Does Japan have a football team?
Japan women's national football team
During the 1970s, the number of women football players and teams increased in Japan, and teams made up regional leagues in various parts of Japan. In 1980, "All-Japan Women's Football Championship" was held, and in 1981 the Japan women's national football team played its first international match in Hong Kong. The team continued playing matches in Japan or in other countries, but it was not an "All Japan" national team but a temporarily organized team selected from the regional leagues.
List of Japanese football champions
Years in "italic" indicate Japan Soccer League seasons. Clubs in bold compete in Division 1 as of the 2019 season; clubs in "italic" no longer exist.
This is a breakdown by Japanese region, as clubs have moved cities before and even during the J. League period. Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Júbilo Iwata, Yokohama F. Marinos, Cerezo Osaka and Nagoya Grampus are the only champion clubs who have always been based in their respective cities.
Japan women's national football team
Despite having won a FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011, Japan entered the 2014 Asian Cup having never previously won the tournament. They were drawn with Asia's Queen Australia, host Vietnam and newcomer Jordan. Their first match in the group stage of the tournament resulted in a 2–2 draw against the defending champion Australia. Also in the group stage, Japan upset host Vietnam by a 4–0 win before defeating Jordan with a 7–0 win to finish first with a higher goal difference.
Sport in Japan
The Japanese national football team is very successful at an international level, and has competed in the 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 FIFA World Cups. Their best result was Round 2 in 2002, 2010 and 2018. The Japanese national team has also competed in six AFC Asian Cups, with the team being the Champions in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011 AFC Asian Cups. The team's highest ranking was 9th in the world in February 1998. Japan has competed in many other footballing events including the Confederations Cup, the East Asian Football Championship, and the Copa América.
Yoshika Matsubara
Matsubara believes that in order to build a strong football nation, it is important for Japan to nurture its youth. Having spent time living abroad in his youth, he also emphasizes the importance of travelling abroad while you are young. Through various activities, he aims to foster humans who can thrive in the world, and represent Japan.
Japan women's national football team
The team were champions in the 2008 and 2010 EAFF Women's Football Championships, and won the gold medal in the 2010 Asian Games. Japan defeated the United States in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final, thus claiming their first FIFA Women's World Cup title, becoming the first Asian team to do so and only the fourth women's world champions. It won silver medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, making it the only Asian team to have three combined medals from international championships. They also won the gold medal at the 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup. The team most recently won the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup and the 2018 Asian Games.
2017 Japan national football team
The Japan national football team in 2017, managed by head coach Vahid Halilhodžić compete in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Third Round and 2017 EAFF E-1 Football Championship among international friendly matches both at home and abroad.
Japan national football team
Japan's earliest international matches were at the 1917 Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo, where it was represented by a team from the Tokyo Higher Normal School. Although Japan made strong showings in swimming, baseball, and track and field, its football team suffered resounding defeats to the Republic of China and the Philippines. Nevertheless, the game was promoted in Japanese schools in the 1920s. The Japan Football Association was formed in 1921, and Japan joined FIFA in May 1929.
Japan women's national football team
After the final game finished 2–2 after extra time, Japan beat the United States 3–1 in a penalty shootout, becoming the first Asian team to win the FIFA Women's World Cup, and the first Asian team to win a senior FIFA title. It came right after men's team won the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, marked their most successful year in Japanese football.
China–Japan football rivalry
China–Japan football rivalry is a competitive sports rivalry that exists between the national football teams of the two countries, as well as their respective sets of fans.
Japan national cricket team
The Japan national cricket team is the team that represents the country of Japan in international cricket. The team is organised by the Japan Cricket Association (JCA), which has been a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 1989. Japan made its international debut at the 1996 ACC Trophy in Malaysia. Most of the team's matches come in regional competitions, generally against other teams in the ICC East Asia-Pacific development region. Between 2008 and 2012, Japan participated in the World Cricket League (WCL), reaching WCL Division Five at one point.
Japan–United States women's soccer rivalry
The Japan–United States women's soccer rivalry is a sports rivalry between the national women's football (soccer) teams of Japan and the United States, two of the most successful women's football nations in the world, having achieved eight straight Women's World Cup appearances between the two countries. However, the United States has dominated Japan since 1986, having won 28 of the 36 matches. The U.S. maintained a 13-match winning streak from 1986 through 2000. Japan upsets the U.S. 1–0, their first ever win in regulation for Japan, and subsequently the Algarve Cup final against Germany, but finished as the runners-up after a 4–3 loss.
Japan national football team
At the start of 2011, Japan participated in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. On 29 January, they beat Australia 1–0 in the final after extra time, their fourth Asian Cup triumph and allowing them to qualify for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Football in Japan
The first official football match in Japan is widely believed to have been held on February 18, 1888 between the Yokohama Country & Athletic Club and Kobe Regatta & Athletic Club. YC&AC is the oldest running association football club in Japan as Association Football (or Soccer) was introduced into the club on December 25th, 1886, for training sessions starting from January 1887.
The first Japanese association football club, founded as a football club, is considered to be Tokyo Shukyu-dan, founded in 1917, which is now competing in the Tokyo Prefectural amateur league.
2013 in Japan
For an overview of association football, see 2013 in Japanese football. For the national team, see Japan national football team in 2013.
Japan national football team
Japan maintains a strong football rivalry with South Korea. Japan has played 78 matches against the South Korean football team with 14 victories, 22 draws, and 41 losses. The football rivalry is long-seated and is often seen as an extension of an overall historic rivalry between the two nations.
Japan national football team results (1940–49)
After World War II, the Japan national football team were banned from attending any international football games from 1945 to 1951.
Japan national football team
Dettmar Cramer joined the Japan national team as coach in 1960, and helped lead the team to the round of eight at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. 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.
Japan at the AFC Asian Cup
Japan made debut at 1988 Asian Cup and it was the historical achievement that would put milestone for Japan to envision and develop its football, which was then-limited in amateur football. In the whole tournament however, Japan ended up finishing last, with just one draw and three defeats, scoring zero goal and conceded six goals.
Japan national futsal team
The Japan national futsal team represents Japan in international futsal competitions and is controlled by the Japan Football Association. It is one of the strongest teams in Asia, the champions in the 2006, 2012 and 2014 Asian Futsal Championships. Japan has also played in four FIFA Futsal World Cups.
Japan women's national under-20 football team
The Japan women's national under-20 football team is a national association football youth team of Japan and is controlled by the Japan Football Association.
1993 Japan v Iraq football match
The failure to qualify and the dramatic way in which it happened caused great disappointment for Japanese fans. Football had become wildly popular in Japan with the launch of the professional J. League earlier that year and the team had never been this close to qualifying for the World Cup. Although Japan has since qualified for six consecutive World Cup finals (even co-hosting one), team members from this match are still known as and remains a rallying cry for fans.
All Japan Senior Football Championship
The All Japan Senior Football Championship ("Zenkoku Shakaijin Sakkā Senshuken Taikai", 全国社会人サッカー選手権大会) is a football (soccer) cup competition in Japan. It is run by the Japan Football Association. As it only involves non-league teams (teams not affiliated to either J. League or the Japan Football League), it can be considered an equivalent of the FA Trophy or FA Vase in England.
Japan national football team
In the 2000 Asian Cup, Japan managed to reclaim their title after defeating Saudi Arabia in the final, becoming Asian Champions for the second time.
Japan national Australian rules football team
Since its inception, the team has been nicknamed the "Samurai". The team wears the national colours of Japan: red, white and also black; however there has been several design variations in the team's jumper, including a clash strip used when playing teams like Canada. For the 2005 International Cup, the side wore the colours in a vertical pattern (similar to the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League) with the official Samurais' logo featuring a caricature of a samurai warrior. In 2006, the design featured a predominantly black stripe with white stars and red trim. For the 2008 International Cup, the team reverted to a predominantly white strip with a red sash.
Japan women's national football team
Japan women's national football team attended various championship tournaments such as the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup which had made the national team and the L. League very popular. However, in 1999, Japan failed to qualify for the 2000 Summer Olympics, and this helped to cause the withdrawal of a series of teams from the L. League. Japanese women’s football was on the verge of decline.
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.
Japan at the 2020 Summer Olympics
As the host nation, Japan men's field hockey team qualified for the Olympics by virtue of obtaining a world ranking equal to or better than thirtieth place by the end of 2018, or not finish lower than sixth at the 2018 Asian Games.As the host nation, Japan women's field hockey team qualified for the Olympics by virtue of obtaining a world ranking equal to or better than thirtieth place by the end of 2018, or not finish lower than sixth at the 2018 Asian Games.Japan men's football team automatically qualified for the Olympics as the host nation.Japan women's football team automatically qualified for the Olympics as the host nation.Japan fielded a full squad of four gymnasts in the men's artistic gymnastics events by virtue of a top three finish in the team all-around at the 2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Doha, Qatar.Japan men's handball team automatically qualified for the Olympics as the host nation.Japan women's handball team automatically qualified for the Olympics as the host nation.Japan men's rugby sevens team automatically qualified for the Olympics as the host nation.Japan women's rugby sevens team automatically qualified for the Olympics as the host nation.As the host nation, Japan has been guaranteed one boat for each of the following classes at the Tokyo regatta, bringing the maximum quota of 15 sailors, in ten boats.As the host nation, Japan has been guaranteed a minimum of twelve quota places with one in each of the individual events. Additionally, a shooter that has qualified for one event may compete in others without affecting the quotas, as long as they obtained a minimum qualifying score (MQS) by 30 April 2020.
Japan national cerebral palsy football team
Japan was ranked sixteenth in the world by the IFCPF in 2016. The team is also ranked third regionally in Asia-Oceania. Japan was ranked thirteenth in July 2011, September 2012 and November 2014. In August 2013,Japan was ranked fourteenth.
Japan Football League
With the establishment of the J3 League in the 2014 season, the top 2 requirements are no longer necessary should a team that is approved by J.League Committee and is a J.League Associate Member. However, they start in the J3 instead. The JFL is the highest tier of amateur level football in Japan again, but they still serve the purpose of helping potential J.League clubs to participate in the J3.
Australian rules football in Asia
Australian rules football in Japan is coordinated by the AFL Japan, with a national league based mainly in Tokyo (affiliated with the Australian Football League) but with clubs in Osaka, Nagoya and Hiroshima. Development teams from the AFL Japan regularly tour to Australia and have competed at all Australian Football International Cups to date.
List of Japanese football champions
All Japanese champion clubs still exist and are competing in the J. League; however, some may have moved from their Japan Soccer League locations they won the title at, or may have cut off ties with their original parent company.
Japan women's national football team
In August 2002, the Japan Football Association appointed Eiji Ueda, who had been coach for the Macau national football team, as the new head coach. Officials expected a revitalization of women's football and planned a team reorganization, aiming for the 2004 Summer Olympics. The team at first went through a losing streak, but Ueda gradually improved the team, and it eventually gained wide support in Japan. In particular, a game against Korea DPR, which decided who would participate in the 2004 Olympics, not only made fans rush to the National Stadium but also was widely watched on TV.
Japan national football team
Japan's first "true" national team (as opposed to a university team chosen to represent the country) was fielded at the 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games, and drew with China for the championship title. Shigeyoshi Suzuki coached the national team to its first Olympic appearance at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Japan was an entrant for the 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification, but withdrew before its scheduled qualifying match against the Dutch East Indies.
Modern history of American football
The Japan American Football Association was founded by educator and Anglican Church in Japan lay missionary Paul Rusch in 1934 with three collegiate teams: Rikkyo, Meiji and Waseda. In 1937, an allstar game involving teams representing eastern and western Japan attracted over 25,000 spectators. Recently, the Rice Bowl has drawn crowds of over 60,000.
Football in Japan
Aside from the national cup, the Emperor's Cup established in 1921, there had been several attempts at creating a senior-level national championship. The first was the All Japan Works Football Championship (AJWFC), established in 1948 and open only to company teams. The second was the All Japan Inter-City Football Championship (AJICFC), established in 1955 and separating clubs by cities (any club, works, university or autonomous, could represent their home city and qualify) but the Emperor's Cup remained dominated by universities until the late 1950s. All these tournaments were cups following single-elimination formulas, similar to Serie A in Italy before 1929.
Yusuke Minoguchi
In 1988, Minoguchi was elected Japan national "B team" for 1988 Asian Cup. At this competition, he played 2 games. However, Japan Football Association don't count as Japan national team match because this Japan team was "B team" not "top team"
Japan women's national football team
The Japan women's national football team, or Nadeshiko Japan (なでしこジャパン), represents Japan in association football and is run by the Japan Football Association (JFA). It is the most successful women's national team from the Asian Football Confederation. Its highest ranking in the FIFA Women's World Rankings is 3rd (December 2011).
Japanese Super Cup
The Japanese Super Cup or is an annual one-match football (soccer) competition in Japan organised by J. League and the Japan Football Association (JFA). This competition serves as the season opener and is played between the J. League champions and the Emperor's Cup winners of the previous season. Fuji Xerox have sponsored the competition since its inception in 1994. The match usually played around late February each year.
Football in Japan
The first organized national league, the Japan Soccer League, was organized in 1965 with eight amateur company clubs and replaced the AJWFC and AJICFC. At the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games, the Japan national team, filled with the top JSL stars of the era, had its first big success winning third place and a bronze medal. Olympic success spurred the creation of a Second Division for the JSL and openings for the first few professional players, in the beginning, foreigners (mainly Brazilians), and a few from other countries, which also led to the country hosting its first international competition, the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship. Japanese players, however, remained amateur, having to work day jobs for the companies owning the clubs (or other companies if their clubs were autonomous). This limited the growth of the Japanese game, and many better Japanese players had to move abroad to make a living off the game, such as Yasuhiko Okudera, the first Japanese player to play in a professional European club, (1. FC Köln of Germany). UEFA and CONMEBOL aided the Japanese awareness of football by having the Intercontinental Cup played in Tokyo as a neutral venue.
In 1993, the Japan Professional Football League (commonly known as the "J. League") was formed replacing the semi-professional Japan Soccer League as the new top-level club competition in Japan. It consisted of some of the top clubs from the old JSL, fully professionalized, renamed to fit communities and with the corporate identity reduced to a minimum. The new higher-standard league attracted many more spectators and helped the sport to hugely increase in popularity. The professionalized league also offered, and offers, incentives for amateur non-company clubs to become part of their ranks with no major backing from a company; major examples of community, non-company-affiliated clubs who rose through the prefectural and regional ranks into the major leagues are Albirex Niigata and Oita Trinita.
Japan–South Korea football rivalry
The Japan and South Korea national football teams are sporting rivals who have played each other officially since 1954. They have had 79 matches so far. The match between the two countries is often shorten as "nikkansen" (Japanese: 日韓戦) or "haniljeon" (Korean: 한일전/韓日戰) in their respective languages. The most recent match ended up with Korea winning with a score of 4–1
Japan Football League
The Japan Football League started from the 1999 season when the second division of J.League (J2) was also born. Until then, J.League consisted of only one division and the former JFL was the second highest division. Out of 16 teams who played the last season of the former JFL, 9 decided and were accepted to play in J2 and the other 7 teams as well as Yokogawa Electric, the winners of the Regional League Promotion Series, formed the new Japan Football League. These 8 teams together with Yokohama FC that was allowed to participate as a special case after the merger of Yokohama Flügels and Yokohama F. Marinos competed in the inaugural 1999 season.
Tetsuro Kiyooka
Kiyooka firmly believed that the Japan national football team needed players who had experiences playing for clubs in European leagues to develop the national team. In 2006, he passed the FIFA Players' Agent exam and registered with The Football Association (England), the Royal Dutch Football Association (Netherlands) and the Japan Football Association as an official agent. After that, he represented top Japanese players such as Keisuke Honda, Maya Yoshida and led them to the football clubs in European leagues.
Football in Japan
Association football is the second most popular sport in Japan, after Baseball. Its nationwide organization, Japan Football Association, administers the professional football league, J. League, which is the most successful association football league in Asia.
Japan women's national football team
In 1986, Ryohei Suzuki was selected as the coach of the Japan women's national football team, the first "All Japan" team. In 1989, the "Japan Women's Football League" (abbreviated to "L. League") was established, and the women’s national team qualified for the "1991 FIFA Women's World Cup" in China.
Japan national under-20 football team
The Japan national under-20 football team is a national association football team of Japan and is controlled by the Japan Football Association..AFC U-19 Championship
Japan national football team
Japan uses blue and white rather than red and white due to a superstition. Japan used blue shirts in a 3–2 victory over Sweden in the first game of its maiden major international competition, the 1936 Summer Olympics. When Japan was coached by Kenzo Yokoyama (1988–1992) the kits were red and white, matching the colors of Japan's national flag. After failures at 1990 FIFA World Cup and 1992 Summer Olympics qualifications, the red shirt was scrapped.
Japan women's national floorball team
Japan women's national floorball team is the national team of Japan. At the 1997 Floorball Women's World Championship in Godby and Mariehamn, Åland, Finland, the team finished tenth. At the 1999 Floorball Women's World Championship in Borlänge, Sweden, the team finished fourth in the B-Division. At the 2001 Floorball Women's World Championship in Riga, Latvia, the team finished fifth in the B-Division. At the 2003 Floorball Women's World Championship in Germany, the team finished first in the B-Division. At the 2005 Floorball Women's World Championship in Singapore, the team finished eighth in the A-Division. At the 2007 Floorball Women's World Championship in Frederikshavn, Denmark, the team finished sixth in the B-Division. At the 2013 Floorball Women's World Championship in Brno and Ostrava, Czech Republic, the team finished fifteenth.
Japan national football team
Japanese national team supporters are known for chanting "Nippon Ole" (Nippon is the Japanese word for Japan) at home matches.
Japan national football team (disambiguation)
Japan national football team may also refer to:
Japan national Australian rules football team
The Japanese national Australian rules football team represent Japan in Australian rules football. The team represents the best Japanese-born players and is selected by AFL Japan from domestic competitions which have been running since 1987.
List of Inazuma Eleven GO: Galaxy episodes
In the final season of Inazuma Eleven Go Series, Football Frontier International Vision 2 (FFI V2) is being held, and all the best school soccer teams gathered in hope to gain a place in Shinsei Inazuma Japan, Japan's new national soccer team. But things are getting out of control when instead of skilled players, 8 soccer players who are new to soccer are selected, along with Tenma, Tsurugi and Shindō. The team is deemed to be a failure by both audience and Shindō himself, so what is happening? Will Shinsei Inazuma Japan be able to shine on the world stage, or is it too bad to even win a match?
Japan national football team
On 8 June 2005, Japan qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, its third consecutive World Cup, by beating North Korea 2–0 on neutral ground. However, Japan failed to advance to the Round of 16, losing to Australia 1–3, drawing Croatia 0–0 and losing to Brazil 1–4.
List of Japanese football champions
The Japanese football champions are the winners of the top league in Japan, the Japan Soccer League from 1965 to 1992 and the J. League since then.
Japan women's national under-20 football team
The nickname of Japan women's national under-20 football team is the Young Nadeshiko (ヤングなでしこ).
The squad selected for 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in France.
Head Coach: Futoshi Ikeda
American football in Japan
College football in Japan, often played at the club level, is made up of eight leagues, spanning all four islands. The East and West champions playing in the annual Koshien Bowl in Nishinomiya.The winners of the Japan X Bowl and Koshien Bowl play each other in the Rice Bowl.
Japan national football team
On 14 May 2018, CONMEBOL annunced that Japan, alongside Qatar, will be the two invited teams for the 2019 Copa América.
2013 Japan national football team
The Japan national football team in 2013, managed by head coach Alberto Zaccheroni, competed in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup and the fourth round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, in amongst international friendly matches both at home and abroad, as they progress towards the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Shunichi Ikenoue
In 1988, when Ikenoue was a Osaka University of Commerce student, he was elected Japan national "B team" for 1988 Asian Cup. At this competition, he played 2 games. However, Japan Football Association don't count as Japan national team match because this Japan team was "B team" not "top team"
Japan national football team results and fixtures
This article details the fixtures and results of the Japan national football team.
Japan women's national football team
Japan qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics by finishing first in the Asian qualifier in September 2011, only 6 weeks after winning the Women's World Cup. At the Olympics, after finishing second in their group behind Sweden, "Nadeshiko Japan" defeated Brazil 2–0 in the quarterfinals, followed by a 2–1 victory over France, whom Nadeshiko had lost to in a friendly match right before the Olympics, to reach the final.
Japan national American football team
The Japan national American football team represents Japan in international American football competitions. The team is controlled by the Japan American Football Association, and has been one of the world's strongest international teams since it began participating regularly in international tournaments in the 1990s, and currently possesses the second most American Football World Cups (1999, 2003).
Japan national football team
On 16 August 2013, CONMEBOL president Eugenio Figueredo announced that Japan was invited to the 2015 Copa América. However, Japan later declined the invitation due to scheduling problems.
AFL Japan
The Japan national Australian rules football team, the Japan Samurais, competed in the triannual Australian Football International Cup in 2003, finishing 10th out of 11 competing countries, in 2005, finishing 7th out of 10 competing countries and 2008, finishing 8th out of 16 competing countries. In 2011, they finished 12th in division 1, beating Fiji and narrowing losing to Sweden along the way.
In addition, a combined team of Japanese and Expat players compete in the annual Asian Australian Football Championships as the Japan Goannas. Also, every year, the University Samurais tour Australia in August.
Japan Football League (1992–98)
When the Japan Football Association decided to found a professional football league, the Japan Soccer League (JSL), the top-flight league until the 1991/92 season, was reorganised into two newly formed leagues. One was the Japan Professional Football League as known as J. League, the first-ever professional football league in Japan. The other was the former Japan Football League.
Japanese association football league system
J. League governs the top three levels of the Japanese football pyramid and comprises a total of 54 clubs, all of which are fully professional and are divided into three divisions, J1 League (J1), J2 League (J2) and J3 League (J3). Eighteen (18) clubs make up the top flight and have access to the Asian premier football competition, AFC Champions League. Division 2 now has 22 clubs, after 2 new clubs were promoted into the system in 2012.
Japan at the FIFA World Cup
They made their sixth appearance at the finals in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Japan became the first ever Asian nation to beat a side from South America, after they won 2-1 against Colombia in the group stage. The team made it to the Round of 16 (the first knock-out round) but lost to Belgium, 3-2.
Japan Football League
The also known as simply the JFL is the 4th tier of the Japanese association football league system, positioned beneath three divisions of the J.League, and the top tier of amateur football in the country. Despite its officially amateur status the league features fully professional teams that hold J.League associate membership among its ranks.
Yoshinori Taguchi
In 1988, when Taguchi was a University of Tsukuba student, he was elected Japan national "B team" for 1988 Asian Cup. At this competition, he played 3 games. However, Japan Football Association don't count as Japan national team match because this Japan team was "B team" not "top team"
J.League
Before the inception of the J.League, the highest level of club football was the Japan Soccer League (JSL), which consisted of amateur clubs. Despite being well-attended during the boom of the late 1960s and early 1970s (when Japan's national team won the bronze Olympic medal at the 1968 games in Mexico), the JSL went into decline in the 1980s, in general line with the deteriorating situation worldwide. Fans were few, the grounds were not of the highest quality, and the Japanese national team was not on a par with the Asian powerhouses. To raise the level of play domestically, to attempt to garner more fans, and to strengthen the national team, the Japan Football Association (JFA) decided to form a professional league.
2010 Japan national football team
The Japan national football team in 2010, managed by head coach Takeshi Okada, began by competing in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification and the 2010 East Asian Football Championship in amongst other international friendly matches in the build-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals where they would finish in 9th place. Afterwards the team, managed first by interim head coach Hiromi Hara and finally head coach Alberto Zaccheroni, would close out 2010 with several more international friendly matches as they prepared for the 2011 Asian Cup and the 2011 Copa América in the following year.
Japan national football team
The nation's first ever World Cup appearance was in 1998, where Japan lost all their games. The first two fixtures went 1–0 in favour of Argentina and Croatia, despite playing well in both matches. Their campaign ended with a 2–1 defeat to Jamaica.
Japan national football team results (2000–09)
This article lists the results for the Japan national football team between 2000 and 2009.
Japan Football Association
The is the governing body responsible for the administration of football in Japan. It is responsible for the national team as well as club competitions.
2011 Japan national football team
The Japan national football team in 2011, managed by head coach Alberto Zaccheroni, began by competing and winning the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. The win meant Japan were crowned the Champions of Asia for a record 4th time and earned a berth in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. The team would continue by competing in the 2011 Kirin Cup and the 2011 Copa América in amongst other international friendly matches before closing out 2011 by commencing in the third round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification as they progress towards the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Japan national football team
"Updated to 28 January 2019":
Since 1992, the Olympic team has been drawn from a squad with a maximum of three players over 23 years age, and the achievements of this team are not generally regarded as part of the national team's records, nor are the statistics credited to the players' international records.
J2 League
Second-tier club football has existed in Japan since 1972; however, it was only professionalized during the 1999 season with ten clubs. The league took one relegating club from the top division and nine clubs from the second-tier semi-professional former Japan Football League to create the J2 League. The remaining seven clubs in the Japan Football League, the newly formed Yokohama FC, and one promoting club from the Regional Leagues, formed the nine-club Japan Football League, then the third tier of Japanese football. The third tier is now represented by the J3 League.
Inazuma Eleven GO (video game)
10 years after the FFI, an unnoticed darkness lurks behind the country; Japan and what used to be soccer has changed over the decade. Because of the victory of Inazuma Japan, soccer has become greatly popular and influential in the country, to the point that a school's worth is directly proportional to the skill of their soccer team. The weak schools are forgotten and forced to close down due to lack of public interest and applicants. Soccer in Japan is now controlled by an organization called Fifth Sector and is led by the one known as the "Holy Emperor" Ishido Shuuji. Soccer in its current state is controlled and relies on the commands of the Holy Emperor on whether a team wins or loses based on set scores. This saved schools all over the nation from closing down by balancing tournaments—but a price had to be paid: "real soccer" didn't exist.
Japan national football team
Japan's postwar debut was in the 1951 Asian Games in India. Japan re-joined FIFA in 1950 and played in qualifiers for the 1954 FIFA World Cup, but lost the AFC qualifying berth to South Korea after two matches, beginning an intense rivalry. Japan also joined the Asian Football Confederation in 1954.
Japan at the FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, sometimes called the Football World Cup or the Soccer World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of "Fédération Internationale de Football Association" (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, due to World War II.
Football in Japan
Although the official English name of the Japan Football Association uses the term "football", the term "sakkā" (サッカー), derived from "soccer", is much more commonly used than "futtobōru" (フットボール). The JFA's Japanese name is "Nippon Sakkā Kyōkai".
Japan women's national football team
Following the increase in public interest in women's football in Japan, the JFA organized a public contest to select a nickname for the team. "Nadeshiko Japan" was chosen from among about 2,700 entries and was announced on 7 July 2004. "Nadeshiko", a kind of dianthus, comes from the phrase "Yamato Nadeshiko" (大和撫子, "ideal Japanese woman").
Japan national football team
After the Asian Cup, Aguirre was sacked following allegations of corruption during a prior tenure. He was replaced by Vahid Halilhodžić in March 2015. Japan started on a rough note during qualification, losing to the UAE 1-2 at home. They then picked up the pace in their other qualifier games against Iraq, Australia, and Thailand, picking up 5 wins and 2 draws. Then, on 31 August 2017, Japan defeated Australia 2–0 at home thus qualifying them for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, making it their sixth successive World Cup. However, the Japan Football Association decided to sack Halilhodžić on 9 April 2018, only ten weeks before the World Cup finals, citing reasons of a breakdown in relationship between coach and player, and poor recent friendly results, and appoint the Technical Director, Japanese coach Akira Nishino, who had managed the Japanese Under-23 team at the 1996 Olympics, as the new manager.
Japan made history in the 2018 FIFA World Cup by defeating Colombia 2–1, their first ever victory by any AFC team against a CONMEBOL team in an official tournament, as well as Japan's first ever victory at the FIFA World Cup finals in UEFA nations. Their second match ended in a draw against Senegal, with one goal scored by Takashi Inui and the other by Keisuke Honda. Japan were defeated in their last group game in the Group H against Poland 0–1, leaving Japan and Senegal tied for second with an identical record, however, as Japan had received two fewer yellow cards, Japan advanced to the knockout stage on the Fair Play Points tiebreaker, the first team to do so. The match with Poland caused controversy; as Japan were made aware of their advantage over Senegal with ten minutes left and decided to play an extremely conservative game, passing the ball around to one another and keeping it in their own box, seeking to avoid any bookings and didn't attempt to take any serious shots on goal, despite losing 0–1, with some fans booing the players. The match received comparison to the 1982 World Cup Disgrace of Gijón, in which a similar game was played. Japan were the only AFC team to have qualified to the knockout stage. In the Round of 16 against Belgium, Japan took a surprising 2–0 lead with a goal in the 48th minute by Genki Haraguchi and another in the 52nd by Takashi Inui, but yielded 3 goals afterwards, including the winner by Nacer Chadli on the counter attack in the 94th minute. This was Japan's third time having reached the last 16, equaling their best result at a World Cup. Japan's defeat to eventual third-place finishers Belgium was the first time a nation had lost a knockout match at the World Cup after taking a two-goal advantage since England lost to West Germany 2–3 in extra-time in the quarter-final of the 1970 edition. However, Japan's impressive performance was praised by fans, pundits and medias for their fighting spirits, as demonstrated by Japan's win over Colombia, a draw to Senegal and a strong counter offensive against heavyweight Belgium.
Satoru Noda
In 1988, when Noda was a Kokushikan University student, he was elected Japan national "B team" for 1988 Asian Cup. At this competition, he played 1 game. However, Japan Football Association don't count as Japan national team match because this Japan team was "B team" not "top team"
List of Japanese football champions
Numbers in parentheses indicate number of wins at the date. Leading goalscorer's nationality is at the time of award and does not necessarily indicate the national team played for.
In 1992, professional J. League was established. All teams elected to it strip themselves of corporate identities and adopt their own names. From 1993 to 2005 (except for 1996 season), and in 2015 and 2016, the league was contested in an Apertura and Clausura manner, thus the "runners-up" for these seasons are actually the winners of one of these tournaments which lost to the winners of the playoff. The "third places" are the highest-scoring teams in the aggregate table which were not involved in the playoff. If there was no playoff due to the champions winning both stages, the third place is the second-best points earning team who are not the champions.
List of Japanese collegiate American football programs
This is a list of the schools in Japan that have varsity football teams and are overseen by the Japan American Football Association.
Japan 2–15 Philippines
On 10 May 1917, the association football teams of the Philippines and Japan faced each other at the 1917 Far Eastern Games. The tournament was participated by Japan, the Philippines and China. The Japanese team was represented by a selection from the Tokyo Higher Normal School. Paulino Alcántara, a renowned football player, was part of the Philippine squad who led the Philippines to its biggest recorded victory in an international football match and also resulted to Japan's biggest defeat. However, this match is not recognized as an official international match by the Japan Football Association.
Japan national American football team
Japan won the inaugural 1999 IFAF World Championship and won again in 2003. In 2007 they advanced to the final, losing to the United States 23–20 in overtime. In 2010 Japan beat Germany 24–14 in the inaugural Germany-Japan Bowl. In February 2011, Japan bested South Korea (76–0) to qualify for the 2011 IFAF World Championship.
Sport in Japan
In the 1920s, football associations were organized and regional tournaments began in universities and high schools, especially in Tokyo. In the 1930s, the Japan national football team was organized and drew 3-3 with China to win their first title at the Far Eastern Championship Games. The Japan national team also competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, the team had a first victory in an Olympic game with a 3 - 2 win over powerful Sweden.
Japan national football team results (2010–19)
This article lists the results for the Japan national football team between 2010 and 2019.
Yamato nadeshiko
The term "Yamato nadeshiko" is often used referring to a girl or shy young woman and, in a contemporary context, nostalgically of women with good traits which are perceived as being increasingly rare. However, "Nadeshiko Japan" is also widely used as the name for the Japanese national women's football team.
American football in Japan
The X-League is the highest level of football in Japan.
Japan Football League
JFL clubs may be affiliated to companies, or be entirely autonomous clubs or reserve teams of these. Until 2010, university clubs (which as a rule do not play in the Japanese football league system) were recommended by the Japan University Football Association and played off against bottom JFL teams for entrance. B-teams are allowed to participate but only A-squads of truly autonomous clubs are eligible for J.League Associate Membership, and with it, promotion to J.League.
Japan women's national under-17 football team
The Japan women's national under-17 football team is a national association football youth team of Japan and is controlled by the Japan Football Association.
2015 Japan national football team
The Japan national football team in 2015; managed by head coach Javier Aguirre compete in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, and managed by head coach Vahid Halilhodžić compete in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) and 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup in amongst international friendly matches both at home and abroad.
Japan national football team
After World War II began in earnest, Japan did not play in international competition, except for a handful of matches against Manchuria and other colonies. Its last prewar match for purposes of Elo ratings was a friendly against the Philippines in June 1940.
Hisanori Shirasawa
In 1988, Shirasawa was elected Japan national "B team" for 1988 Asian Cup. At this competition, he played 3 games. However, Japan Football Association don't count as Japan national team match because this Japan team was "B team" not "top team"
Masanori Sanada
In 1988, when Sanada was a Juntendo University student, he was elected Japan national "B team" for 1988 Asian Cup. At this competition, he played 3 games. However, Japan Football Association don't count as Japan national team match because this Japan team was "B team" not "top team"
2017 Japan national football team
On 7 June, Japan used special kit to celebrate 20th anniversary of Japan's qualification to their first World Cup finals. It was used against Syria. Since November, a new home kit is used.
Football in Japan
Before World War II the term in general use was "shūkyū" (蹴球, "kick-ball"), a Sino-Japanese term. With previously exclusive Japanese terms replaced by American influence after the war, "sakkā" became more commonplace. In recent years, many professional teams have named themselves F.C.s (football clubs), with examples being F.C. Tokyo and Kyoto Sanga F.C.
Japan national football team
Japan began to develop a fierce rivalry with fellow Asian powerhouse Australia, shortly after the latter joined the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The rivalry is regarded as one of Asia's biggest football rivalries. The rivalry is a relatively recent one, born from a number of highly competitive matches between the two teams since Australia joined the AFC in 2006. The rivalry began at the 2006 World Cup where the two countries were grouped together, and continued with the two countries meeting regularly in various AFC competitions, such as the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, the 2011 AFC Asian Cup Final and the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup.