Japan
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| Nickname(s) | Nippon Daihyō (日本代表) Okada Japan (岡田ジャパン)[1] |
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| Association | Japan Football Association | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach |  Takeshi Okada |
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| Captain | Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Most caps | Masami Ihara (123) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top scorer | Kunishige Kamamoto (75) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| First international | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japan 0 - 5 Republic of China  (Tokyo, Japan; May 9, 1917) |
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| Biggest win | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japan 15 - 0 Philippines  (Tokyo, Japan; September 27, 1967) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Japan 2 - 15 Philippines (Tokyo, Japan; May 10, 1917) |
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| 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 | |||
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| 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 previously taken Japan to the 1998 World Cup.[2]
The team is commonly known by the fans and media as Nippon Daihyō (日本代表? lit. Japanese representatives), Daihyō (代表? lit. representatives). 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 three consecutive World Cup finals.
[edit] History
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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.
[edit] Competition Records
[edit] FIFA World Cup Record
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[edit] FIFA Confederations Cup Record
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[edit] 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.
[edit] East Asian Cup Record
[edit] 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.
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