Japan

Nickname(s)	Nippon Daihyo(日本代表) Okada Japan(岡田ジャパン)[1]
Association	Japan Football Association
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Head coach	Takeshi Okada
Captain	Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi
Most caps	Masami Ihara (123)
Top scorer	Kunishige Kamamoto (82)
FIFA code	JPN
FIFA ranking	35
Highest FIFA ranking	9 (February 1998)
Lowest FIFA ranking	62 (February 2000)
Elo ranking	23
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	3 (First in 1998)
Best result	Round 2, 2002
AFC Asian Cup
Appearances	6 (First in 1988)
Best result	Winners, 1992, 2000, 2004
Confederations Cup
Appearances	4 (First in 1995)
Best result	2nd, 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. Osim fell ill in late 2007 and he was replaced by Takeshi Okada, who had taken Japan to the 1998 World Cup.^[2]

The team is commonly known by the fans and media as Nippon Daihyo (日本代表 "Japanese representatives"), Daihyo (代表 "representatives"). Although the team does not have an official nickname, 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 has qualified for the last three consecutive World Cup finals and is a three-time Asian Cup trophy winner.

History

Japan's former kit

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 Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Japan is the only team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, being invited in 1999, along with Mexico.

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.

Competition Records

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 31/32 3 0 0 3 1 4 2002 Round 2 12/32 4 2 1 1 5 3 2006 Round 1 28/32 3 0 1 2 2 7 Total 3/18 - 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

FIFA Confederations Cup Record

FIFA Confederations Cup Record Year Round Position GP W D* L GS GA 1992 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1995 Round 1 6/6 2 0 0 2 1 8 1997 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1999 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 2001 Second Place 2/8 5 3 1 1 6 1 2003 Round 1 6/8 3 1 0 2 4 3 2005 Round 1 5/8 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 Semi Finals  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	10/10	4	0	1	3	0	6
1992	Champions	1/8	5	3	2	0	6	3
1996	Quarter-finals	7/12	4	3	0	1	7	3
2000	Champions	1/12	6	5	1	0	21	6
2004	Champions	1/16	6	4	2	0	13	6
2007	Fourth Place	4/16	6	2	3	1	11	7
Total	6/14	3 Titles	31	17	9	5	58	31

*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

East Asian Cup Record

• 2003 - Second place
• 2005 - Second place
• 2008 - Second place

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 achievments 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 Quarter-finals 8/16 2 1 0 1 3 10 1948 Banned - - - - - - - 1952 Did Not Enter - - - - - - - 1956 Round 1 10/11 1 0 0 1 0 2 1960 Did Not Qualify - - - - - - - 1964 Quarter-finals 8/14 3 1 0 2 5 9 1968 Third Place 3/16 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 9/16 3 2 0 1 4 4 2000 Quarter-finals 5/16 4 2 1 1 6 5 2004 Round 1 13/16 3 1 0 2 6 7 2008 Round 1 15/16 3 0 0 3 1 4 Total 8/24 1 Third Place 25 10 3 12 34 49 *Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Olympic Games History Year Round Score Result 1936 Round 1  Japan 3 – 2  Sweden Win Quarter Finals  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 Quarter Finals  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 Quarter Finals  Japan 3 – 1  France Win Semi Finals  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 Quarter Finals  Japan 2 – 2  USA Loss* 2004 Round 1  Japan 3 – 4  Paraguay Loss Round 1  Japan 2 – 3  Italy Loss Round 1  Japan 1 – 0  Ghana Win *Eliminated on penalty kicks.

Top goalscorers

As of June 23, 2008

* The players in bold typeface are still active in football.

Most Capped

As of August 28, 2008

* The players in bold typeface are still active in football.

Kits

Japan's home dress does not match its national flag as it consists of a blue jersey, white shorts, and blue socks. The away kit consists of a white jersey, blue shorts, and white socks. However, Japan formerly wore white and red which matched its national flag.

Schedule and recent results

Matches under Takeshi Okada , as well as any future scheduled matches.

Date	Opponent	Result	Score1	Venue	Competition
January 26, 2008	Chile	D	0-0	National Stadium, Tokyo	Friendly Match (Kirin Challenge Cup 2008)
January 30, 2008	Bosnia and Herzegovina	W	3-0	National Stadium, Tokyo	Friendly Match (Kirin Challenge Cup 2008)
February 6, 2008	Thailand	W	4-1	Saitama Stadium, Saitama	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
February 17, 2008	Korea DPR	D	1-1	Olympic Sports Center, Chongqing, China	East Asian Cup 2008
February 20, 2008	China PR	W	1-0	Olympic Sports Center, Chongqing, China	East Asian Cup 2008
February 23, 2008	Korea Republic	D	1-1	Olympic Sports Center, Chongqing, China	East Asian Cup 2008
March 26, 2008	Bahrain	L	0-1	Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
May 24, 2008	Côte d'Ivoire	W	1-0	Toyota Stadium, Toyota	Kirin Cup 2008
May 27, 2008	Paraguay	D	0-0	Saitama Stadium, Saitama	Kirin Cup 2008
June 2, 2008	Oman	W	3-0	International Stadium, Yokohama	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
June 7, 2008	Oman	D	1-1	Royal Oman Police Stadium, Muscat, Oman	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
June 14, 2008	Thailand	W	3-0	Rajamangala National Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
June 22, 2008	Bahrain	W	1-0	Saitama Stadium, Saitama	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
August 20, 2008	Uruguay	L	1-3	Sapporo Dome, Sapporo	Friendly Match (Kirin Challenge Cup 2008)
September 6, 2008	Bahrain			TBD, Bahrain