Japan national under-23 football team

National association football team
Japan U23
AssociationJapan Football Association
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationEAFF (East Asia)
Head coachGo Oiwa
Most capsKensuke Nagai
Keigo Higashi
Reo Hatate
(31 each)
Top scorerShoya Nakajima (19)
FIFA codeJPN
First colours
Second colours
First international
 Malaysia 1–1 Japan 
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; December 1990)[1]
Biggest win
 Japan 13–0 Philippines 
(Hong Kong; 12 June 1999)
Biggest defeat
 Denmark 6–1 Japan 
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 6 February 1994)
Summer Olympic Games
Appearances7 (first in 1996)
Best resultFourth place (2012, 2020)
Asian Games
Appearances6 (first in 2002)
Best result Gold medalists (2010)
AFC U-23 Championship
Appearances5 (first in 2013)
Best result Champions (2016)

The Japan national under-23 football team(Japanese: U-23サッカー日本代表)is a national association football youth team of Japan and is controlled by the Japan Football Association. The team won the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games and were champions in the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship. Since 1992, it was decided that teams targeting athletes under the age of 23 will participate in the Olympics (additional provisions for overage limits have been added since 1996). Therefore, the name changes to Japan national under-22 football team the year before the Olympics and Japan national under-21 football team two years prior. The exception to this was the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed one year, so in 2021, the team was called the Japan national under-24 football team.

Team image

Nicknames

"サムライ・ブルー (Samurai Blue)" basically refers to the Japan national football team, but the under-23 football team are sometimes referred to as "Young" Samurai Blue. However, in reality, Samurai Blue is not often used.

Rivalries

South Korea

Japan maintains a strong football rivalry with South Korea, even in youth set-ups.

Results and fixtures

Legend

  Win   Draw   Lose   Fixture

2024

U-23

Japan  v  Mali
22 March Friendly Japan  1–3  Mali Kameoka, Japan
19:20 UTC+9 Report
Stadium: Sanga Stadium by Kyocera
Attendance: 11,515
Referee: William Finney (England)
Japan  v  Ukraine
25 March Friendly Japan  2–0  Ukraine Kitakyushu, Japan
19:15 UTC+9
Report Stadium: Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu
Attendance: 11,756
Referee: Lewis Smith (England)
Japan  v  China
16 April AFC U-23 Asian Cup GS Japan  v  China Al Rayyan, Qatar
16:00 UTC+3 Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium
United Arab Emirates  v  Japan
19 April AFC U-23 Asian Cup GS United Arab Emirates  v  Japan Al Rayyan, Qatar
18:30 UTC+3 Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium
Japan  v  South Korea
22 April AFC U-23 Asian Cup GS Japan  v  South Korea Al Rayyan, Qatar
16:00 UTC+3 Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium
  • Fixtures & Results (2024)

2023

U-22

Germany  v  Japan
24 March Friendly[2] Germany  2–2  Japan Frankfurt, Germany
18:15 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Stadion am Bornheimer Hang
Belgium  v  Japan
28 March Friendly[3] Belgium  3–2  Japan Murcia, Spain
18:00 UTC+2 Report
Stadium: Pinatar Arena
England  v  Japan
10 June Friendly[3] England  0–2  Japan Newport, England
--:-- Report
Stadium: St. George's Park
Netherlands  v  Japan
14 June Friendly[3] Netherlands  0–0  Japan Wiener Neustadt, Austria
14:30 UTC+2 Report Stadium: Stadion Wiener Neustadt
Japan  v  Pakistan
6 September AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification Japan  6–0  Pakistan Arad, Bahrain
21:30 UTC+3
Report Stadium: Al Muharraq Stadium
Palestine  v  Japan
9 September AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification Palestine  0–1  Japan Arad, Bahrain
21:30 UTC+3 Report
Stadium: Al Muharraq Stadium
Japan  v  Bahrain
12 September AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification Japan  0–0  Bahrain Arad, Bahrain
18:30 UTC+3 Stadium: Al Muharraq Stadium
Japan  v  Qatar
20 September Asian Games GS Japan  3–1  Qatar Hangzhou, China
19:30 UTC+8
Report
  • Al-Sulaiti 79'
Stadium: Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium
Attendance: 5,904
Referee: Kim Hee-gon (South Korea)
Palestine  v  Japan
25 September Asian Games GS Palestine  0–1  Japan Hangzhou, China
19:30 UTC+8 Report
Stadium: Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium
Attendance: 6,417
Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (Malaysia)
Japan  v  Myanmar
28 September Asian Games R16 Japan  7–0  Myanmar Hangzhou, China
19:30 UTC+8
Report Stadium: Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium
Attendance: 7,217
Referee: Clifford Daypuyat (Philippines)
Japan  v  North Korea
1 October Asian Games QF Japan  2–1  North Korea Hangzhou, China
19:30 UTC+8
Report
  • Kim Kuk-bom 74'
Stadium: Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium
Attendance: 0
Referee: Rustam Lutfullin (Uzbekistan)
Hong Kong  v  Japan
4 October Asian Games SF Hong Kong  0–4  Japan Hangzhou, China
18:00 UTC+8 Report
Stadium: Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium
Attendance: 7,456
Referee: Qasim Al-Hatmi (Oman)
South Korea  v  Japan
7 October Asian Games Final South Korea  2–1  Japan Hangzhou, China
20:00 UTC+8 Report Stadium: Hangzhou Sports Park Stadium
Attendance: 68,018
Referee: Ammar Mahfoodh (Bahrain)
Mexico  v  Japan
14 October Friendly[3] Mexico  1–4  Japan Arizona, United States
15:00 UTC−7
  • Ávila 73'
Report
Stadium: Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium
United States  v  Japan
17 October Friendly[3] United States  4–1  Japan Arizona, United States
19:30 UTC−7
Report
Stadium: Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium
Japan  v  Argentina
18 November Friendly[3] Japan  5–2  Argentina Shizuoka, Japan
14:00 UTC+9
Report
Stadium: IAI Stadium Nihondaira
Attendance: 11,225
Referee: Chae Sang-hyeop (South Korea)
  • Fixtures & Results (2023), JFA.jp

Head-to-head record

As of 18 November 2023, after the match against  Argentina.

The following table shows Japan under-23 team's all-time international record.

Against Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA GD Confederation
 Australia 11 5 0 6 20 15 +5 AFC
 Bahrain 3 1 1 1 6 2 +4 AFC
 Cambodia 2 2 0 0 6 0 +6 AFC
 China 7 3 0 4 8 5 +3 AFC
 Chinese Taipei 4 4 0 0 15 1 +14 AFC
 Hong Kong 7 6 0 1 19 4 +15 AFC
 Indonesia 3 2 0 0 10 3 +7 AFC
 India 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 AFC
 Iran 5 2 2 1 10 7 +3 AFC
 Iraq 4 1 1 2 4 6 –2 AFC
 Jordan 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 AFC
 Kuwait 5 3 2 0 15 2 +13 AFC
 Lebanon 2 2 0 0 6 1 +5 AFC
 Macau 3 3 0 0 21 0 +21 AFC
 Malaysia 17 13 4 0 47 7 +40 AFC
 Myanmar 3 3 0 0 23 0 +23 AFC
   Nepal 5 5 0 0 21 0 +21 AFC
 Oman 1 1 0 0 4 1 +3 AFC
 North Korea 3 3 0 0 6 4 +2 AFC
 Qatar 6 4 2 1 8 5 +3 AFC
 Saudi Arabia 5 5 1 1 9 6 +3 AFC
 South Korea 19 6 3 10 25 22 +3 AFC
 Palestine 6 6 0 0 11 1 +10 AFC
 Philippines 3 3 0 0 32 0 +32 AFC
 Pakistan 3 3 0 0 13 2 +11 AFC
 Singapore 2 2 0 0 4 1 +3 AFC
 Syria 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 AFC
 Tajikistan 1 1 0 0 3 0 +3 AFC
 Thailand 10 9 0 1 26 3 +23 AFC
 East Timor 2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 AFC
 Uzbekistan 2 0 0 2 0 6 –6 AFC
 United Arab Emirates 5 4 1 1 7 2 +5 AFC
 Vietnam 4 3 0 1 7 1 +6 AFC
 Angola 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 CAF
 Egypt 6 2 1 3 2 8 –6 CAF
 Ghana 4 3 0 1 11 2 +9 CAF
 Mali 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 CAF
 Morocco 3 3 0 0 7 2 +5 CAF
 Nigeria 3 0 0 3 5 9 –4 CAF
 South Africa 3 3 0 0 6 1 +5 CAF
 Tunisia 3 1 0 2 4 6 –2 CAF
 Canada 1 0 0 1 0 1 –1 CONCACAF
 Costa Rica 4 1 2 1 5 4 +1 CONCACAF
 Honduras 2 1 1 0 3 1 +2 CONCACAF
 Jamaica 2 2 0 0 13 0 +13 CONCACAF
 Mexico 5 2 1 2 10 10 0 CONCACAF
 United States 4 0 2 2 5 9 –4 CONCACAF
 Argentina 4 3 0 1 9 3 +6 CONMEBOL
 Brazil 5 2 2 1 6 5 +1 CONMEBOL
 Chile 1 1 0 0 6 1 +5 CONMEBOL
 Colombia 2 0 1 1 2 4 –2 CONMEBOL
 Ecuador 1 0 0 1 0 1 –1 CONMEBOL
 Paraguay 1 0 0 1 3 4 –1 CONMEBOL
 Venezuela 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 CONMEBOL
 Belgium 1 0 0 1 2 3 –1 UEFA
 Croatia 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 UEFA
 Denmark 2 0 1 1 1 6 –5 UEFA
 England 3 2 1 0 4 1 +3 UEFA
 Italy 3 0 1 2 3 7 –4 UEFA
 France 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 UEFA
 Germany 3 1 1 1 9 5 +4 UEFA
 Greece 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 UEFA
 Hungary 1 1 0 0 3 2 +1 UEFA
 Kazakhstan 2 2 0 0 5 1 +4 UEFA
 Netherlands 2 0 1 1 0 1 –1 UEFA
 Norway 1 0 0 1 2 3 –1 UEFA
 Portugal 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 UEFA
 Republic of Ireland 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 UEFA
 Russia 5 2 2 1 7 5 +2 UEFA
 Spain 4 1 1 2 2 4 –2 UEFA
 Slovakia 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 UEFA
 Sweden 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 UEFA
  Switzerland 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 UEFA
 New Zealand 4 2 2 0 9 1 +8 OFC
Against:74 Nations Played:256 Won:152 Drawn:41 Lost:63 GF GA GD Confederation

Coaching staff

U-22 staff

As of 29 March 2023.

The following staff managed the players selected for friendly matches on March 2023.[4]

Role Name
Head coach Japan Go Oiwa
Assistant coach Japan Kenji Haneda
Goalkeeper coach Japan Yukiya Hamano
Physical coach Japan Yoshiharu Yano
Technical staff Japan Shigeyuki Ochi
Japan Hideaki Watanabe

Players

Caps and goals are counted in this section separately, with players in each age group (U-23, U-22 and U-21) having a distinct amount of caps and goals.

Current U-23 squad

The following players were called up for matches against  Mali and  Ukraine, played on 22 and 25 March 2024.[5]
Caps and goals updated as of 25 March 2024, after the match against  Ukraine.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Kazuki Fujita (2001-02-19) 19 February 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Japan JEF United Chiba
12 1GK Taishi Brandon Nozawa (2002-12-25) 25 December 2002 (age 21) 1 0 Japan FC Tokyo
23 1GK Leo Kokubo (2002-12-25) 25 December 2002 (age 21) 1 0 Portugal Benfica

2 2DF Riku Handa (2002-01-01) 1 January 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Japan Gamba Osaka
3 2DF Ryuya Nishio (2001-05-16) 16 May 2001 (age 22) 1 0 Japan Cerezo Osaka
4 2DF Hiroki Sekine (2002-08-11) 11 August 2002 (age 21) 2 0 Japan Kashiwa Reysol
5 2DF Seiya Baba (2001-10-24) 24 October 2001 (age 22) 1 0 Japan Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
17 2DF Ayumu Ohata (2001-04-27) 27 April 2001 (age 22) 1 0 Japan Urawa Red Diamonds
21 2DF Kashif Bangnagande (2001-09-24) 24 September 2001 (age 22) 1 0 Japan FC Tokyo
22 2DF Takashi Uchino (2001-03-07) 7 March 2001 (age 23) 2 0 Germany Fortuna Düsseldorf
25 2DF Kaito Suzuki (2002-08-25) 25 August 2002 (age 21) 1 0 Japan Júbilo Iwata
26 2DF Kota Takai (2004-09-04) 4 September 2004 (age 19) 1 0 Japan Kawasaki Frontale

6 3MF Sota Kawasaki (2001-07-30) 30 July 2001 (age 22) 1 0 Japan Kyoto Sanga
7 3MF Rihito Yamamoto (2001-12-12) 12 December 2001 (age 22) 1 0 Belgium Sint-Truiden
8 3MF Joel Chima Fujita (2002-02-16) 16 February 2002 (age 22) 2 0 Belgium Sint-Truiden
10 3MF Kein Sato (2001-07-11) 11 July 2001 (age 22) 2 1 Germany Werder Bremen II
15 3MF Satoshi Tanaka (2002-08-13) 13 August 2002 (age 21) 1 1 Japan Shonan Bellmare
16 3MF Kuryu Matsuki (2003-04-30) 30 April 2003 (age 20) 1 0 Japan FC Tokyo
19 3MF Fuki Yamada (2001-07-10) 10 July 2001 (age 22) 2 0 Japan Tokyo Verdy
20 3MF Yu Hirakawa (2001-01-03) 3 January 2001 (age 23) 2 1 Japan Machida Zelvia
24 3MF Yota Komi (2002-08-11) 11 August 2002 (age 21) 2 0 Japan Albirex Niigata

9 4FW Shota Fujio (2001-05-02) 2 May 2001 (age 22) 1 0 Japan Machida Zelvia
11 4FW Mao Hosoya (2001-09-07) 7 September 2001 (age 22) 2 0 Japan Kashiwa Reysol
13 4FW Ryotaro Araki (2002-01-29) 29 January 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Japan FC Tokyo
14 4FW Asahi Uenaka (2001-11-01) 1 November 2001 (age 22) 2 0 Japan Yokohama F. Marinos
18 4FW Itsuki Someno (2001-09-12) 12 September 2001 (age 22) 2 0 Japan Tokyo Verdy

Current U-22 squad

The following players were called up for a match against  Argentina, played on 18 November 2023.[6]
Caps and goals updated as of 18 November 2023, after the match against  Argentina.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Masato Sasaki (2002-05-01) 1 May 2002 (age 21) 2 0 Japan Kashiwa Reysol
12 1GK Kazuki Fujita (2001-02-19) 19 February 2001 (age 23) 6 0 Japan JEF United Chiba
23 1GK Taishi Brandon Nozawa (2002-12-25) 25 December 2002 (age 21) 1 0 Japan FC Tokyo

2 2DF Riku Handa (2002-01-01) 1 January 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Japan Gamba Osaka
3 2DF Ryuya Nishio (2001-05-16) 16 May 2001 (age 22) 7 0 Japan Cerezo Osaka
4 2DF Taichi Yamasaki (2001-01-08) 8 January 2001 (age 23) 6 1 Japan Sanfrecce Hiroshima
5 2DF Seiji Kimura (2001-08-24) 24 August 2001 (age 22) 9 0 Japan FC Tokyo
15 2DF Kaito Suzuki (2002-08-25) 25 August 2002 (age 21) 5 2 Japan Júbilo Iwata
17 2DF Kashif Bangnagande (2001-09-24) 24 September 2001 (age 22) 3 0 Japan FC Tokyo
21 2DF Ayumu Ohata (2001-04-27) 27 April 2001 (age 22) 4 0 Japan Urawa Red Diamonds
25 2DF Taiga Hata (2002-01-20) 20 January 2002 (age 22) 6 0 Japan Shonan Bellmare

6 3MF Sota Kawasaki (2001-07-30) 30 July 2001 (age 22) 3 0 Japan Kyoto Sanga
7 3MF Rihito Yamamoto (2001-12-12) 12 December 2001 (age 22) 10 1 Belgium Sint-Truiden
8 3MF Joel Chima Fujita (2002-02-16) 16 February 2002 (age 22) 12 1 Belgium Sint-Truiden
10 3MF Yuito Suzuki (2001-10-25) 25 October 2001 (age 22) 11 3 Denmark Brøndby
13 3MF Fuki Yamada (2001-07-10) 10 July 2001 (age 22) 8 0 Japan Tokyo Verdy
14 3MF Shunsuke Mito (2002-09-28) 28 September 2002 (age 21) 8 2 Netherlands Sparta Rotterdam
16 3MF Kuryu Matsuki (2003-04-30) 30 April 2003 (age 20) 7 2 Japan FC Tokyo
18 3MF Kein Sato (2001-07-11) 11 July 2001 (age 22) 13 5 Germany Werder Bremen II
19 3MF Tomoki Kondo (2001-03-21) 21 March 2001 (age 23) 2 0 Japan Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
20 3MF Yuta Matsumura (2001-04-13) 13 April 2001 (age 22) 11 3 Japan Kashima Antlers
26 3MF Taichi Fukui (2004-07-15) 15 July 2004 (age 19) 2 0 Portugal Portimonense

9 4FW Yutaro Oda (2001-08-12) 12 August 2001 (age 22) 5 0 Scotland Heart of Midlothian
11 4FW Asahi Uenaka (2001-11-01) 1 November 2001 (age 22) 1 0 Japan Yokohama F. Marinos
24 4FW Shio Fukuda (2004-04-08) 8 April 2004 (age 19) 1 1 Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach II

Recent U-22 call-ups

The following players were called up to the squad in the past 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Ryoya Kimura (2003-06-10) 10 June 2003 (age 20) 0 0 Japan Nihon University v.  United States, 17 October 2023
GK Yuma Obata (2001-11-07) 7 November 2001 (age 22) 2 0 Japan Vegalta Sendai Asian Games, September-October 2023
GK Taiki Yamada (2002-01-08) 8 January 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Japan Kashima Antlers Asian Games, September-October 2023 WD
GK Leo Kokubo (2001-01-23) 23 January 2001 (age 23) 2 0 Portugal Benfica AFC U-23 Asian Cup QF, September 2023
GK Zion Suzuki (2002-08-21) 21 August 2002 (age 21) 5 0 Belgium Sint-Truiden AFC U-23 Asian Cup QF, September 2023
GK Keitaro Nakajima (2001-06-06) 6 June 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Japan Tochigi SC Training camp, 23-26 April 2023

DF Takashi Uchino (2001-03-07) 7 March 2001 (age 23) 9 0 Germany Fortuna Düsseldorf v.  Argentina, 18 November 2023 WD
DF Anrie Chase (2004-03-24) 24 March 2004 (age 20) 3 0 Germany VfB Stuttgart II v.  United States, 17 October 2023
DF Hayato Okuda (2001-04-21) 21 April 2001 (age 22) 6 0 Japan Cerezo Osaka Asian Games, September-October 2023
DF Ibuki Konno (2001-05-10) 10 May 2001 (age 22) 6 0 Japan Gamba Osaka Asian Games, September-October 2023
DF Seiya Baba (2001-10-24) 24 October 2001 (age 22) 7 0 Japan Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo Asian Games, September-October 2023
DF Manato Yoshida (2001-11-16) 16 November 2001 (age 22) 5 0 Japan Yokohama F. Marinos Asian Games, September-October 2023
DF Hiroki Sekine (2002-08-11) 11 August 2002 (age 21) 7 0 Japan Kashiwa Reysol Asian Games, September-October 2023
DF Kenta Nemoto (2002-12-13) 13 December 2002 (age 21) 2 0 Japan Ryutsu Keizai University Asian Games, September-October 2023
DF Shinya Nakano (2003-08-17) 17 August 2003 (age 20) 2 0 Japan Gamba Osaka AFC U-23 Asian Cup QF, September 2023
DF Kota Takai (2004-09-04) 4 September 2004 (age 19) 1 0 Japan Kawasaki Frontale AFC U-23 Asian Cup QF, September 2023
DF Hijiri Kato (2001-09-16) 16 September 2001 (age 22) 5 0 Japan Yokohama F. Marinos v.  Netherlands, 14 June 2023
DF Teppei Oka (2001-09-06) 6 September 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Japan FC Tokyo Training camp, 23-26 April 2023
DF Shiva Tafari Nagasawa (2001-12-12) 12 December 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Japan Sagan Tosu Training camp, 23-26 April 2023
DF Kanta Sakagishi (2002-01-18) 18 January 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Japan Iwaki FC Training camp, 23-26 April 2023

MF Satoshi Tanaka (2002-08-13) 13 August 2002 (age 21) 4 0 Japan Shonan Bellmare v.  United States, 17 October 2023
MF Yuta Arai (2003-03-24) 24 March 2003 (age 21) 2 0 Japan Toyo University v.  United States, 17 October 2023
MF Yu Hirakawa (2001-01-03) 3 January 2001 (age 23) 3 0 Japan Machida Zelvia v.  Mexico, 14 October 2023 INJ
MF Jun Nishikawa (2002-02-21) 21 February 2002 (age 22) 8 0 Japan Iwaki FC Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF Daiki Matsuoka (2001-06-01) 1 June 2001 (age 22) 6 0 Japan Avispa Fukuoka Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF Masato Shigemi (2001-09-20) 20 September 2001 (age 22) 7 0 Japan Avispa Fukuoka Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF Teppei Yachida (2001-11-01) 1 November 2001 (age 22) 5 2 Japan Kyoto Sanga Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF Kakeru Yamauchi (2002-01-06) 6 January 2002 (age 22) 3 0 Japan Vissel Kobe Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF Yota Komi (2002-08-11) 11 August 2002 (age 21) 5 1 Japan Albirex Niigata Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF Koshiro Sumi (2002-08-13) 13 August 2002 (age 21) 4 1 Japan University of Tsukuba Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF Shota Hino (2002-10-16) 16 October 2002 (age 21) 5 3 Japan Sagan Tosu Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF Koki Saito (2001-08-10) 10 August 2001 (age 22) 2 0 Netherlands Sparta Rotterdam AFC U-23 Asian Cup QF, September 2023
MF Hinata Yamauchi (2001-05-30) 30 May 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Japan Kawasaki Frontale Training camp, 23-26 April 2023
MF Kanta Nagata (2001-08-11) 11 August 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Japan Fujieda MYFC Training camp, 23-26 April 2023
MF Koya Fujii (2001-08-29) 29 August 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Japan Roasso Kumamoto Training camp, 23-26 April 2023
MF Kohei Hosoya (2001-12-11) 11 December 2001 (age 22) 0 0 Japan Sanfrecce Hiroshima Training camp, 23-26 April 2023
MF Rin Mito (2002-02-12) 12 February 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Japan Gamba Osaka Training camp, 23-26 April 2023
MF Nobuteru Nakagawa (2002-05-15) 15 May 2002 (age 21) 0 0 Japan Hosei University Training camp, 23-26 April 2023
MF Tatsunori Sakurai (2002-07-26) 26 July 2002 (age 21) 0 0 Japan Vissel Kobe Training camp, 23-26 April 2023
MF Sota Nakamura (2002-10-15) 15 October 2002 (age 21) 0 0 Japan Meiji University Training camp, 23-26 April 2023

FW Mao Hosoya (2001-09-07) 7 September 2001 (age 22) 9 7 Japan Kashiwa Reysol v.  Argentina, 18 November 2023 WD
FW Kotaro Uchino (2004-06-19) 19 June 2004 (age 19) 6 5 Japan University of Tsukuba v.  United States, 17 October 2023
FW Shota Fujio (2001-05-02) 2 May 2001 (age 22) 7 3 Japan Machida Zelvia v.  Mexico, 14 October 2023 INJ
FW Shun Ayukawa (2001-09-15) 15 September 2001 (age 22) 4 3 Japan Oita Trinita Asian Games, September-October 2023
FW Yudai Kimura (2001-02-28) 28 February 2001 (age 23) 2 0 Japan Tokyo Verdy Asian Games, September-October 2023 INJ
FW Naoki Kumata (2004-08-02) 2 August 2004 (age 19) 0 0 Japan FC Tokyo Asian Games, September-October 2023 INJ
FW Reiju Tsuruno (2001-01-26) 26 January 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Japan Avispa Fukuoka Training camp, 23-26 April 2023
FW Taika Nakashima (2002-06-08) 8 June 2002 (age 21) 0 0 Japan Nagoya Grampus Training camp, 23-26 April 2023

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad / standby
TRP Training partner
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

(Players are listed within position group by order of latest call-up, seniority, caps, goals, and then alphabetically)

Previous squads

Bold indicates winning squads
Olympic Games
AFC U-23 Asian Cup
Asian Games

Overaged players in the Olympic Games

Tournament Player 1 Player 2 Player 3
not selected
Seigo Narazaki (GK) Ryuzo Morioka (DF) Atsuhiro Miura (MF)
Hitoshi Sogahata (GK) Shinji Ono (MF) not selected
not selected
Maya Yoshida (DF) Yūhei Tokunaga (DF) not selected
Hiroki Fujiharu (DF) Tsukasa Shiotani (DF) Shinzo Koroki (FW)
Maya Yoshida (DF) Hiroki Sakai (DF) Wataru Endo (MF)

Manager history

Name Period
Japan Yoshitada Yamaguchi 1990–1992
Japan Akira Nishino 1993–1996
France Philippe Troussier 1998–2000
Japan Masakuni Yamamoto 2002–2004
Japan Yasuharu Sorimachi 2006–2008
Japan Takashi Sekizuka 2010–2012
Japan Makoto Teguramori 2014–2016
Japan Hajime Moriyasu 2017–2020
Japan Akinobu Yokouchi 2020
Japan Hajime Moriyasu 2020–2021
Japan Koichi Togashi 2021
Japan Go Oiwa 2021–present[7]

Records

As of 18 November 2023
Players in bold are still active, at least at club level.
Caps and goals is calculated by all national team level include U21, U22, and U23.

Most capped players

# Name Caps Goals Pos Career
1 Keigo Higashi 31 5 MF 2010–2012
Kensuke Nagai 31 13 FW 2009–2012
Reo Hatate 31 8 MF 2017–2021
4 Shoya Nakajima 30 19 FW 2014–2016
5 Hotaru Yamaguchi 29 1 MF 2010–2012
6 Kazuya Yamamura 26 1 DF 2010–2012
Hiroki Sakai 26 3 DF 2011–2021
8 Daisuke Matsui 25 2 MF 2002–2004
9 Ayase Ueda 24 12 FW 2017–2021
Ko Itakura 24 6 DF 2018–2021


Top goalscorers

# Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Shoya Nakajima 19 30 0.63 2014–2016
2 Kensuke Nagai 13 31 0.42 2009–2012
3 Ayase Ueda 12 24 0.5 2017–2021
Mao Hosoya 12 21 0.53 2021–
5 Daizen Maeda 9 18 0.5 2018–2021
6 Reo Hatate 8 31 0.26 2017–2021
7 Musashi Suzuki 7 10 0.7 2014–2016
Takefusa Kubo 7 18 0.39 2018–
Yuito Suzuki 7 20 0.35 2021–
Kein Sato 7 19 0.36 2021–

Competitive record

  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place  

Olympic Games

A match vs Spain at the 2012 Summer Olympics at Glasgow in the United Kingdom
Summer Olympics record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
19081988 See Japan national team
Spain 1992 did not qualify
United States 1996 Group stage 9th 3 2 0 1 4 4
Australia 2000 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 6 5
Greece 2004 Group stage 13th 3 1 0 2 6 7
China 2008 Group stage 15th 3 0 0 3 1 4
United Kingdom 2012 Fourth place 4th 6 3 1 2 6 5
Brazil 2016 Group stage 10th 3 1 1 1 7 7
Japan 2020 Fourth place 4th 6 3 1 2 8 5
France 2024 To be Determined
United States 2028
Australia 2032
Total Fourth place 7/7 28 12 4 12 38 37

Match history

Summer Olympics history
Year Round Opponent Score Result
1996 Group stage  Brazil 1–0 Win
 Nigeria 0–2 Loss
 Hungary 3–2 Win
2000 Group stage  South Africa 2–1 Win
 Slovakia 2–1 Win
 Brazil 0–1 Loss
Quarter-finals  United States 2–2
4–5
Draw
Loss
2004 Group stage  Paraguay 3–4 Loss
 Italy 2–3 Loss
 Ghana 1–0 Win
2008 Group stage  United States 0–1 Loss
 Nigeria 1–2 Loss
 Netherlands 0–1 Loss
2012 Group stage  Spain 1–0 Win
 Morocco 1–0 Win
 Honduras 0–0 Draw
Quarter-finals  Egypt 3–0 Win
Semi-finals  Mexico 1–3 Loss
Bronze Play-off  South Korea 0–2 Loss
2016 Group stage  Nigeria 4–5 Loss
 Colombia 2–2 Draw
 Sweden 1–0 Win
2020 Group stage  South Africa 1–0 Win
 Mexico 2–1 Win
 France 4–0 Win
Quarter-finals  New Zealand 0–0
(4–2 p.)
Draw Win
Semi-finals  Spain 0–1 Loss
Bronze Play-off  Mexico 1–3 Loss

AFC U-23 Asian Cup

AFC U-23 Asian Cup record Qualifier record
Year Result Position GP W D L GS GA GP W D L GS GA
Oman 2013 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 2 1 8 5 5 5 0 0 20 2
Qatar 2016 Champions 1st 6 6 0 0 15 4 3 3 0 0 10 0
China 2018 Quarter-finals 5th 4 3 0 1 5 5 3 3 0 0 11 2
Thailand 2020 Group stage 15th 3 0 1 2 3 5 3 3 0 0 21 0
Uzbekistan 2022 Third place 3rd 6 4 1 1 11 3 2 2 0 0 8 0
Qatar 2024 Qualified 3 2 1 0 7 0
Saudi Arabia 2026 To be determined To be determined
Total 5/7 Champions 23 14 4 5 42 22 16 16 0 0 70 4

Match history

AFC U-23 Asian Cup history
Year Round Opponent Score Result
2013 Group stage  Iran 3–3 Draw
 Kuwait 0–0 Draw
 Australia 4–0 Win
Quarter-finals  Iraq 0–1 Loss
2016 Group stage  North Korea 1–0 Win
 Thailand 4–0 Win
 Saudi Arabia 2–1 Win
Quarter-finals  Iran 3–0 Win
Semi-finals  Iraq 2–1 Win
Final  South Korea 3–2 Win
2018 Group stage  Palestine 1–0 Win
 Thailand 1–0 Win
 North Korea 3–1 Win
Quarter-finals  Uzbekistan 0–4 Loss
2020 Group stage  Saudi Arabia 1–2 Loss
 Syria 1–2 Loss
 Qatar 1–1 Draw
2022 Group stage  UAE 2–1 Win
 Saudi Arabia 0–0 Draw
 Tajikistan 3–0 Win
Quarter-finals  South Korea 3–0 Win
Semi-finals  Uzbekistan 0–2 Loss
3rd place match  Australia 3–0 Win
2024 Group stage  China v
 UAE v
 South Korea v

Asian Games

Asian Games record
Hosts / Year Result Position GP W D L GS GA
South Korea 2002  Silver 2 6 5 0 1 13 4
Qatar 2006 Round 1 11 3 2 0 1 5 4
China 2010  Gold 1 7 7 0 0 17 1
South Korea 2014 Quarter-finals 6 5 3 0 2 10 5
Indonesia 2018  Silver 2 7 5 0 2 10 4
China 2022  Silver 2 6 5 0 1 18 4
Japan 2026
Qatar 2030
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 6/6  Gold 28 22 0 6 55 18

Match history

Asian Games history
Year Round Opponent Score Result
2002 Round 1  Palestine 2–0 Win
 Bahrain 5–2 Win
 Uzbekistan 1–0 Win
Quarter-finals  China 1–0 Win
Semi-finals  Thailand 3–0 Win
Final  Iran 1–2 Loss
2006 Round 1  Pakistan 3–2 Win
 Syria 1–0 Win
 North Korea 1–2 Loss
2010 Round 1  China 3–0 Win
 Malaysia 2–0 Win
 Kyrgyzstan 3–0 Win
Round 2  India 5–0 Win
Quarter-finals  Thailand 1–0 Win
Semi-finals  Iran 2–1 Win
Final  UAE 1–0 Win
2014 Round 1  Kuwait 4–1 Win
 Iraq 1–3 Loss
   Nepal 4–0 Win
Round 2  Palestine 4–0 Win
Quarter-finals  South Korea 0–1 Loss
2018 Round 1    Nepal 1–0 Win
 Pakistan 4–0 Win
 Vietnam 0–1 Loss
Round 2  Malaysia 1–0 Win
Quarter-finals  Saudi Arabia 2–1 Win
Semi-finals  UAE 1–0 Win
Final  South Korea 1–2 Loss
2022 Round 1  Qatar 3–1 Win
 Palestine 1–0 Win
Round 2  Myanmar 7–0 Win
Quarter-finals  North Korea 2–1 Win
Semi-finals  Hong Kong 4–0 Win
Final  South Korea 1–2 Loss

See also

  • iconAsia portal
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  • Sports portal
  • iconAssociation football portal
  • iconWomen's association football portal
National teams
Men's
Women's

References

  1. ^ Hyung-Jin Yoon (6 May 2006). "Japan - International Results U-23 (Olympic) Team [Malaysia (1) – Japan (1)]". RDFC. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  2. ^ "U-22日本代表 3月海外遠征 ドイツとの対戦が決定". jfa.jp (in Japanese). Japan Football Association (JFA). 28 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "List of International matches". jfa.jp. Japan Football Association (JFA). Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  4. ^ "U-22 Japan National Team squad - International Friendly Match (3/24 vs Germany & 3/27 vs Belgium)". Japan Football Association (JFA). Tokyo. 16 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  5. ^ "U-23日本代表 メンバー・スケジュール 国際親善試合 vs. U-23マリ代表(3.22 京都/サンガスタジアム by KYOCERA)vs. U-23ウクライナ代表(3.25 福岡/北九州スタジアム)" (in Japanese). 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  6. ^ "U-22日本代表 メンバー・スケジュール 国際親善試合 vs. U-22アルゼンチン代表(11.18 静岡/IAIスタジアム日本平)" (in Japanese). 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Mr. OIWA Go appointed as Head Coach of U-21 Japan National Team". Japan Football Association (JFA). Tokyo. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2021.

External links

  • (in English) Japan national under-21 football team (2022) – official website at JFA.jp
  • (in English) Japan national under-24 football team (2021) – official website at JFA.jp
  • (in English) Japan national under-23 football team (2020) – official website at JFA.jp
  • (in Japanese) Japan national team 2021 schedule at JFA.jp
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