Japan national under-17 football team
The Japan national under-17 football team is a national association football youth team of Japan and is controlled by the Japan Football Association. The team were champions in the 1994 and 2006 AFC U-17 Championships, as well as the 2012 AFF U-16 Youth Championship.Squad selected for WAFF U16 Boys Championship
Japan at the AFC Asian Cup
Although having such an impressive records, Japan was not a continental football power until 1988, and outside 1968 Summer Olympics shock, Japan had been regarded as a weak team in the continent. It was just after qualified for the 1988 edition and being awarded as host for the 1992 AFC Asian Cup that saw resurgence and rise of football in Japan. Overall, Japan missed eight first editions before 1988. In response, Japanese football grew rapidly and soon replaced traditional powerhouses like South Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia as new emerging and eventually, dominant football power in Asia, although recent rise of Australia has posed challenge for Japan's dominant position.