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🏆 Japan national football team 2023 Asian Cup Squads

Hajime Moriyasu
Hajime Moriyasu
Japan
Head Coach

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Wataru Endō
Wataru Endō
Japan
Captain

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🏆 Players

GK
Daiya Maekawa
Daiya Maekawa
Japan
1
Number
Caps: 1
Japan Vissel Kobe

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GK
Daiya Maekawa
Daiya Maekawa
Japan
1 (Number) Caps: 1
Japan Vissel Kobe
GK
Taishi Brandon Nozawa
Taishi Brandon Nozawa
Japan
12
Number
Caps: -
Japan FC Tokyo

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GK
Taishi Brandon Nozawa
Taishi Brandon Nozawa
Japan
12 (Number) Caps: -
Japan FC Tokyo
GK
Zion Suzuki
Zion Suzuki
Japan
23
Number
Caps: 4
Belgium Sint-Truiden

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GK
Zion Suzuki
Zion Suzuki
Japan
23 (Number) Caps: 4
Belgium Sint-Truiden
DF
Yukinari Sugawara
Yukinari Sugawara
Japan
2
Number
Caps: 9
Netherlands AZ

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DF
Yukinari Sugawara
Yukinari Sugawara
Japan
2 (Number) Caps: 9
Netherlands AZ
DF
Shogo Taniguchi
Shogo Taniguchi
Japan
3
Number
Caps: 24
Qatar Al-Rayyan

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DF
Shogo Taniguchi
Shogo Taniguchi
Japan
3 (Number) Caps: 24
Qatar Al-Rayyan
DF
Ko Itakura
Ko Itakura
Japan
4
Number
Caps: 22
Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach

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DF
Ko Itakura
Ko Itakura
Japan
4 (Number) Caps: 22
Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach
DF
Kōki Machida
Kōki Machida
Japan
15
Number
Caps: 6
Belgium Union Saint-Gilloise

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DF
Kōki Machida
Kōki Machida
Japan
15 (Number) Caps: 6
Belgium Union Saint-Gilloise
DF
Seiya Maikuma
Seiya Maikuma
Japan
16
Number
Caps: 4
Japan Cerezo Osaka

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DF
Seiya Maikuma
Seiya Maikuma
Japan
16 (Number) Caps: 4
Japan Cerezo Osaka
DF
Yūta Nakayama
Yūta Nakayama
Japan
19
Number
Caps: 20
England Huddersfield Town

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DF
Yūta Nakayama
Yūta Nakayama
Japan
19 (Number) Caps: 20
England Huddersfield Town
DF
Hiroki Itō
Hiroki Itō
Japan
21
Number
Caps: 13
Germany VfB Stuttgart

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DF
Hiroki Itō
Hiroki Itō
Japan
21 (Number) Caps: 13
Germany VfB Stuttgart
DF
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Japan
22
Number
Caps: 37
England Arsenal

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DF
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Japan
22 (Number) Caps: 37
England Arsenal
DF
Tsuyoshi Watanabe
Tsuyoshi Watanabe
Japan
24
Number
Caps: 2
Belgium Gent

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DF
Tsuyoshi Watanabe
Tsuyoshi Watanabe
Japan
24 (Number) Caps: 2
Belgium Gent
MF
Hidemasa Morita
Hidemasa Morita
Japan
5
Number
Caps: 28
Portugal Sporting CP

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MF
Hidemasa Morita
Hidemasa Morita
Japan
5 (Number) Caps: 28
Portugal Sporting CP
MF
Wataru Endō
Wataru Endō
Japan
6
Number
Caps: 55
England Liverpool

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MF
Wataru Endō
Wataru Endō
Japan
6 (Number) Caps: 55
England Liverpool
MF
Kaoru Mitoma
Kaoru Mitoma
Japan
7
Number
Caps: 18
England Brighton & Hove Albion

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MF
Kaoru Mitoma
Kaoru Mitoma
Japan
7 (Number) Caps: 18
England Brighton & Hove Albion
MF
Takumi Minamino
Takumi Minamino
Japan
8
Number
Caps: 52
France Monaco

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MF
Takumi Minamino
Takumi Minamino
Japan
8 (Number) Caps: 52
France Monaco
MF
Ritsu Dōan
Ritsu Dōan
Japan
10
Number
Caps: 42
Germany SC Freiburg

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MF
Ritsu Dōan
Ritsu Dōan
Japan
10 (Number) Caps: 42
Germany SC Freiburg
MF
Keito Nakamura
Keito Nakamura
Japan
13
Number
Caps: 5
France Reims

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MF
Keito Nakamura
Keito Nakamura
Japan
13 (Number) Caps: 5
France Reims
MF
Junya Itō
Junya Itō
Japan
14
Number
Caps: 51
France Reims

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MF
Junya Itō
Junya Itō
Japan
14 (Number) Caps: 51
France Reims
MF
Reo Hatate
Reo Hatate
Japan
17
Number
Caps: 5
Scotland Celtic

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MF
Reo Hatate
Reo Hatate
Japan
17 (Number) Caps: 5
Scotland Celtic
MF
Takefusa Kubo
Takefusa Kubo
Japan
20
Number
Caps: 29
Spain Real Sociedad

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MF
Takefusa Kubo
Takefusa Kubo
Japan
20 (Number) Caps: 29
Spain Real Sociedad
MF
Kaishū Sano
Kaishū Sano
Japan
26
Number
Caps: 2
Japan Kashima Antlers

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MF
Kaishū Sano
Kaishū Sano
Japan
26 (Number) Caps: 2
Japan Kashima Antlers
FW
Ayase Ueda
Ayase Ueda
Japan
9
Number
Caps: 19
Netherlands Feyenoord

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FW
Ayase Ueda
Ayase Ueda
Japan
9 (Number) Caps: 19
Netherlands Feyenoord
FW
Mao Hosoya
Mao Hosoya
Japan
11
Number
Caps: 4
Japan Kashiwa Reysol

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FW
Mao Hosoya
Mao Hosoya
Japan
11 (Number) Caps: 4
Japan Kashiwa Reysol
FW
Takuma Asano
Takuma Asano
Japan
18
Number
Caps: 48
Germany VfL Bochum

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FW
Takuma Asano
Takuma Asano
Japan
18 (Number) Caps: 48
Germany VfL Bochum
FW
Daizen Maeda
Daizen Maeda
Japan
25
Number
Caps: 13
Scotland Celtic

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FW
Daizen Maeda
Daizen Maeda
Japan
25 (Number) Caps: 13
Scotland Celtic

📄 Summary

Japan national football team Emblem
The Japan national football team (Japanese: サッカー日本代表, Hepburn: Sakkā Nihon Daihyō or Sakkā Nippon Daihyō), also known by the nickname Samurai Blue (Japanese: サムライ・ブルー, Hepburn: Samurai Burū), represents Japan in men's international football. It is controlled by the Japan Football Association (JFA), the governing body for football in Japan.

Prior to the late 1980s, Japan's national football team was largely amateur, with the sport less popular domestically than baseball or sumo. Since the early 1990s, following the full professionalization of the sport, Japan has emerged as one of Asia's leading teams. The national team has qualified for every FIFA World Cup since 1998 (including an automatic berth as co-hosts of the 2002 tournament alongside South Korea), advancing to the knockout stage in 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2022. Japan has also won a record four Asian Cup titles, in 1992, 2000, 2004, and 2011. In addition, the team finished as runners-up in both the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2019 Asian Cup. Japan is one of only three teams from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to have reached the final of a senior FIFA men's competition, alongside Australia and Saudi Arabia.

Japan's progression in a short period has served as an inspiration and example of how to develop football. Their main rivals are South Korea and Australia; they also developed rivalries against Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Japan was the first team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, having been invited in the 1999, 2011, 2015, and 2019 editions of the tournament, although they only played in the 1999 and 2019 events.

As of January 2026, Japan is currently at the 18th place in the FIFA world ranking, being the highest ranked Asian side since December 2022.

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📸 Photo Gallery

Japan national football team Photo No1.
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