Through this post, you’ll be able to learn about the Japan National Team, including players and Coaches, FIFA Rankings, nicknames, and their history. The Japan national team football, called Samurai Blue (samuraiburu, Samurai Buru) is the representative of Japan in international football for men and is managed through the Japan Football Association (JFA) which is the body that governs soccer in Japan.
Japan wasn’t a major soccer player until the 1980s when it was an amateur-sized team. Since the 90s, when Japanese football was made fully professional, Japan has become one of the most successful teams in Asia and has been selected for the last seven FIFA World Cups with second-round advancements in 2002, 2010, and 2018 and has taken home the AFC Asian Cup a record four times in 1992, 2000, 2004, and in 2011. They also came in second in The 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Japan is the sole AFC team, excluding Australia as well as Saudi Arabia to have reached the final of a FIFA senior men’s tournament.
Team Profile Summary
| Association | Japan Football Association |
| Nickname(s) | Samuraiburu (Samurai Blue) |
| Confederation | AFC – EAFF |
| FIFA code | JPN |
| FIFA position | 23 (31 March 2022) |
| Most Caps | Yasuhito Endo (152) |
| Top Scorer | Kunishige Kamamoto (75) |
| Home stadium | Olympic Stadium (Tokyo) |
| Coach Head | Hajime Moriyasu |
The history of Japan national team
Japan’s first international games were during the Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo which had a group from Tokyo Higher Normal School. Tokyo Higher Normal School. While Japan displayed impressive performances in baseball, swimming, and athletics, the soccer team fell in a flurry of defeats against China and the Republic of China, and the Philippines. But, the sport was played in Japanese schools during the 1920s. [11 In 1921, the Japan Football Association was formed in 1921. Japan was a member of FIFA in May 1929.
First Japan’s “true” national team (instead of a varsity team selected to represent the nation) participated in the 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games and joined China for the title of champion. Shigeyoshi Suzuki was the head coach for the national team for their first Olympic appearance during the 1936’s Summer Olympics in Berlin. Japan was a participant in qualifying for the 1938 FIFA World Cup but did not participate in their scheduled qualification game against Dutch East Indies.
Following the time that World War II began seriously, Japan did not play in international competition, except for some games with Manchuria as well as other colonial countries. His final match before the war for purposes of rating Elo was a friendly match against the Philippines in June of 1940.
When Korea is under Japanese rule, a variety of Koreans took part in international competitions for Japan like Kim Yong Sik (1936-1940) and Kim Sung-gan (1940) as well Lee Yoohyung (1940).
The month of December was when Japan took part in the 2019 EAFF E-1 Soccer Championship hosted in South Korea. Coach Moriyasu brought in a young and inexperienced team to the event. With the team’s youth, Japan only managed to beat China as well as Hong Kong, and lost to rival South Korea, finishing second in the tournament.
On the 24th of March 2022, Japan became eligible for participation in the 2022 World Cup.
Japan national team’s home stadium
Japan hosts its home matches in various stadiums, on rotation around the country. In the final stage of each FIFA World Cup qualification, the team plays mostly in Saitama Stadium 2002. Japan hasn’t played at the brand-new National Stadium yet.
Japan Kit, The Japan national team
The style of the national team’s uniform has seen several changes over the years. At the beginning of the 1980s, it was a white uniform and had blue trim. The uniforms worn at 1992’s Asian Cup consisted of white stripes (stylized to create wings) and red diamonds. The first time Japan made a World Cup appearance was in the 1996 Asian Cup and in 1998 the uniforms of Japan’s national team were blue, with white and red design flames on their sleeves. The designs were developed in collaboration with JFA (with sponsors rotating every season with Asics, Puma, and Adidas). ). The 1996 design was reprinted in a kit specifically designed for use against Syria on the 7th of June in 2017.
The 3rd of June in 2021 was the day that Japan launched a special 100th-anniversary jersey to play a friendly game against Jamaica however, the game was canceled and replaced by a match matches against the U-24 squad, and the jersey was worn by the team of U-24 to play the U-24 team in Ghana on June 5, 2021.
Which are Japan national team players?
A total of 24 were selected to play in FIFA World Cup 2022 qualification matches against Australia and Vietnam on the 24 30 and 29 March 2022 respectively. Goals and caps on 29 March 2022 following the game against Vietnam.
Which are Japan national team’s captain and coach?
Maya Yoshida is the captain of the team. Hajime Moriyasu coaches the Japan national football team.
Captain of the Japan national team
Maya Yoshida is the captain of the team. Take a look at the summary of Japan’s captain.
Summary of profile
- Name: Maya Yoshida
- Age/Date of Birth: Aug 24, 1988 (33)
- The place of birth: Nagasaki, Nagasaki
- Citizenship: Japan
- Height: 1,89 m
- Position: Centre-Back
- International current: Japan
- Caps/Goals: 115 / 12
Japan national team coach
Hajime Moriyasu is a coach for the Japan national team. Take a look at the bio of the coach currently in charge of the team.
Summary of profile
- Name: Hajime Moriyasu
- Age/Date of Birth: Aug 23, 1968 (53)
- The place of birth: Nagasaki, Nagasaki
- Citizenship: Japan
- Agent: Footmedia
- Avg. the term”coach” as term: 2.26 Years
- Forms of preference: 4-2-3-1
Japan national team world rankings
As of 31st March 2022, Japan is currently at number 23 in the FIFA World Ranking.
Japan national team Trophies
Intercontinental
- Olympic Games
Bronze medalists:1968
- FIFA Confederations Cup
Runners-up:2001
Continental
- AFC Asian Cup
Champions:1992, 2000, 2004, 2011
Runners-up:2019
fourth place2007
- Asian Games
Third spot:1951, 1966
4th place1970
Regional
- Far Eastern Games
Champions: 1930
- Dynasty Cup
Champions:1992, 1995, 1998
fourth place1990
- EAFF E-1 Football Championship
- East Asian Football Championship (2003-2010), EAFF East Asian Cup (2013-2015)
Champions:2013
Runners-up:2003, 2005, 2008, 2017,2019
Third spot:2010
Others
- Afro-Asian Cup of Nations
Champions: 1993, 2007
- AFC – OFC Challenge Cup
Champions: 2001
Minor-friendly
- Kirin Cup
Champions:(12): 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015
