Japan national football team

1910s–1930s: Pre-war era

Japan's earliest international matches were at the 1917 Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo, where it was represented by a team from the Tokyo Higher Normal School. Although Japan made strong showings in swimming, baseball, and track and field, its football team suffered resounding defeats to the Republic of China and the Philippines.^[17] Nevertheless, the game was promoted in Japanese schools in the 1920s.^[18] The Japan Football Association was formed in 1921,^[19] and Japan joined FIFA in May 1929.^[18] However, Japan refused to participate in the 1930 FIFA World Cup.^[20]

Japan's first "true" national team (as opposed to a university team chosen to represent the country) was fielded at the 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games, and drew with China for the championship title.^[18] Shigeyoshi Suzuki coached the national team to its first Olympic appearance at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.^[19] Japan was an entrant for 1938 FIFA World Cup qualifying, but withdrew before its scheduled qualifying match against the Dutch East Indies.^[21]

After World War II began, Japan did not play in international competition, except for a handful of matches against Manchuria and other colonies.^[18] Its last prewar match for purposes of Elo ratings was a friendly against the Philippines in June 1940.^[22] While Korea was under Japanese rule, multiple Koreans played in international competition for Japan, including Kim Yong-sik (1936–40), Kim Sung-gan (1940) and Lee Yoo-hyung (1940).

1950s–1980s: Post-war era

Japan's postwar debut was in the 1951 Asian Games in India.^[22] Japan re-joined FIFA in 1950 and played in qualifiers for the 1954 World Cup, but lost the AFC qualifying berth to South Korea after two matches.^[19] Japan also joined the Asian Football Confederation in 1954.^[18]

Dettmar Cramer joined the Japan national team as coach in 1960, and helped lead the team to the round of eight at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.^[23] 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 World Cup until 30 years later.^[24] Nonetheless, Japan were close to qualifying for the 1986 FIFA World Cup, but lost to South Korea in the deciding matches.

Japan made its first appearance in the AFC 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.

The late 1980s saw concrete moves to professionalize the sport in Japan. JFA introduced a Special Licensed Player system in 1986, allowing a limited number of professional players to compete in the domestic semi-professional league. Action committees were held in 1988 and 1989 to discuss the introduction of a full professional league in Japan.^[23]

1990s: Rise

In the 1990s, the Japan Football Association began the professionalization of its national football team. 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 the 1992 AFC Asian Cup and won their first title by defeating Saudi Arabia 1–0 in the final.^[25] The J.League was officially launched in 1993.^[26]

However, in its first attempt to qualify with professional players, Japan narrowly missed a ticket to the 1994 FIFA World Cup after drawing with Iraq in the final match of the qualification round, remembered by fans as the "Agony of Doha".^[27] Japan's next tournament was a defence of their continental title at the 1996 AFC 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.^[28]

The nation's first ever FIFA 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, and the campaign ended with a 2–1 defeat to Jamaica. Japan impressed, however, as all three defeats were only by a one goal margin.^[29]

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

In the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, Japan managed to reclaim their title after defeating Saudi Arabia in the final, becoming Asian champions for the second time.^[30]

Two years later, Japan co-hosted the 2002 FIFA 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 in extra time.^[31]

With the 2004 AFC Asian Cup hosted by China, the Japanese managed to retain the title by winning their group after two victories over Thailand and Oman, before achieving victories against Jordan and Bahrain. They defeated the hosts in the final 3–1.^[32]

On 8 June 2005, Japan qualified for the 2006 FIFA 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 future AFC rival Australia 3–1, drawing Croatia 0–0 and falling to Brazil 4–1.^[33]

The 2007 AFC Asian Cup saw Japan fail to defend its title. Although easily winning the group over Vietnam, Qatar and the UAE, the Japanese were totally exhausted in their game against Australia, where Japan won only by a penalty shootout. Japan lost to Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals,^[34] before failing in the third-place match against South Korea.

2010s

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 away. Japan was drawn in Group E along with the Netherlands, Denmark and Cameroon.^[35] Japan started with a 1–0 win against Cameroon,^[36] before subsequently losing to the Netherlands 1–0.^[37] Then, Japan resoundingly beat Denmark 3–1 to advance to the next round against Paraguay.^[38] In the round of 16, Japan were eliminated from the competition following penalties after a 0–0 draw against Paraguay.^[39]

After the 2010 FIFA 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 a 1–0 victory over Argentina.

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.^[40] The country then started their road to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Throughout, they suffered only two losses to Uzbekistan and Jordan, and drew against Australia. After a 1–1 draw with Australia, they qualified for the 2014 World Cup, becoming the first nation aside from the hosts to qualify.^[41]

Japan started their 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup campaign with a 3–0 loss to Brazil.^[42] They were then eliminated from the competition after losing to Italy 4–3.^[43] They lost their final match 1–2 against Mexico and finished in fourth place in Group A.^[44] 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 tournament to claim the title.^[45]

Japan was placed into Group C at the 2014 FIFA World Cup alongside the Ivory Coast, Greece and Colombia. They fell in their first match to Ivory Coast 2–1 after initially taking the lead, allowing two goals in a two-minute span. They drew their second game to Greece 0–0. To qualify for the second round, they needed a victory against Colombia and Greece to win against Ivory Coast. Greece beat Ivory Coast 2–1, but Colombia won 4–1, eliminating Japan from the World Cup.^[46] Alberto Zaccheroni resigned as head coach.^[47] In July 2014, former Mexico and Espanyol manager Javier Aguirre took over,^[48] and Japan lost 0–2 to Uruguay in the first game he managed.

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 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 the knockout stage as Group D winners with nine points, seven goals scored and no goals conceded. In the quarter-finals, Japan lost to the UAE in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw, as Honda and Shinji Kagawa missed their penalty kicks. Japan's elimination marked their worst performance in the tournament in 19 years.^[49]

After the Asian Cup, Aguirre was sacked following allegations of corruption during a prior tenure.^[50] He was replaced by Vahid Halilhodžić in March 2015.^[51] Japan started on a rough note during qualification, losing to the UAE 1–2 at home.^[52] They then picked up the pace in their other qualifier games against Iraq, Australia, and Thailand, picking up five wins and two draws. On 31 August 2017, Japan defeated Australia 2–0 at home, thus qualifying them for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, making it their sixth successive World Cup.^[53] However, the Japan Football Association decided to sack Halilhodžić on 9 April 2018, only ten weeks before the World Cup, citing reasons of a breakdown in relationship between the coach and players, and poor recent friendly results, and appoint the Technical Director, Japanese coach Akira Nishino as the new manager.^[54]

Japan made history in the 2018 FIFA World Cup by defeating Colombia 2–1, their first ever victory by any AFC team against a CONMEBOL team in an official tournament,^[55] as well as Japan's first ever victory at the FIFA World Cup finals in UEFA nations. Their second match against Senegal ended in a draw with goals from Takashi Inui and Keisuke Honda.^[56] Japan were defeated in their last group game in the Group H against Poland 1–0,^[57] leaving Japan and Senegal tied for second with an identical record; however, as Japan had received two fewer yellow cards, Japan advanced to the knockout stage on the Fair Play Points tiebreaker, the first team to do so.^[58] The match with Poland caused controversy, as Japan were made aware of their advantage over Senegal with ten minutes left and decided to play an extremely conservative game with no attempts to take a shot on goal, despite losing 1–0, with some fans booing the players.^[59][60][61] The match received comparison to the 1982 FIFA World Cup Disgrace of Gijón, in which a similar game was played.^[62] Japan were the only AFC team to have qualified to the knockout stage.^[63]

In the round of 16 against Belgium, Japan took a 2–0 lead with a goal in the 48th minute by Genki Haraguchi and another in the 52nd by Takashi Inui, but yielded three goals afterwards, including the winner by Nacer Chadli on the counterattack in the 94th minute. The defeat to Belgium was the first time a nation had lost a knockout match at the FIFA World Cup after taking a two-goal advantage since England lost to West Germany 3–2 in extra-time in the quarter-final of the 1970 edition.^[64][65] Despite losing a 2–0 lead, Japan's impressive performance was praised by fans, pundits and the media.^[66]

Japan participated in the 2019 Asian Cup, finishing on top of group F after defeating Turkmenistan 3–2,^[67] Oman 1–0^[68] and Uzbekistan 2–1.^[69] Japan defeated Saudi Arabia in the round of sixteen and dark horse Vietnam in the quarter-finals by a 1–0 margin.^[70][71] After defeating Iran 3–0 to reach the final,^[72] Japan's hope to win their fifth Asian Cup was lost with the team suffering a 3–1 defeat to Qatar, who won the AFC Asian Cup for the first time.^[73]

Japan were invited to the 2019 Copa América, their second appearance at the tournament, and brought a young squad to the competition. They were placed in Group C with Uruguay, Chile and Ecuador. The nation lost their opening match 4–0 to Chile,^[74] before bouncing back and drawing against Uruguay 2–2.^[75] Japan needed a win against Ecuador to qualify for the knockouts, however they drew 1–1 and missed out due to inferior goal difference to Paraguay.^[76] Aftermath saw Japan played a friendly game against the Paraguayans, and won 2–0 at home.

2020s

After China was removed as host of the 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship, it was announced that Japan was the new host. After topping the table with two wins and one draw, Japan won the competition for the second time in their history.^[77]

Japan qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and were drawn into Group E with Germany, Costa Rica and Spain. On 23 November, Japan produced an upset, beating Germany 2–1, with two goals in an eight-minute span during the second half.^[78] After losing to Costa Rica 1–0,^[79] going into the final matchday, every team in Group E could qualify or be eliminated, with no team assured of any placement. In the end, Japan managed to qualify for the round of 16 by defeating Spain 2–1 in their final group stage match, while also contributing to Germany's elimination from the tournament.^[80] By topping their group, Japan went on to face Croatia^[81] in the round of 16 where they would lose 3–1 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.^[82] It was the third team in 52 years to have come from behind twice in one tournament, following Brazil and (West) Germany.^[83] They beat Spain with the lowest possession (18%) of the ball ever for a winning side since the 1966 FIFA World Cup.^[84][85] It also was the first time that an Asian team topped their FIFA World Cup group held outside their home country, and also the first Asian team to reach the knockouts twice in a row.^[86]

Japan were considered the favourites for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar,^[87] but disappointed; Hajime Moriyasu's men began the tournament with an unconvincing victory over a Vietnamese side deprived of a number of key players (4–2),^[88] before going on to play a nightmarish game against Iraq (a 2–1 loss). This defeat, Japan's first in the group stage since their first appearance in 1988, condemned them to finish second in the group due to their unfavourable head-to-head record. The Japanese sealed three points after overcoming Indonesia 3–1^[89] and then eliminated Bahrain by the same scoreline in the round of 16.^[90] Japan met Iran in the quarter-finals for a rematch of the previous edition's semi-final, and got the game off to a perfect start with Hidemasa Morita's 28th-minute opener, before falling completely flat in the second half, succumbing to Iran's fiery attacks, 2–1.^[91] The country suffered two defeats at the AFC Asian Cup for the first time since their debut in 1988, while conceding at least one goal in every match.^[92][93][94] The squad also had to contend with an extra controversy, with the sudden departure of Junya Itō shortly before the match against Iran, due to the Stade de Reims player having been accused of sexual assault.^[95]

On 20 March 2025, a 2–0 win against Bahrain saw Japan become the first non-host nation to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.^[96] Japan was drawn into Group F with Netherlands, Tunisia, and the UEFA playoff path B winner, Sweden.^[97]

On 31 March 2026, Japan secured a 1–0 win against England at Wembley Stadium, with England beaten by an Asian side for the first time in history.^[98]

Nicknames

Japan's national football team is nicknamed the Samurai Blue (サムライ・ブルー, Samurai Burū) by the JFA.^[1][2] The team also is often known by the last name of the manager. For example, under Takeshi Okada, the team was known as Okada Japan (岡田ジャパン, Okada Japan),^[a] or during the 2022 World Cup, the team is referred by the current manager's (Hajime Moriyasu) name, as "Moriyasu Japan" (森保ジャパン, Moriyasu Japan).^[99][100]

Kits

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Japan national football team kits.

The national team kit design has gone through several alterations in the past.^[101] In the early 1980s, the kit was white with blue trim. The kits worn for the 1992 Asian Cup consisted of white stripes (stylized to form a wing) with red diamonds. During the 1996 Asian Cup and the 1998 World Cup, the national team kits were blue jerseys with red and white flame designs on the sleeves, and were designed by JFA (with the sponsor alternating each year between Asics, Puma, and Adidas). The 1996 design was reproduced in a special kit used against Syria on 7 June 2017.

Japan uses blue and white rather than red and white due to a superstition. Japan first used blue shirts in the 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games, where a team of the Tokyo Imperial University (whose color is light blue) represented Japan wearing light blue shirts,^[102] and then in a match against Sweden in the 1936 Summer Olympics.^[103] Between 1988 and 1992, the kits were red and white, matching the colours of Japan's national flag. After failing to qualify for the 1990 World Cup and 1992 Summer Olympics, the red shirt was scrapped.

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

Japan's kit is provided by German company Adidas, the team's exclusive kit supplier since April 1999.^[104] Before that, Asics and Puma had been the team's official apparel sponsor.

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

Kit suppliers

More information Kit provider, Period ...

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

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Crest

The crest or emblem of the national team was adopted in late 2017 as part of a larger rebranding by the Japan Football Association.^[105] The crest features the Yatagarasu, a three-legged crow from Japanese mythology that is a symbol for the sun, holding a solid red ball that is like the sun from national flag. The text "JFA" (for the Japan Football Association) is inscribed at the bottom of the crow. A red stripe is also present at the center of the shield behind the crow. The shield has a metallic gold trim and has a thicker black outline. The name of the country represented by the national team "Japan" is also inscribed within the black border.^[106][107]

The previous crest used from 1996 had a shield with a more complex shape. The ball held by the Yatagarasu had white details. The text "Japan" is absent and "JFA" is written in a different typeface.^[106]

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

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

Home stadium

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

Rivalries

Supporters

Japanese national team supporters are known for chanting "Nippon Ole" (Nippon is the Japanese word for Japan) at home matches.^[121]

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.^{[citation needed]}

Primary sponsors include Adidas, ANA, Kirin, Saison Card International, Toyo Tires, Mitsui Fudosan, MS&AD Insurance Group, Yomiuri Shimbun, Mizuho Financial, APA Group, Toyota and au.^[122]

Mascot

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

For the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Pokémon character Pikachu served as the mascot.^[123]

2025

Japan  v  Hong Kong

8 July EAFF E-1 Championship	Japan	6–1	Hong Kong	Yongin, South Korea
19:24 UTC+9	Germain 4', 10', 22', 26' Inagaki 20' Nakamura 90+4'	Report	Orr 59'	Stadium: Yongin Mireu Stadium Attendance: 687 Referee: Thoriq Alkatiri (Indonesia)

Japan  v  China

12 July EAFF E-1 Championship	Japan	2–0	China	Yongin, South Korea
19:24 UTC+9	Hosoya 11' Mochizuki 63'	Report		Stadium: Yongin Mireu Stadium Attendance: 1,661 Referee: Sivakorn Pu-udom (Thailand)

South Korea  v  Japan

15 July EAFF E-1 Championship	South Korea	0–1	Japan	Yongin, South Korea
19:24 UTC+9		Report	Germain 8'	Stadium: Yongin Mireu Stadium Attendance: 18,418 Referee: Tuan Yaasin (Malaysia)

Mexico  v  Japan

6 September Friendly	Mexico	0–0	Japan	Oakland, California, United States
19:00 UTC−7	Montes  90+2'	Report		Stadium: Oakland Coliseum Attendance: 45,278 Referee: Rubiel Vazquéz (United States)

United States  v  Japan

9 September Friendly	United States	2–0	Japan	Columbus, Ohio, United States
19:30 UTC−4	Zendejas 30' Balogun 64'	Report		Stadium: Lower.com Field Attendance: 20,192 Referee: Bryan Lopez (Guatemala)

Japan  v  Paraguay

10 October Kirin Challenge Cup	Japan	2–2	Paraguay	Suita, Japan
19:20 UTC+9	Ogawa 26' Ueda 90+4'	Report	Almirón 20' D. Gómez 64'	Stadium: Suita City Football Stadium Attendance: 34,169 Referee: Ko Hyung-jin (South Korea)

Japan  v  Brazil

14 October Kirin Challenge Cup	Japan	3–2	Brazil	Chōfu, Japan
19:30 UTC+9	Minamino 52' Nakamura 62' Ueda 71'	Report	Paulo Henrique 26' Martinelli 32'	Stadium: Ajinomoto Stadium Attendance: 44,920 Referee: Kim Jong-hyeok (South Korea)

Japan  v  Ghana

14 November Kirin Challenge Cup	Japan	2–0	Ghana	Toyota, Japan
19:20 UTC+9	Minamino 16' Dōan 60'	Report		Stadium: Toyota Stadium Attendance: 40,030 Referee: Ben Abraham (Australia)

Japan  v  Bolivia

18 November Kirin Challenge Cup	Japan	3–0	Bolivia	Tokyo, Japan
19:15 UTC+9	Kamada 4' Machino 72' Nakamura 78'	Report		Stadium: Japan National Stadium Attendance: 53,508 Referee: Fu Ming (China)

• Fixtures and Results (2025) – JFA.jp

2026

Scotland  v  Japan

28 March Kirin World Challenge 2026	Scotland	0–1	Japan	Glasgow, Scotland
17:00 UTC+0		Report	J. Itō 84'	Stadium: Hampden Park Attendance: 44,644 Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia)

England  v  Japan

31 March Kirin World Challenge 2026	England	0–1	Japan	London, England
19:45 UTC+1			Mitoma 23'	Stadium: Wembley Stadium Attendance: 79,233 Referee: Nick Walsh (Scotland)

Japan  v  Iceland

31 May Kirin Challenge Cup 2026	Japan	1–0	Iceland	Tokyo, Japan
19:25 UTC+9	Ogawa 86'			Stadium: Japan National Stadium Attendance: 62,212 Referee: Damian Kos (Poland)

Netherlands  v  Japan

14 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group F	Netherlands	v	Japan	Arlington, Texas, United States
15:00 UTC−5		Report		Stadium: AT&T Stadium Referee: Ismail Elfath (United States)

Tunisia  v  Japan

20 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group F	Tunisia	v	Japan	Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Mexico
10:00 UTC−6		Report		Stadium: Estadio BBVA

Japan  v  Sweden

25 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group F	Japan	v	Sweden	Arlington, Texas, United States
18:00 UTC−5		Report		Stadium: AT&T Stadium

Japan  v TBD

24 September Kirin Challenge Cup 2026	Japan	v	TBD	Miyagi, Japan
				Stadium: Q&A Stadium

Japan  v TBD

28 September Kirin Challenge Cup 2026	Japan	v	TBD	Hiroshima, Japan
				Stadium: Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima

Japan  v TBD

1 October Kirin Cup Soccer 2026	Japan	v	TBD	Yokohama, Japan
				Stadium: Nissan Stadium

Japan  v TBD

5 October Kirin Cup Soccer 2026	Japan	v	TBD	Tokyo, Japan
				Stadium: National Stadium

• Fixtures and Results (2026) – JFA.jp

2027

Japan  v  Indonesia

11 January 2027 Asian Cup GS	Japan	v	Indonesia	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
--:--				Stadium: Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium

Thailand  v  Japan

16 January 2027 Asian Cup GS	Thailand	v	Japan	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
--:--				Stadium: Al Shabab Stadium

Japan  v  Qatar

20 January 2027 Asian Cup GS	Japan	v	Qatar	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
--:--				Stadium: Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium

Current staff

As of 16 April 2026

More information Role, Name ...

Role	Name
Manager	Hajime Moriyasu
Assistant coaches	Makoto Hasebe Ryoichi Maeda Hiroshi Nanami Toshihide Saito Shunsuke Nakamura
Goalkeeping coach	Takashi Shimoda
Fitness coach	Ryoichi Matsumoto

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• Players and staff for (2026), JFA.jp

Manager history

As of 31 May 2026 after the match against Iceland.

More information Manager, Period ...

Manager	Period	Record
		Matches	Won	Draw	Lost	Win %
Masujiro Nishida	1923	2	0	0	2	0%
Goro Yamada	1925	2	0	0	2	0%
Vacant	1925	2	1	0	1	50%
Shigeyoshi Suzuki (1st)	1930	2	1	1	0	50%
Shigemaru Takenokoshi (1st)	1934	3	1	0	2	33.33%
Shigeyoshi Suzuki (2nd)	1936	2	1	1	0	50%
Shigemaru Takenokoshi (2nd)	1940	1	1	0	0	100%
Hirokazu Ninomiya	1951	3	1	1	1	33.33%
Shigemaru Takenokoshi (3rd)	1954–56	12	2	4	6	16.66%
Taizo Kawamoto	1958	2	0	0	2	0%
Shigemaru Takenokoshi (4th)	1958–59	12	4	2	6	33.33%
Vacant	1960	1	0	0	1	0%
Hidetoki Takahashi	1961–1962	14	3	2	9	21.43%
Ken Naganuma (1st)	1963–1969	31	18	7	6	58.06%
Shunichiro Okano	1970–1971	19	11	2	6	57.90%
Ken Naganuma (2nd)	1972–1976	42	16	6	20	38.09%
Hiroshi Ninomiya	1976–1978	27	6	6	15	22.22%
Yukio Shimomura	1979–1980	14	8	4	2	57.14%
Masashi Watanabe	1980	3	2	0	1	66.67%
Saburō Kawabuchi	1980–1981	10	3	2	5	30%
Takaji Mori	1981–1985	43	22	5	16	51.16%
Yoshinobu Ishii	1986–1987	17	11	2	4	64.70%
Kenzo Yokoyama	1988–1991	24	5	7	12	20.83%
Hans Ooft	1992–1993	27	16	7	4	59.25%
Paulo Roberto Falcão	1994	9	3	4	2	33.33%
Shu Kamo	1994–1997	46	23	10	13	50%
Takeshi Okada (1st)	1997–1998	15	5	4	6	33.33%
Philippe Troussier	1998–2002	50	23	16	11	46%
Zico	2002–2006	71	37	16	18	52.11%
Ivica Osim	2006–2007	20	13	2	5	65%
Takeshi Okada (2nd)	2007–2010	50	26	13	11	52%
Hiromi Hara (caretaker)	2010	2	2	0	0	100%
Alberto Zaccheroni	2010–2014	55	30	12	13	54.54%
Javier Aguirre	2014–2015	10	7	1	2	70%
Vahid Halilhodžić	2015–2018	38	21	9	8	55.26%
Akira Nishino	2018	7	2	1	4	28.57%
Hajime Moriyasu[124][125][4][5][6]	2018–present	104	73	14	17	70.20%
Manager	Period	Record
		Matches	Won	Draw	Lost	Win %

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Current squad

The following 26 players were called up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.^[126] Wataru Endo withdrew injured and was replaced by Shuto Machino on 11 June.^[127]
Caps and goals as of 31 May 2026, after the match against Iceland.^[128]

More information No., Pos. ...

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Zion Suzuki	(2002-08-21) 21 August 2002 (age 23)	24	0	Parma
12	1GK	Keisuke Ōsako	(1999-07-28) 28 July 1999 (age 26)	11	0	Sanfrecce Hiroshima
23	1GK	Tomoki Hayakawa	(1999-03-03) 3 March 1999 (age 27)	4	0	Kashima Antlers
2	2DF	Yukinari Sugawara	(2000-06-28) 28 June 2000 (age 25)	21	2	Werder Bremen
3	2DF	Shōgo Taniguchi	(1991-07-15) 15 July 1991 (age 34)	38	1	Sint-Truiden
4	2DF	Kō Itakura (captain)	(1997-01-27) 27 January 1997 (age 29)	40	2	Ajax
5	2DF	Yūto Nagatomo	(1986-09-12) 12 September 1986 (age 39)	145	4	FC Tokyo
16	2DF	Tsuyoshi Watanabe	(1997-02-05) 5 February 1997 (age 29)	11	0	Feyenoord
20	2DF	Ayumu Seko	(2000-06-07) 7 June 2000 (age 26)	14	0	Le Havre
21	2DF	Hiroki Itō	(1999-05-12) 12 May 1999 (age 27)	24	1	Bayern Munich
22	2DF	Takehiro Tomiyasu	(1998-11-05) 5 November 1998 (age 27)	43	1	Ajax
25	2DF	Junnosuke Suzuki	(2003-07-12) 12 July 2003 (age 22)	6	0	Copenhagen
7	3MF	Ao Tanaka	(1998-09-10) 10 September 1998 (age 27)	38	8	Leeds United
8	3MF	Takefusa Kubo	(2001-06-04) 4 June 2001 (age 25)	49	7	Real Sociedad
10	3MF	Ritsu Dōan	(1998-06-16) 16 June 1998 (age 27)	65	11	Eintracht Frankfurt
13	3MF	Keito Nakamura	(2000-07-28) 28 July 2000 (age 25)	25	10	Reims
14	3MF	Junya Itō	(1993-03-09) 9 March 1993 (age 33)	69	15	Genk
15	3MF	Daichi Kamada	(1996-08-05) 5 August 1996 (age 29)	49	12	Crystal Palace
24	3MF	Kaishū Sano	(2000-12-30) 30 December 2000 (age 25)	13	0	Mainz 05
6	4FW	Shūto Machino	(1999-09-30) 30 September 1999 (age 26)	14	5	Borussia Mönchengladbach
9	4FW	Keisuke Gotō	(2005-06-03) 3 June 2005 (age 21)	4	0	SC Freiburg
11	4FW	Daizen Maeda	(1997-10-20) 20 October 1997 (age 28)	27	4	Celtic
17	4FW	Yuito Suzuki	(2001-10-25) 25 October 2001 (age 24)	6	0	SC Freiburg
18	4FW	Ayase Ueda	(1998-08-28) 28 August 1998 (age 27)	39	16	Feyenoord
19	4FW	Kōki Ogawa	(1997-08-08) 8 August 1997 (age 28)	15	11	NEC
26	4FW	Kento Shiogai	(2005-03-26) 26 March 2005 (age 21)	2	0	VfL Wolfsburg

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Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the squad within the last 12 months.^[129]

More information Pos., Player ...

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Leo Kokubo	(2001-01-23) 23 January 2001 (age 25)	0	0	Sint-Truiden	v.  Bolivia, 18 November 2025
GK	Taishi Brandon Nozawa	(2002-12-25) 25 December 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Antwerp	v.  Bolivia, 18 November 2025
GK	Alexandre Pisano	(2006-01-10) 10 January 2006 (age 20)	1	0	Nagoya Grampus	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
DF	Maya Yoshida RET[citation needed]	(1988-08-24) 24 August 1988 (age 37)	127	12	LA Galaxy	v.  Iceland, 31 May 2026
DF	Daiki Hashioka	(1999-05-17) 17 May 1999 (age 27)	12	0	Gent	v.  England, 31 March 2026
DF	Tomoya Ando	(1999-01-10) 10 January 1999 (age 27)	3	0	FC St. Pauli	v.  Scotland, 28 March 2026 INJ
DF	Hayato Araki	(1996-08-07) 7 August 1996 (age 29)	4	0	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	v.  United States, 9 September 2025
DF	Hiroki Sekine	(2002-08-11) 11 August 2002 (age 23)	3	0	Reims	v.  United States, 9 September 2025
DF	Naomichi Ueda	(1994-10-24) 24 October 1994 (age 31)	18	1	Kashima Antlers	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
DF	Taiyo Koga	(1998-10-28) 28 October 1998 (age 27)	3	0	Kashiwa Reysol	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
DF	Yuto Tsunashima	(2000-08-15) 15 August 2000 (age 25)	1	0	Antwerp	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Wataru Endo RET	(1993-02-09) 9 February 1993 (age 33)	73	4	Liverpool	2026 FIFA World Cup INJ
MF	Kaoru Mitoma	(1997-05-20) 20 May 1997 (age 29)	31	9	Brighton & Hove Albion	v.  England, 31 March 2026
MF	Joel Chima Fujita	(2002-02-16) 16 February 2002 (age 24)	8	0	FC St. Pauli	v.  England, 31 March 2026
MF	Ryūnosuke Satō	(2006-10-16) 16 October 2006 (age 19)	5	0	FC Tokyo	v.  England, 31 March 2026
MF	Kodai Sano	(2003-09-25) 25 September 2003 (age 22)	2	0	NEC Nijmegen	v.  England, 31 March 2026
MF	Takumi Minamino	(1995-01-16) 16 January 1995 (age 31)	73	26	Monaco[b]	v.  Bolivia, 18 November 2025
MF	Sōta Kitano	(2004-08-13) 13 August 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Red Bull Salzburg	v.  Bolivia, 18 November 2025
MF	Yūki Sōma	(1997-02-25) 25 February 1997 (age 29)	19	5	Machida Zelvia	v.  Brazil, 14 October 2025
MF	Henry Heroki Mochizuki	(2001-09-20) 20 September 2001 (age 24)	5	1	Machida Zelvia	v.  Brazil, 14 October 2025
MF	Kōki Saitō	(2001-08-10) 10 August 2001 (age 24)	1	0	Queens Park Rangers	v.  Brazil, 14 October 2025
MF	Hayao Kawabe	(1995-09-08) 8 September 1995 (age 30)	8	1	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Sho Inagaki	(1991-12-25) 25 December 1991 (age 34)	4	3	Nagoya Grampus	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Kōta Tawaratsumida	(2004-05-14) 14 May 2004 (age 22)	3	0	FC Tokyo	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Sōta Nakamura	(2002-10-15) 15 October 2002 (age 23)	2	1	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Yuto Ozeki	(2005-02-06) 6 February 2005 (age 21)	2	0	Kawasaki Frontale	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Zento Uno	(2003-11-20) 20 November 2003 (age 22)	2	0	Shimizu S-Pulse	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Tojiro Kubo	(1999-04-05) 5 April 1999 (age 27)	1	0	Kashiwa Reysol	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Satoshi Tanaka	(2002-08-13) 13 August 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Schalke 04	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
MF	Sōta Kawasaki	(2001-07-30) 30 July 2001 (age 24)	0	0	Mainz 05	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship WD
FW	Mao Hosoya	(2001-09-07) 7 September 2001 (age 24)	9	3	Kashiwa Reysol	v.  United States, 9 September 2025
FW	Takuma Nishimura	(1996-10-22) 22 October 1996 (age 29)	5	3	Machida Zelvia	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship INJ
FW	Ryo Germain	(1995-04-19) 19 April 1995 (age 31)	3	5	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
FW	Taichi Hara	(1999-05-05) 5 May 1999 (age 27)	2	0	FC St. Pauli	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
FW	Yuki Kakita	(1997-07-14) 14 July 1997 (age 28)	2	0	Kashiwa Reysol	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
FW	Taisei Miyashiro	(2000-05-26) 26 May 2000 (age 26)	2	0	Las Palmas	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
FW	Shin Yamada	(2000-05-30) 30 May 2000 (age 26)	1	0	Preußen Münster	2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
INJ Withdrew due to injury PRE Preliminary squad / standby SUS Serving suspension WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue RET Retired from the national team.

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Most appearances

Top goalscorers

Captains

FIFA World Cup

More information FIFA World Cup record, Qualification record ...

FIFA World Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Withdrew										Qualified as invitees
1934	Did not enter										Did not enter
1938	Withdrew										Withdrew
1950	Suspended from FIFA										Suspended from FIFA
1954	Did not qualify										2	0	1	1	3	7
1958	Did not enter										Did not enter
1962	Did not qualify										2	0	0	2	1	4
1966	Did not enter										Did not enter
1970	Did not qualify										4	0	2	2	4	8
1974											4	1	0	3	5	4
1978											4	0	1	3	0	5
1982											4	2	0	2	4	2
1986											8	5	1	2	15	5
1990											6	2	3	1	7	3
1994											13	9	3	1	35	6
1998	Group stage	31st	3	0	0	3	1	4	Squad		15	9	5	1	51	12
2002	Round of 16	9th	4	2	1	1	5	3	Squad		Qualified as co-hosts
2006	Group stage	28th	3	0	1	2	2	7	Squad		12	11	0	1	25	5
2010	Round of 16	9th	4	2	1	1	4	2	Squad		14	8	4	2	23	9
2014	Group stage	29th	3	0	1	2	2	6	Squad		14	8	3	3	30	8
2018	Round of 16	15th	4	1	1	2	6	7	Squad		18	13	3	2	44	7
2022		10th	4	2	1	1	5	4	Squad		18	15	1	2	58	6
2026	in progress	TBD	0	0	0	0	0	0	Squad		16	13	2	1	54	3
2030	To be determined										To be determined
2034
Total	Round of 16	8/23	25	7	6	12	25	33	—		154	96	29	29	359	94

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Match history

More information FIFA World Cup history, Year ...

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

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AFC Asian Cup

More information AFC Asian Cup record, Qualification record ...

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

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Match history

More information AFC Asian Cup history, Year ...

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

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