Japan national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Japan

Nickname(s)	サムライ・ブルー (Samurai Blue) Since 19 October 2009
Association	Japan Football Association (JFA)
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	EAFF (East Asia)
Head coach	Hajime Moriyasu
Captain	Wataru Endō
Most caps	Yasuhito Endō (152)
Top scorer	Kunishige Kamamoto (75)
Home stadium	Various
FIFA code	JPN
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	27 23 (7 February 2019)
Highest	9 (February–March 1998)
Lowest	66 (December 1992)
Elo ranking
Current	23 19 (3 March 2019)
Highest	8 (August 2001, March 2002)
Lowest	123 (September 1962)
First international
Japan 0–5 China  (Tokyo, Japan; 9 May 1917)
Biggest win
Japan 15–0 Philippines  (Tokyo; 27 September 1967)
Biggest defeat
Japan 2–15 Philippines  (Tokyo; 10 May 1917)
World Cup
Appearances	7 (first in 1998)
Best result	Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022)
Asian Cup
Appearances	11 (first in 1988)
Best result	Champions (1992, 2000, 2004, 2011)
Copa América (as guest)
Appearances	2 (first in 1999)
Best result	Group stage (1999, 2019)
EAFF Championship
Appearances	9 (first in 2003)
Best result	Champions (2013, 2022)
Confederations Cup
Appearances	5 (first in 1995)
Best result	Runners-up (2001)
Medal record Men's football Olympic Games Bronze 1968 Mexico Team FIFA Confederations Cup Silver 2001 Korea/Japan Team Asian Cup Gold 1992 Japan Team Gold 2000 Lebanon Team Gold 2004 China Team Gold 2011 Qatar Team Silver 2019 UAE Team Asian Games Bronze 1951 New Delhi Team Bronze 1966 Bangkok Team EAFF Championship Gold 2013 South Korea Team Gold 2022 Japan Team Silver 2003 Japan Team Silver 2005 South Korea Team Silver 2008 China Team Silver 2017 Japan Team Silver 2019 South Korea Team Bronze 2010 Japan Team
Website	www.jfa.jp/eng/samuraiblue/

The Japan national football team, also known as the Samurai Blue, plays for Japan in international football games. The Japan Football Association (JFA) manages the team.

For a long time, football was not as popular in Japan as baseball or sumo. But since the early 1990s, Japanese football has grown a lot. The team has become one of the best in Asia. They have played in every FIFA World Cup since 1998. This includes being co-hosts in 2002 with South Korea. They reached the knockout stages in 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2022.

Japan has won the Asian Cup four times, which is a record! They won in 1992, 2000, 2004, and 2011. They also came in second place in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2019 Asian Cup. Japan is one of only three teams from Asia to reach the final of a major FIFA men's competition.

Japan's quick rise in football has inspired many. Their main rivals in Asia are South Korea and, more recently, Australia. They also have rivalries with Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Japan was the first team from outside North or South America to play in the Copa América. They were invited in 1999 and 2019. As of October 2024, Japan is the highest-ranked Asian team at 15th in the world.

History of Japan's Football Team

Early Years: 1910s–1930s

Japan's first international games were at the 1917 Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo. A team from the Tokyo Higher Normal School played for Japan. They lost badly to China and the Philippines in football. However, football became more popular in Japanese schools in the 1920s.

The Japan Football Association was created in 1921. Japan joined FIFA in May 1929. Japan's first real national team played in the 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games. They tied with China to share the championship. Shigeyoshi Suzuki coached the team in their first Olympic appearance at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.

After World War II started, Japan did not play many international games. Some Korean players, like Kim Yong-sik, played for Japan when Korea was under Japanese rule.

Post-War Era: 1950s–1980s

Japan played its first post-war game in the 1951 Asian Games in India. Japan rejoined FIFA in 1950. They tried to qualify for the 1954 World Cup but lost to South Korea. Japan also joined the Asian Football Confederation in 1954.

Dettmar Cramer became Japan's coach in 1960. He helped the team reach the quarter-finals at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Japan's biggest achievement back then was winning the bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. This made football more recognized in Japan.

However, Japan did not have a professional league, which slowed its growth. They did not qualify for the World Cup for another 30 years. Japan almost qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup, but lost to South Korea.

Japan first played in the Asian Cup in 1988. They were knocked out in the group stage. In the late 1980s, Japan started to make football a professional sport. They began allowing some professional players in their semi-professional league. Discussions also started about creating a fully professional league.

The Rise of Japan: 1990s

In 1991, the semi-professional Japan Soccer League became the professional J.League. This was done to make football more popular and to improve the national team. The next year, Japan hosted the 1992 Asian Cup. They won their first title by beating Saudi Arabia 1–0 in the final. The J.League officially started in 1993.

Even with professional players, Japan just missed qualifying for the 1994 World Cup. They drew with Iraq in the last qualification match. This game is known as the "Agony of Doha" by fans. Japan then defended their title at the 1996 Asian Cup. They won all their group games but lost to Kuwait 2–0 in the quarter-finals.

Japan's first ever World Cup appearance was in 1998. They lost all their games, 1–0 to Argentina and Croatia, and 2–1 to Jamaica. Even though they lost, Japan played well in all three matches, with close scores.

New Millennium: Two Asian Cup Wins and Co-Hosting the World Cup (2000s)

In the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, Japan won their second Asian title by beating Saudi Arabia in the final.

Two years later, Japan co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with South Korea. They drew 2–2 with Belgium in their first game. Then, they won 1–0 against Russia and 2–0 against Tunisia. This meant they moved to the second round. However, they lost 1–0 to Turkey in extra time in the Round of 16.

China hosted the 2004 Asian Cup. Japan won their group with wins over Thailand and Oman. They then beat Jordan and Bahrain. In the final, they defeated the hosts China 3–1 to keep their title.

On June 8, 2005, Japan qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. This was their third World Cup in a row. They beat North Korea 2–0. But Japan did not make it past the group stage. They lost 3–1 to Australia, drew 0–0 with Croatia, and lost 4–1 to Brazil.

In the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, Japan could not defend their title. They won their group easily. But they were very tired when they played Australia and only won after a penalty shootout. Japan lost to Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals. They then lost to South Korea in the third-place match.

Recent Years: 2010s and 2020s

Japan was the first team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, besides the host country. They beat Uzbekistan 1–0. In the World Cup, Japan was in Group E. They won 1–0 against Cameroon, lost 0–1 to the Netherlands, and beat Denmark 3–1. This sent them to the next round against Paraguay. They lost to Paraguay in a penalty shootout after a 0–0 draw.

After the World Cup, Alberto Zaccheroni became the new coach. Japan won against Guatemala, Paraguay, and Argentina.

In 2011, Japan won their fourth Asian Cup title in Qatar. They beat Australia 1–0 in the final after extra time. This win also qualified them for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Japan then started their journey to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. They only lost two games and drew one. They also had a big 1–0 win over France. After a 1–1 draw with Australia, they qualified for the 2014 World Cup.

In the 2013 Confederations Cup, Japan lost all their games. They lost 3–0 to Brazil, 4–3 to Italy, and 2–1 to Mexico. They finished fourth in their group. However, they won the EAFF East Asian Cup that same year. They drew with China, beat Australia, and beat South Korea to win the title.

At the 2014 World Cup, Japan was in Group C. They lost 2–1 to Ivory Coast and drew 0–0 with Greece. They needed to win against Colombia and for Greece to beat Ivory Coast to qualify. Greece won, but Colombia beat Japan 4–1, so Japan was out.

Japan won their first game at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup 4–0 against Palestine. They also beat Iraq and Jordan. But in the quarter-finals, Japan lost to the United Arab Emirates in a penalty shootout. This was their worst performance in the tournament in 19 years.

Vahid Halilhodžić became coach in March 2015. Japan qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia by beating Australia 2–0. This was their sixth World Cup in a row. But the Japan Football Association fired Halilhodžić just ten weeks before the World Cup. They said there were problems between him and the players. Akira Nishino became the new manager.

Japan made history at the 2018 World Cup by beating Colombia 2–1. This was the first time an Asian team beat a South American team in a World Cup. They drew with Senegal and lost 0–1 to Poland. Japan moved to the knockout stage because they had fewer yellow cards than Senegal. This is called the Fair Play Points rule. In the Round of 16, Japan took a surprising 2–0 lead against Belgium. But Belgium scored three goals and won 3–2. This was Japan's best World Cup result, reaching the last 16 for the third time.

Japan had a good run in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. They won their group easily. They also beat Saudi Arabia and Vietnam 1–0 in the knockout stages. After beating Iran 3–0 to reach the final, Japan lost 3–1 to Qatar. Qatar won the Asian Cup for the first time.

Japan was invited to the 2019 Copa América again. They brought a young team. They lost 0–4 to Chile, but then drew 2–2 with Uruguay. They needed to win against Ecuador to move on, but they drew 1–1 and were eliminated.

In 2022, Japan hosted and won the 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship.

Japan qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. They were in a tough group with Germany, Costa Rica, and Spain. On November 23, Japan surprised everyone by beating Germany 2–1. After losing to Costa Rica 1–0, Japan beat Spain 2–1 in their last group game. This meant Japan topped their group and Germany was out! Japan then faced Croatia in the Round of 16. They lost 3–1 in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw. This was the first time an Asian team topped their World Cup group outside their home country. It was also the first Asian team to reach the knockouts twice in a row.

In the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, Japan was expected to win. They beat Vietnam 4–2 but then lost 2–1 to Iraq. This was Japan's first group stage loss since 1988. They finished second in their group. Japan then beat Indonesia 3–1 and Bahrain 3–1. In the quarter-finals, they played Iran again. Japan scored first but lost 2–1. This was the first time Japan lost two games at the Asian Cup since 1988.

Team Image and Identity

Team Nicknames

The Japan national football team is called the Samurai Blue by the JFA. The team is also often known by the last name of its coach. For example, under Takeshi Okada, it was called "Okada Japan." Now, under Hajime Moriyasu, it is called "Moriyasu Japan."

Team Uniforms (Kits)

Japan's team uniforms have changed over time. In the early 1980s, they were white with blue details. For the 1992 Asian Cup, the kits had white stripes and red diamonds. For the 1996 Asian Cup and 1998 World Cup, the jerseys were blue with red and white flame designs on the sleeves.

Japan uses blue and white colors instead of red and white because of a superstition. They first used blue shirts in the 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games. They also wore blue in a game against Sweden at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Between 1988 and 1992, the kits were red and white, like Japan's national flag. But after failing to qualify for the 1990 World Cup and 1992 Summer Olympics, they stopped using red shirts.

For the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2015 Asian Cup, Japan changed the color of the numbers on their shirts from white to gold.

Adidas has been Japan's official uniform supplier since 1999. Before that, Asics and Puma supplied the kits.

Kit Suppliers

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

Team Crest

The team's crest (or emblem) was updated in late 2017. It shows the Yatagarasu, a three-legged crow from Japanese mythology. This crow is a symbol for the sun. It holds a solid red ball, like the sun on Japan's national flag. The letters "JFA" (for Japan Football Association) are at the bottom of the crow. The shield around the crow has a gold border and a red stripe. The word "Japan" is also written on the crest.

Before 1988, Japan used its national flag on the shirts. The Yatagarasu first appeared on Japan's shirts in 1988.

Home Stadium

Japan plays its home games at different stadiums across the country. The Saitama Stadium 2002 is one of their most used stadiums for big matches.

Team Rivalries

Japan vs. South Korea

Japan has a strong football rivalry with South Korea. This rivalry is very old and reflects the history between the two countries. They have played 80 times, with Japan winning 15 games, drawing 23, and losing 42. Both teams are very successful in Asia. They even hosted the 2002 World Cup together.

Japan vs. North Korea

Japan also has a rivalry with North Korea. They don't play often because of political reasons. They have played 20 times, with both teams winning 8 games and drawing 4.

Japan vs. China

Japan and China used to have a strong rivalry. Japan beat China 3–1 in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup final.

Japan vs. Australia

Japan and Australia have a fierce rivalry. This started after Australia joined the Asian Football Confederation in 2006. They have played many competitive games since then. These include matches in the 2006 World Cup and the Asian Cup.

Japan has played Australia 27 times. Japan has won 11 games, drawn 9, and lost 7.

Japan vs. Saudi Arabia

Japan and Saudi Arabia are two of Asia's most successful teams. They often play each other in big tournaments like the Asian Cup and World Cup qualifiers. Both teams have also made headlines for surprising wins in the 2022 World Cup. Japan beat Germany and Spain, while Saudi Arabia beat Argentina.

Japan has a better record against Saudi Arabia, with 10 wins, 1 draw, and 5 losses.

Japan vs. Iran

Japan and Iran have won a combined seven Asian Cup titles. Their rivalry grew in the 1990s. Japan beat Iran 3–2 in a famous play-off game to reach their first World Cup.

They met again in the 2019 and 2023 Asian Cups. Japan won 3–0 in the 2019 semi-finals. Iran got revenge four years later, beating Japan 2–1 in the quarter-finals.

Team Supporters

Japanese fans often chant "Nippon Ole" at home games. "Nippon" is the Japanese word for Japan.

Team Sponsors

Japan's national team earns a lot from sponsorships. In 2006, they earned over 16.5 million pounds.

Some of their main sponsors include Adidas, ANA, Kirin, FamilyMart, and JAL.

Team Mascots

The team mascots are "Karappe" and "Karara." They are two Yatagarasu (like the one on the team crest). They wear the Japan national football team uniform. A Japanese manga artist named Susumu Matsushita designed them.

For the 2014 World Cup, the Pokémon character Pikachu was also a mascot.

Coaching Staff

Current Coaching Team

Role	Name
Manager	Hajime Moriyasu
Assistant coach	Makoto Hasebe Ryoichi Maeda Hiroshi Nanami Toshihide Saito
Physical coach	Ryoichi Matsumoto
Goalkeeper coach	Takashi Shimoda

Players

Current Squad

The players listed below were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification games in November 2024.

Caps (games played) and goals are as of November 19, 2024.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Zion Suzuki	(2002-08-21) 21 August 2002 (age 22)	16	0	Parma
12	1GK	Keisuke Osako	(1999-07-28) 28 July 1999 (age 25)	8	0	Sanfrecce Hiroshima
23	1GK	Kosei Tani	(2000-11-20) 20 November 2000 (age 24)	2	0	Machida Zelvia
2	2DF	Yukinari Sugawara	(2000-06-28) 28 June 2000 (age 24)	14	2	Southampton
3	2DF	Daiki Hashioka	(1999-05-17) 17 May 1999 (age 26)	11	0	Luton Town
4	2DF	Ko Itakura	(1997-01-27) 27 January 1997 (age 28)	35	2	Borussia Mönchengladbach
16	2DF	Kōki Machida	(1997-08-25) 25 August 1997 (age 27)	16	0	Union Saint-Gilloise
22	2DF	Ayumu Seko	(2000-06-07) 7 June 2000 (age 25)	4	0	Grasshopper
	2DF	Yuto Nagatomo	(1986-09-12) 12 September 1986 (age 38)	142	4	FC Tokyo
	2DF	Kota Takai	(2004-09-04) 4 September 2004 (age 20)	1	0	Kawasaki Frontale
	2DF	Hiroki Sekine	(2002-08-11) 11 August 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Kashiwa Reysol
5	3MF	Hidemasa Morita	(1995-05-10) 10 May 1995 (age 30)	39	6	Sporting CP
6	3MF	Wataru Endō (captain)	(1993-02-09) 9 February 1993 (age 32)	67	4	Liverpool
7	3MF	Kaoru Mitoma	(1997-05-20) 20 May 1997 (age 28)	26	8	Brighton & Hove Albion
8	3MF	Takumi Minamino	(1995-01-16) 16 January 1995 (age 30)	65	24	Monaco
10	3MF	Ritsu Dōan	(1998-06-16) 16 June 1998 (age 27)	55	10	SC Freiburg
13	3MF	Keito Nakamura	(2000-07-28) 28 July 2000 (age 24)	14	8	Reims
14	3MF	Junya Itō	(1993-03-09) 9 March 1993 (age 32)	60	14	Reims
15	3MF	Daichi Kamada	(1996-08-05) 5 August 1996 (age 28)	38	8	Crystal Palace
17	3MF	Ao Tanaka	(1998-09-10) 10 September 1998 (age 26)	30	8	Leeds United
20	3MF	Takefusa Kubo	(2001-06-04) 4 June 2001 (age 24)	40	5	Real Sociedad
21	3MF	Reo Hatate	(1997-11-21) 21 November 1997 (age 27)	10	0	Celtic
	3MF	Joel Chima Fujita	(2002-02-16) 16 February 2002 (age 23)	2	0	Sint-Truiden
9	4FW	Kyogo Furuhashi	(1995-01-20) 20 January 1995 (age 30)	22	5	Celtic
11	4FW	Daizen Maeda	(1997-10-20) 20 October 1997 (age 27)	22	4	Celtic
18	4FW	Yuki Ohashi	(1996-07-27) 27 July 1996 (age 28)	1	0	Blackburn Rovers
19	4FW	Koki Ogawa	(1997-08-08) 8 August 1997 (age 27)	9	9	NEC Nijmegen

Most Appearances

Rank	Player	Caps	Goals	Position	Career
1	Yasuhito Endō	152	15	MF	2002–2015
2	Yuto Nagatomo	142	4	DF	2008–present
3	Maya Yoshida	126	12	DF	2010–2022
4	Masami Ihara	122	5	DF	1988–1999
5	Shinji Okazaki	119	50	FW	2008– 2019

Top Goalscorers

Rank	Player	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
1	Kunishige Kamamoto	75	76	0.99	1964–1977
2	Kazuyoshi Miura	55	89	0.62	1990–2000
3	Shinji Okazaki	50	119	0.42	2008–2019
4	Hiromi Hara	37	75	0.49	1978–1988
	Keisuke Honda		98	0.38	2008–2018

Team Captains

Name	Position	Years as Captain	Notes
Shigeo Yaegashi	MF	1968	Led the team to a bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Tetsuji Hashiratani	MF	1991–1995	Captain when Japan won the 1992 AFC Asian Cup
Makoto Hasebe	DM	2010–2018	Captain when Japan won the 2011 AFC Asian Cup
Wataru Endo	DM	2023–present

Team Achievements

Major Competitions

Worldwide

• Olympic Games
  • Bronze medal (1): 1968
• FIFA Confederations Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2001

Intercontinental

• Afro-Asian Cup of Nations
  • Champions (2): 1993, 2007
• AFC–OFC Challenge Cup
  • Champions (1): 2001

Continental

• AFC Asian Cup
  • Champions (4): 1992, 2000, 2004, 2011
  • Runners-up (1): 2019
• Asian Games
  • Bronze medal (2): 1951, 1966

Regional Competitions

• Far Eastern Games
  • Gold medal (1): 1930
• EAFF East Asian Cup / E-1 Football Championship
  • Champions (2): 2013, 2022
  • Runners-up (5): 2003, 2005, 2008, 2017, 2019
  • Third place (1): 2010
• Dynasty Cup
  • Champions (3): 1992, 1995, 1998

Friendly Tournaments

• Kirin Cup
  • Champions (12): 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015
• Bangabandhu Cup
  • Champions (1): 1999

Awards

• AFC National Team of the Year

Years: 2000, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011

• Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize

Years: 2002

Summary of Wins

Competition				Total
Olympic Games	0	0	1	1
FIFA Confederations Cup	0	1	0	1
AFC Asian Cup	4	1	0	5
Asian Games	1	3	2	6
Afro-Asian Cup of Nations	2	0	0	2
AFC–OFC Challenge Cup	1	0	0	1
EAFF E-1 Football Championship	2	5	1	8
Far Eastern Games	1	0	0	1
Dynasty Cup	3	0	0	3
Total	14	10	4	28

Images for kids

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  A Boeing 777 airplane painted with the Samurai Blue design

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Japón para niños

National teams

Men's

• Japan national under-23 football team
• Japan national under-20 football team
• Japan national under-17 football team
• Japan national futsal team
• Japan national under-20 futsal team
• Japan national beach soccer team

Women's

• Japan women's national football team
• Japan women's national under-23 football team
• Japan women's national under-20 football team
• Japan women's national under-17 football team