Japan’s senior men’s national team combines a century of football history with a modern, technically ambitious identity. Founded in 1921 and widely known as Samurai Blue, the selection represents the Japan Football Association in Asian and East Asian competition. Blue and white colours, the Yatagarasu emblem and disciplined supporter traditions give the team a distinctive cultural profile, while a broad domestic and international development pathway continues to connect emerging players with the senior side.
Japan Upcoming matches by league
Friendlies
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- Friendly International
Japan
Uruguay
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- Friendly International
Japan
Venezuela
Japan Last matches by league
Friendlies
World Cup
EAFF E-1 Football Championship
World Cup - Qualification Asia
Asian Cup
Copa America
Japan Team Roster
Japan’s recorded national squad contains 26 players: 10 attackers, eight defenders, five midfielders and three goalkeepers. The attacking group is led on the list by A. Ueda, D. Kamada, D. Maeda, J. Ito, Koki Ogawa and T. Kubo. The defensive list includes K. Itakura, S. Taniguchi, T. Tomiyasu and Y. Nagatomo. Z. Suzuki, T. Hayakawa and K. Osako are the three goalkeepers, while A. Tanaka and Y. Sugawara represent the midfield group. This roster offers a balanced snapshot of the selection at the stated date.
position Goalkeeper
position Defender
Shogo Taniguchi
Ko Itakura
Yuto Nagatomo
Tsuyoshi Watanabe
Ayumu Seko
Hiroki Ito
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Junnosuke Suzuki
position Midfielder
Yukinari Sugawara
Ao Tanaka
Keito Nakamura
Yuito Suzuki
Kaishu Sano
position Attacker
Shuto Machino
Takefusa Kubo
Keisuke Goto
Ritsu Dōan
Daizen Maeda
Junya Ito
Daichi Kamada
Ayase Ueda
Koki Ogawa
Kento Shiogai
Last Japan Coachs
Hajime Moriyasu is Japan’s current head coach, having started the role in August 2018, and remains in post. The preceding sequence lists Akira Nishino from April to July 2018, Vahid Halilhodžić from March 2015 to April 2018, Javier Aguirre Onaindía from July 2014 to February 2015 and Alberto Zaccheroni from August 2010 to June 2014. The chronology shows a blend of Japanese and overseas coaching appointments.
Hajime Moriyasu
History
| Coach | Coach country | Coach since | Coach until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hajime Moriyasu | Japan | 1 August 2018 | |
| Akira Nishino | Japan | 1 April 2018 | 1 July 2018 |
| Vahid Halilhodžić | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 March 2015 | 1 April 2018 |
| Javier Aguirre Onaindía | Mexico | 1 July 2014 | 1 February 2015 |
| Alberto Zaccheroni | Italy | 1 August 2010 | 1 June 2014 |
| Takeshi Okada | Japan | 1 December 2007 | 1 July 2010 |
| Philippe Bernard Victor Troussier | France | 1 August 1998 | 1 June 2002 |
| Takeshi Okada | Japan | 1 October 1997 | 1 June 1998 |
Japan Transfers
For Japan, arrivals are created through national-team selection rather than the club transfer market. Players enter the squad when they are called up, meet eligibility requirements and are available for the relevant international programme; established internationals may also return after an absence. The latest recorded squad contains 26 players, but no individual arrival movements are identified in the current squad information. Accordingly, there are no verified signing, loan or transfer additions to summarise, and the section reflects call-up mechanics rather than commercial recruitment.
For Japan, departures are selection events rather than sales, loans or releases in a club market. A player can be omitted from a squad, withdraw through availability or eligibility circumstances, or return to his club after an international window without changing club ownership. No individual omission or withdrawal is specified alongside the 26-player recorded squad. The available information therefore supports a description of selection turnover only, not named exits, destinations, fees or permanent transfers.
Transfers Synthesis
Japan’s movement cycle is built around international windows, eligibility checks and coaching selection. A player is added when the federation names him for a squad, while another may be absent because of availability, eligibility, withdrawal or a decision to remain with his club. After the relevant fixtures, selected players return to their clubs, and later call-ups create a new squad group. The recorded 26-player squad, is therefore a snapshot of one selection cycle rather than a permanent register. It identifies the available balance across attack, defence, midfield and goalkeeping, but it does not establish a list of recent additions or omissions. With no individual movement events specified, the safest reading is a continuity-based national-team model in which selection, withdrawal and recall shape the squad over time. The cycle serves tournament qualification, finals and international fixtures without club football’s buying, selling, loan or fee structure.
Leagues Japan has participated in
Japan has recent recorded participation in the World Cup and World Cup qualification in Asia, with both competitions reaching 2026. The EAFF E-1 Football Championship and friendlies remain recent parts of the programme through 2025. The Asian Cup is recorded through 2023 and is historical, while the Kirin Cup appears for 2022. Earlier participation includes the 2019 Copa America and the 2013 Confederations Cup. Together, these entries describe a schedule spanning global finals, Asian qualification, regional competition, invitational matches and international preparation.
More about Japan
Japan is the senior national football team of the Japan Football Association, founded in 1921 and commonly known as Samurai Blue. The selection operates within the Asian Football Confederation and the East Asian Football Federation, placing it in both continental and regional football structures. Unlike a club, Japan has no permanent home ground or conventional ownership model. Its matches move among major venues, including Japan National Stadium in Tokyo, Saitama Stadium 2002, and stadiums in Osaka, Yokohama and Sapporo. The team’s visual identity is built around deep blue and white, with the Yatagarasu, a three-legged crow from Japanese mythology, at the centre of its badge. The emblem and rising-sun imagery connect football representation with national heritage, while the Samurai Blue name gives the side a clear public identity. Supporter culture is associated with coordinated chanting and choreography, as well as the widely noted practice of fans and players helping clean stadiums after matches. Football reached Japan in the late nineteenth century, with Archibald Lucius Douglas linked to its early introduction through the Imperial Japanese Navy. Important milestones include Japan’s bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, the launch of the professional J.League in 1993 and the 2002 World Cup co-hosted with South Korea. The professional era expanded the domestic pathway and strengthened the connection between club development and international selection. Japan’s senior setup is supported by age-group teams from under-17 to under-23 level, creating a progression route toward the first team. The programme’s competitive landscape includes World Cup qualification, the Asian Cup, the EAFF E-1 Football Championship and invited international events. South Korea is the principal historic regional rival, with Australia and Iran also established competitive opponents. Japan’s identity rests on federation stewardship, a rotating national stage and a sustained bridge between domestic football and international competition.
Last matches statistics for Japan
| match | shots | Poss. | Pass % | Fouls | Cards | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Japan
2 - 2
Paraguay
|
6 / 11 |
|
84 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
|
Japan
3 - 2
Brazil
|
6 / 15 |
|
84 | 15 | 1 | 2 |
|
Japan
3 - 0
Bolivia
|
6 / 8 |
|
84 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
|
Scotland
0 - 1
Japan
|
7 / 18 |
|
88 | 18 | 2 | 3 |
|
England
0 - 1
Japan
|
2 / 7 |
|
81 | 13 | 2 | 3 |
|
Japan
1 - 0
Iceland
|
7 / 15 |
|
88 | 11 | - | 2 |
|
Netherlands
2 - 2
Japan
|
3 / 10 |
|
84 | 7 | - | 4 |
|
Tunisia
0 - 4
Japan
|
5 / 11 |
|
90 | 15 | - | 0 |
|
Japan
1 - 1
Sweden
|
3 / 8 |
|
85 | 20 | 1 | 4 |
|
Brazil
2 - 1
Japan
|
2 / 5 |
|
83 | 13 | 3 | 4 |
Detailed statistics Japan
Xtra rating history
Last rating points (most recent matches).
shots Japan
Warnings Japan
Passes Japan
Goalkeeper saves Japan
Latest start lineups Japan (XI)
Brazil vs Japan
World Cup 2026 - 1562344
Japan vs Sweden
World Cup 2026 - 1539011
Tunisia vs Japan
World Cup 2026 - 1489394
Netherlands vs Japan
World Cup 2026 - 1489376
Japan vs Iceland
Friendlies 2026 - 1540351
Scotland vs Japan
Friendlies 2026 - 1511777
2026
1st shirt
2026
2nd shirt
2022
2nd shirt
2018-2019
1st shirt