cup
Jun, 2010	TBA			TBA, South Africa	2010 FIFA World Cup
Jun, 2010	TBA			TBA, South Africa	2010 FIFA World Cup

¹ Japan score always listed first

Players

Current Squad

Squad selected for the friendly match against South Africa and 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification against Hong Kong, November 14 and November 18, 2009.

No. Pos. Player DoB (Age) Caps Goals Club 23 GK Eiji Kawashima March 20, 1983 (1983-03-20) (age 26) 8 0 Kawasaki Frontale 35 GK Shusaku Nishikawa June 18, 1986 (1986-06-18) (age 23) 1 0 Oita Trinita 22 DF Yuji Nakazawa February 25, 1978 (1978-02-25) (age 31) 96 17 Yokohama F. Marinos 4 DF Marcus Tulio Tanaka April 24, 1981 (1981-04-24) (age 28) 32 6 Urawa Red Diamonds 3 DF Yūichi Komano July 25, 1981 (1981-07-25) (age 28) 49 0 Júbilo Iwata 62 DF Daiki Iwamasa January 30, 1982 (1982-01-30) (age 27) 1 0 Kashima Antlers 15 DF Yasuyuki Konno January 25, 1983 (1983-01-25) (age 26) 33 0 FC Tokyo 36 DF Yuhei Tokunaga September 25, 1983 (1983-09-25) (age 26) 5 0 FC Tokyo 20 DF Atsuto Uchida March 27, 1988 (1988-03-27) (age 21) 27 1 Kashima Antlers 10 MF Shunsuke Nakamura June 24, 1978 (1978-06-24) (age 31) 93 24 Espanyol 5 MF Junichi Inamoto September 18, 1979 (1979-09-18) (age 30) 74 5 Stade Rennais 7 MF Yasuhito Endō January 28, 1980 (1980-01-28) (age 29) 85 7 Gamba Osaka 8 MF Daisuke Matsui May 11, 1981 (1981-05-11) (age 28) 21 1 Grenoble Foot 38 6 MF Yuki Abe September 6, 1981 (1981-09-06) (age 28) 41 3 Urawa Red Diamonds 17 MF Makoto Hasebe January 18, 1984 (1984-01-18) (age 25) 27 1 VfL Wolfsburg 57 MF Keisuke Honda June 13, 1986 (1986-06-13) (age 23) 11 3 VVV-Venlo 11 FW Keiji Tamada April 11, 1980 (1980-04-11) (age 29) 63 14 Nagoya Grampus 27 FW Hisato Satō March 12, 1982 (1982-03-12) (age 27) 28 4 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 16 FW Yoshito Okubo June 9, 1982 (1982-06-09) (age 27) 42 5 Vissel Kobe 33 FW Shinji Okazaki April 16, 1986 (1986-04-16) (age 23) 20 15 Shimizu S-Pulse 19 FW Shinzo Koroki July 31, 1986 (1986-07-31) (age 23) 10 0 Kashima Antlers

Recent Call Ups

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

Goalkeepers

Player	DoB/Age	Caps	Goals	Team	Most Recent Call up
Kaito Yamamoto	July 10, 1985 (1985-07-10) (age 24)	0	0	Shimizu S-Pulse	Friendly v. Togo, October 14, 2009
Ryōta Tsuzuki	April 18, 1978 (1978-04-18) (age 31)	6	0	Urawa Red Diamonds	Friendly v. Ghana, September 9, 2009
Seigo Narazaki	April 11, 1976 (1976-04-11) (age 33)	69	0	Nagoya Grampus	2010 FIFA World Cup qual. v. Australia, June 17, 2009
Takanori Sugeno	May 3, 1984 (1984-05-03) (age 25)	0	0	Kashiwa Reysol	2010 FIFA World Cup qual. v. Australia, February 11, 2009
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi	August 15, 1975 (1975-08-15) (age 34)	116	0	Júbilo Iwata	2011 AFC Asian Cup qual. v. Bahrain, 28 January 2009

Defenders

Player	DoB/Age	Caps	Goals	Team	Most Recent Call up
Yuto Nagatomo	September 12, 1986 (1986-09-12) (age 23)	18	3	F.C. Tokyo	Friendly v. Togo, October 14, 2009
Keisuke Iwashita	September 24, 1986 (1986-09-24) (age 23)	0	0	Shimizu S-Pulse	Friendly v. Togo, October 14, 2009
Satoshi Yamaguchi	April 17, 1978 (1978-04-17) (age 31)	2	0	Gamba Osaka	2010 FIFA World Cup qual. v. Australia, June 17, 2009
Tomoaki Makino	May 11, 1987 (1987-05-11) (age 22)	0	0	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	2010 FIFA World Cup qual. v. Australia, June 17, 2009
Shuhei Terada	June 23, 1975 (1975-06-23) (age 34)	6	0	Kawasaki Frontale	2010 FIFA World Cup qual. v. Bahrain, March 28, 2009
Kazumichi Takagi	November 21, 1980 (1980-11-21) (age 29)	5	0	Gamba Osaka	2010 FIFA World Cup qual. v. Australia, February 11, 2009
Michihiro Yasuda	December 20, 1987 (1987-12-20) (age 21)	6	1	Gamba Osaka	2010 FIFA World Cup qual. v. Australia, February 11, 2009
Hiroki Mizumoto	September 12, 1985 (1985-09-12) (age 24)	3	0	Kyoto Sanga	2011 AFC Asian Cup qual. v. Bahrain, 28 January 2009
Shohei Abe	December 1, 1983 (1983-12-01) (age 25)	0	0	Nagoya Grampus	2011 AFC Asian Cup qual. v. Yemen, 20 January 2009
Yosuke Ishibitsu	July 23, 1983 (1983-07-23) (age 26)	0	0	Vissel Kobe	Training session, January 2009
Masato Morishige	May 21, 1987 (1987-05-21) (age 22)	0	0	Oita Trinita	Training session, January 2009

Midfielders

Player	DoB/Age	Caps	Goals	Team	Most Recent Call up
Kengo Nakamura	October 31, 1980 (1980-10-31) (age 29)	41	5	Kawasaki Frontale	Friendly v. Togo, October 14, 2009
Hideo Hashimoto	May 21, 1979 (1979-05-21) (age 30)	13	0	Gamba Osaka	Friendly v. Togo, October 14, 2009
Naohiro Ishikawa	May 12, 1981 (1981-05-12) (age 28)	4	0	F.C. Tokyo	Friendly v. Togo, October 14, 2009
Naoki Yamada	July 4, 1990 (1990-07-04) (age 19)	1	0	Urawa Red Diamonds	2010 FIFA World Cup qual. v. Australia, June 17, 2009
Shinji Kagawa	March 17, 1989 (1989-03-17) (age 20)	10	2	Cerezo Osaka	2010 FIFA World Cup qual. v. Uzbekistan, June 6, 2009
Mu Kanazaki	February 16, 1989 (1989-02-16) (age 20)	1	0	Oita Trinita	2010 FIFA World Cup qual. v. Bahrain, March 28, 2009
Takeshi Aoki	September 28, 1982 (1982-09-28) (age 27)	2	0	Kashima Antlers	2011 AFC Asian Cup qual. v. Bahrain, 28 January 2009
Takashi Inui	June 2, 1988 (1988-06-02) (age 21)	1	0	Cerezo Osaka	2011 AFC Asian Cup qual. v. Yemen, 20 January 2009
Hiroyuki Taniguchi	June 27, 1985 (1985-06-27) (age 24)	0	0	Kawasaki Frontale	2011 AFC Asian Cup qual. v. Yemen, 20 January 2009
Kohei Kudo	August 28, 1984 (1984-08-28) (age 25)	0	0	JEF United Ichihara Chiba	Training session, January 2009

Forwards

Player	DoB/Age	Caps	Goals	Team	Most Recent Call up
Takayuki Morimoto	May 7, 1988 (1988-05-07) (age 21)	2	1	Catania	Friendly v. Togo, October 14, 2009
Ryoichi Maeda	October 9, 1981 (1981-10-09) (age 28)	5	2	Júbilo Iwata	Friendly v. Togo, October 14, 2009
Kisho Yano	April 5, 1984 (1984-04-05) (age 25)	16	2	Albirex Niigata	2010 FIFA World Cup qual. v. Australia, June 17, 2009
Tatsuya Tanaka	November 27, 1982 (1982-11-27) (age 26)	16	3	Urawa Red Diamonds	2010 FIFA World Cup qual. v. Bahrain, March 28, 2009
Seiichiro Maki	August 7, 1980 (1980-08-07) (age 29)	38	8	JEF United Ichihara Chiba	2010 FIFA World Cup qual. v. Australia, February 11, 2009

Top Goalscorers As of June 11, 2009 the players with the most goals are: Pos Player Goals Tenure 1 Kunishige Kamamoto 75 1964–1977 2 Kazuyoshi Miura 55 1992–2000 3 Hiromi Hara 37 1978–1988 4 Takuya Takagi 27 1992–1997 5 Kazushi Kimura 26 1979–1986 6 Shunsuke Nakamura 24 2000– 7 Naohiro Takahara 23 2000–2008 8 Masashi Nakayama 21 1990–2003 9 Teruki Miyamoto 19 1961–1971 10 Atsushi Yanagisawa 17 1998–2006 10 Yuji Nakazawa 17 1999– * The players in bold typeface are still active in football.

Most Capped As of June 11, 2009 the players with the most caps are: Pos Player Caps Tenure 1 Masami Ihara 122 1988–1999 2 Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi 116 1997– 3 Yuji Nakazawa 96 1999– 4 Shunsuke Nakamura 93 2000– 5 Kazuyoshi Miura 89 1990–2000 6 Yasuhito Endō 85 2002– 7 Alessandro dos Santos 82 2002–2006 8 Satoshi Tsunami 80 1980–1995 9 Hidetoshi Nakata 77 1997–2006 10 Kunishige Kamamoto 76 1964–1977 * The players in bold typeface are still active in football.

Category:Japan international footballers

Past Competition Rosters

World Cup Rosters 1998 FIFA World Cup 2002 FIFA World Cup 2006 FIFA World Cup Asian Cup Rosters 1988 Asian Cup 1992 Asian Cup 1996 Asian Cup 2000 Asian Cup 2004 Asian Cup 2007 Asian Cup

Confederations Cup Rosters 1995 FIFA Confederations Cup 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup Summer Olympics Rosters 1936 Olympics 1956 Olympics 1964 Olympics 1968 Olympics 1996 Olympics 2000 Olympics 2004 Olympics 2008 Olympics

Manager History

Manager Period Takeshi Okada 2007 - present Ivica Osim 2006 - 2007 Zico 2002 - 2006 Philippe Troussier 1998 - 2002 Takeshi Okada 1997 - 1998 Shu Kamo 1994 - 1997 Falcão 1994 Hans Ooft 1992 - 1993 Kenzo Yokoyama 1988 - 1991 Yoshinobu Ishii 1986 - 1987 Takaji Mori 1981 - 1985 Saburō Kawabuchi 1980 - 1981

Manager Period Masashi Watanabe 1980 Yukio Shimomura 1979 - 1980 Hiroshi Ninomiya 1976 - 1978 Ken Naganuma 1972 - 1976 Shunichiro Okano 1970 - 1971 Ken Naganuma 1962 - 1969 Hidetoki Takahashi 1960 - 1962 Shigemaru Takenokoshi 1958 - 1959 Taizo Kawamoto 1958 Hidetoki Takahashi 1957 Shigemaru Takenokoshi 1951 - 1956 Hirokazu Ninomiya 1951

Competition Records

*Denotes draws includes knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

FIFA World Cup Record

FIFA World Cup Record Year Round Position GP W D* L GS GA 1930 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1934 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1938 Withdrew - - - - - - - 1950 Banned - - - - - - - 1954 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1958 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1962 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1966 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1970 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1974 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1978 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1982 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1986 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1990 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1994 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1998 Round 1 31 3 0 0 3 1 4 2002 Round of 16 9 4 2 1 1 5 3 2006 Round 1 28 3 0 1 2 2 7 2010 Qualified - - - - - - - Total 4/19 1 Round of 16 10 2 2 6 8 14

FIFA World Cup History Year Round Score Result 1998 Round 1  Japan 0 – 1  Argentina Loss Round 1  Japan 0 – 1  Croatia Loss Round 1  Japan 1 – 2  Jamaica Loss 2002 Round 1  Japan 2 – 2  Belgium Draw Round 1  Japan 1 – 0  Russia Win Round 1  Japan 2 – 0  Tunisia Win Round 2  Japan 0 – 1  Turkey Loss 2006 Round 1  Japan 1 – 3  Australia Loss Round 1  Japan 0 – 0  Croatia Draw Round 1  Japan 1 – 4  Brazil Loss 2010 Round 1  Japan – - Round 1  Japan – - Round 1  Japan – -

FIFA Confederations Cup Record

FIFA Confederations Cup Record Year Round Position GP W D* L GS GA 1992 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1995 Round 1 6 2 0 0 2 1 8 1997 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1999 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 2001 Runners-Up 2 5 3 1 1 6 1 2003 Round 1 6 3 1 0 2 4 3 2005 Round 1 5 3 1 1 1 4 4 2009 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - Total 4/8 1 Runners-Up 13 5 2 6 15 16

FIFA Confederations Cup History Year Round Score Result 1995 Round 1  Japan 0 – 3  Nigeria Loss Round 1  Japan 1 – 5  Argentina Loss 2001 Round 1  Japan 3 – 0  Canada Win Round 1  Japan 2 – 0  Cameroon Win Round 1  Japan 0 – 0  Brazil Draw Semifinals  Japan 1 – 0  Australia Win Final  Japan 0 – 1  France Loss 2003 Round 1  Japan 3 – 0  New Zealand Win Round 1  Japan 1 – 2  France Loss Round 1  Japan 0 – 1  Colombia Loss 2005 Round 1  Japan 1 – 2  Mexico Loss Round 1  Japan 1 – 0  Greece Win Round 1  Japan 2 – 2  Brazil Draw

AFC Asian Cup Record

AFC Asian Cup Record Year Round Position GP W D* L GS GA 1956 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1960 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1964 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1968 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1972 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1976 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1980 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1984 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1988 Round 1 10 4 0 1 3 0 6 1992 Champions 1 5 3 2 0 6 3 1996 Quarterfinals 7 4 3 0 1 7 3 2000 Champions 1 6 5 1 0 21 6 2004 Champions 1 6 4 2 0 13 6 2007 Fourth Place 4 6 2 3 1 11 7 2011 Qualifying In Progress - - - - - - - Total 6/14 3 Titles 31 17 9 5 58 31

AFC Asian Cup History Year Round Score Result 1988 Round 1  Japan 0 – 0  Iran Draw Round 1  Japan 0 – 2  Korea Republic Loss Round 1  Japan 0 – 1  United Arab Emirates Loss Round 1  Japan 0 – 3  Qatar Loss 1992 Round 1  Japan 0 – 0  United Arab Emirates Draw Round 1  Japan 1 – 1  Korea DPR Draw Round 1  Japan 1 – 0  Iran Win Semifinals  Japan 3 – 2  China PR Win Finals  Japan 1 – 0  Saudi Arabia Win 1996 Round 1  Japan 2 – 1  Syria Win Round 1  Japan 4 – 0  Uzbekistan Win Round 1  Japan 1 – 0  China PR Win Quarterfinals  Japan 0 – 2  Kuwait Loss 2000 Round 1  Japan 4 – 1  Saudi Arabia Win Round 1  Japan 8 – 1  Uzbekistan Win Round 1  Japan 1 – 1  Qatar Draw Quarterfinals  Japan 4 – 1  Iraq Win Semifinals  Japan 3 – 2  China PR Win Finals  Japan 1 – 0  Saudi Arabia Win 2004 Round 1  Japan 1 – 0  Oman Win Round 1  Japan 4 – 1  Thailand Win Round 1  Japan 0 – 0  Iran Draw Quarterfinals  Japan 1 – 1  Jordan Draw Semifinals  Japan 4 – 3  Bahrain Win Finals  Japan 3 – 1  China PR Win 2007 Round 1  Japan 1 – 1  Qatar Draw Round 1  Japan 3 – 1  United Arab Emirates Win Round 1  Japan 4 – 1  Vietnam Win Quarterfinals  Japan 1 – 1  Australia Draw Semifinals  Japan 2 – 3  Saudi Arabia Loss Third Place  Japan 0 – 0  Korea Republic Draw

Olympic Games Record

Since 1992, the Olympic team has been drawn from a squad with a maximum of three players over 23 years of age, and the achievements of this team are not generally regarded as part of the national teams records, nor are the statistics credited to the players' international records.

Olympic Games Record Year Round Position GP W D* L GS GA 1900 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1904 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1908 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1912 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1920 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1924 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1928 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1936 Quarterfinals 8 2 1 0 1 3 10 1948 Banned - - - - - - - 1952 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1956 Round 1 10 1 0 0 1 0 2 1960 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1964 Quarterfinals 8 3 1 0 2 5 9 1968 Third Place 3 6 3 2 1 9 8 1972 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1976 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1980 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1984 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1988 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1992 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1996 Round 1 9 3 2 0 1 4 4 2000 Quarterfinals 5 4 2 1 1 6 5 2004 Round 1 13 3 1 0 2 6 7 2008 Round 1 15 3 0 0 3 1 4 Total 8/24 1 Third Place 25 10 3 12 34 49

Olympic Games History Year Round Score Result 1936 Round 1  Japan 3 – 2  Sweden Win Quarterfinals  Japan 0 – 8  Italy Loss 1956 Round 1  Japan 0 – 2  Australia Loss 1964 Round 1  Japan 3 – 2  Argentina Win Round 1  Japan 2 – 3  Ghana Loss Quarterfinals  Japan 0 – 4  Czechoslovakia Loss 1968 Round 1  Japan 3 – 1  Nigeria Win Round 1  Japan 1 – 1  Brazil Draw Round 1  Japan 0 – 0  Spain Draw Quarterfinals  Japan 3 – 1  France Win Semifinals  Japan 0 – 5  Hungary Loss Third Place  Japan 2 – 0  Mexico Win 1996 Round 1  Japan 1 – 0  Brazil Win Round 1  Japan 0 – 2  Nigeria Loss Round 1  Japan 3 – 2  Hungary Win 2000 Round 1  Japan 2 – 1  South Africa Win Round 1  Japan 2 – 1  Slovakia Win Round 1  Japan 0 – 1  Brazil Loss Quarterfinals  Japan 2 – 2  United States Draw 2004 Round 1  Japan 3 – 4  Paraguay Loss Round 1  Japan 2 – 3  Italy Loss Round 1  Japan 1 – 0  Ghana Win 2008 Round 1  Japan 0 – 1  United States Loss Round 1  Japan 1 – 2  Nigeria Loss Round 1  Japan 0 – 1  Netherlands Loss

East Asian Football Championship Record

East Asian Football Championship Record Year Round Position GP W D L GS GA 2003 Runners-Up 2 3 2 1 0 3 0 2005 Runners-Up 2 3 1 1 1 3 3 2008 Runners-Up 2 3 1 2 0 3 2 2010 Qualified - - - - - - - Total 4/4 3 Runners-Up 9 4 4 1 9 5

East Asian Football Championship History Year Round Score Result 2003 Finals  Japan 2 – 0  China PR Win Finals  Japan 1 – 0  Hong Kong Win Finals  Japan 0 – 0  Korea Republic Draw 2005 Finals  Japan 0 – 1  Korea DPR Loss Finals  Japan 2 – 2  China PR Draw Finals  Japan 1 – 0  Korea Republic Win 2008 Finals  Japan 1 – 1  Korea DPR Draw Finals  Japan 1 – 0  China PR Win Finals  Japan 1 – 1  Korea Republic Draw

Copa América Record

Japan is the only team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, having been invited in 1999 and 2011^[4].

Copa América Record Year Round Position GP W D* L GS GA 1999 Round 1 10 3 0 1 2 3 8 2011 Invited - - - - - - - Total 2 10 3 0 1 2 3 8

Copa América Year Round Score Result 1999 Round 1  Japan 2 – 3  Peru Loss Round 1  Japan 0 – 4  Paraguay Loss Round 1  Japan 1 – 1  Bolivia Draw

Honors

International

• Summer Olympics

Bronze Medal (1): 1968

• FIFA Confederations Cup

Runners-Up (1): 2001

Regional

• AFC Asian Cup

Champions (3): 1992, 2000, 2004

Fourth Place (1): 2007

• East Asian Football Championship

Runners-Up (3): 2003, 2005, 2008

Youth National Programs

U-20 National Team

See: Japan national under-20 football team

U-17 National Team

See: Japan national under-17 football team

See also

• Japan Football Association
• Football in Japan
• Sport in Japan
• Japan

References

External links

• Japan Football Association national teams (Japanese)
• Japan Football Association national teams (English)
• RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers
• RSSSF archive of national team results up to 2005
• Rising Sun News: Japan NT history and news

Preceded by 1988 Saudi Arabia	Champions Of Asia 1992 Japan  (1st Title)	Succeeded by 1996 Saudi Arabia
Preceded by 1996 Saudi Arabia	Champions Of Asia 2000 Japan  (2nd Title)	Succeeded by 2004 Japan
Preceded by 2000 Japan	Champions Of Asia 2004 Japan  (3rd Title)	Succeeded by 2007 Iraq

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v • d • e Football in Japan Japan Football Association National Teams Japan · Women's · Olympic · U-20 · U-17 · Futsal · Beach soccer League System Men: J. League  · JFL · Regional Leagues Women: L. League Futsal: F. League Domestic Cups Emperor's Cup · Women's Cup · J. League Cup · Super Cup · JOMO Cup  · Shakaijin Cup Reserve & Academy Prince Takamado Cup · High School Tournament List of clubs · List of venues · Champions (J1 · J2) · Kirin Cup

v • d • e Seasons in Japan national football team 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008

v • d • e AFC Asian Cup winners 3 titles  Iran (1968 · 1972 · 1976)  Japan (1992 · 2000 · 2004)  Saudi Arabia (1984 · 1988 · 1996) 2 titles  Korea Republic (1956 · 1960) 1 title  Iraq (2007)  Israel (1964)  Kuwait (1980)

v • d • e 1998 FIFA World Cup finalists Champions France Runners-up Brazil Third place Croatia Fourth place Netherlands Eliminated in quarter-finals Argentina · Denmark · Germany · Italy Eliminated in round of 16 Chile · England · Mexico · Nigeria · Norway · Paraguay · Romania · FR Yugoslavia Eliminated in group stage Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Cameroon · Colombia · Iran · Jamaica · Japan · Korea Republic · Morocco · Scotland · Saudi Arabia · South Africa · Spain · Tunisia · United States

v • d • e 2002 FIFA World Cup finalists Champions Brazil Runners-up Germany Third place Turkey Fourth place Korea Republic Eliminated in quarter-finals England · Senegal · Spain · United States Eliminated in round of 16 Belgium · Denmark · Italy · Japan · Mexico · Paraguay · Republic of Ireland · Sweden Eliminated in group stage Argentina · Cameroon · Costa Rica · China · Croatia · Ecuador · France · Nigeria · Poland · Portugal · Saudi Arabia · Russia · Slovenia · South Africa · Tunisia · Uruguay

v • d • e 2006 FIFA World Cup finalists Champions Italy Runners-up France Third place Germany Fourth place Portugal Eliminated in quarter-finals Argentina · Brazil · England · Ukraine Eliminated in round of 16 Australia · Ecuador · Ghana · Mexico · Netherlands · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland Eliminated in group stage Angola · Costa Rica · Côte d'Ivoire · Croatia · Czech Republic · Iran · Japan · Korea Republic · Paraguay · Poland · Saudi Arabia · Serbia & Montenegro · Togo · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · United States

v • d • e 2010 FIFA World Cup finalists AFC Australia · Japan · Korea DPR · Korea Republic CAF Algeria · Cameroon · Côte d'Ivoire · Ghana · Nigeria · South Africa CONCACAF Honduras · Mexico · United States CONMEBOL Argentina · Brazil · Chile · Paraguay · Uruguay OFC New Zealand UEFA Denmark · England · France · Germany · Greece · Italy · Netherlands · Portugal · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Switzerland

v • d • e International football FIFA · World Cup · Confederations Cup · U-20 World Cup · U-17 World Cup · Olympics · Asian Games · All-Africa Games · Pan American Games · Minor Tournaments · World Rankings · Player of the Year · Teams · Competitions · Federations · Codes Asia AFC – Asian Cup Africa CAF – Africa Cup of Nations North America CONCACAF – Gold Cup South America CONMEBOL – Copa América Oceania OFC – Nations Cup Europe UEFA – European Championship Non-FIFA NF Board – Viva World Cup

v • d • e National football teams of Asia (AFC) Afghanistan · Australia · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · China PR · Chinese Taipei · Guam · Hong Kong* · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Japan · Jordan · Korea DPR · Korea Republic · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Macau* · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · Northern Mariana Islands† · Oman · Pakistan · Palestine · Philippines · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen † Provisional Associate Member - Not a member of FIFA *FIFA and AFC use Hong Kong and Macau; the EAFF uses Hong Kong, China and Macau, China.

v • d • e National football teams of East Asia (EAFF) Men's China PR · Chinese Taipei · Guam · Hong Kong, China · Japan · Korea DPR · Korea Republic · Macau, China · Mongolia · Northern Mariana Islands† Women's China PR · Chinese Taipei · Guam · Hong Kong, China · Japan · Korea DPR · Korea Republic · Macau, China · Mongolia · Northern Mariana Islands† †AFC provisional Associate Member * FIFA and AFC use Hong Kong and Macau; the EAFF uses Hong Kong, China and Macau, China.

Japan FIFA World Cup Squads & Managers Navigation Boxes v • d • e Japan squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup 1 Kojima • 2 Narahashi • 3 Soma • 4 Ihara • 5 Omura • 6 Yamaguchi • 7 Ito • 8 Nakata • 9 Nakayama • 10 Nanami • 11 Ono • 12 Lopes • 13 Hattori • 14 Okano • 15 Morishima • 16 Saito • 17 Akita • 18 Jo • 19 Nakanishi • 20 Kawaguchi • 21 Narazaki • 22 Hirano • Coach: Okada v • d • e Japan squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 Kawaguchi • 2 Akita • 3 Matsuda • 4 Morioka • 5 Inamoto • 6 Hattori • 7 H. Nakata • 8 Morishima • 9 Nishizawa • 10 Nakayama • 11 Suzuki • 12 Narazaki • 13 Yanagisawa • 14 Alex • 15 Fukunishi • 16 K. Nakata • 17 Miyamoto • 18 Ono • 19 Ogasawara • 20 Myojin • 21 Toda • 22 Ichikawa • 23 Sogahata • Coach: Troussier v • d • e Japan squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Narazaki • 2 Moniwa • 3 Komano • 4 Endō • 5 Miyamoto • 6 K. Nakata • 7 H. Nakata • 8 Ogasawara • 9 Takahara • 10 Nakamura • 11 Maki • 12 Doi • 13 Yanagisawa • 14 Alex • 15 Fukunishi • 16 Oguro • 17 Inamoto • 18 Ono • 19 Tsuboi • 20 Tamada • 21 Kaji • 22 Nakazawa • 23 Kawaguchi • Coach: Zico v • d • e Japan national football team – Managers Ninomiya (1951) · Takenokoshi (1951–56) · Takahashi (1957) · Takenokoshi (1958–59) · Kawamoto (1958) · Takahashi (1960–62) · Naganuma (1962–69) · Okano (1970–71) · Naganuma (1972–76) · Ninomiya (1976–78) · Shimomura (1979–80) · Watanabe (1980) · Kawabuchi (1980–81) · Mori (1981–85) · Ishii (1986–87) · Yokoyama (1988–91) · Ooft (1992–93) · Falcão (1994) · Kamo (1994–97) · Okada (1997–98) · Troussier (1998–02) · Zico (2002–06) · Osim (2006–07) · Okada (2007–)