Japan National Football Team: The Complete History

The Japan National Football Team, nicknamed the “Samurai Blue,” represents Japan in men’s international football competitions.

The Japan National Team has emerged as one of Asia’s most successful football teams. Its progression over the last century has led to football becoming a central feature of Japanese sporting culture. With football now the second most popular sport in Japan, the team and its increasing success is a source of pride for the country and its fans.

However, the National Team did not earn this reputation without struggle. The team suffered many heartbreaks throughout the 20th century as it fought to earn itself a place on the world stage. Eventually, the team’s fighting spirit and determination led to exponential growth and success in a large number of competitions.

Join us as we uncover the history of this inspiring team, its contribution to Asian football, and the future that lies ahead through exclusive images and archive content.

When did football start in Japan?

The first instance of modern football in Japan is believed to have occurred in 1873 when a British Royal Navy officer and his men introduced the game to Japanese navy cadets. It is said that amused Japanese spectators considered it a version of an ancient Japanese ball game called kemari.

However, it was not until 1886 that the sport began to gain traction in Japanese culture when an Englishman named Edward Buntine founded the Yokohama Football Club. Buntine was a crucial figure in the early development of football in Japan. He is credited with popularizing the sport in the country and helping to establish the foundation for the game’s growth.

The earliest records of a national representative team date back to 1917, when Japan fielded a team at the Far Eastern Championship Games held in Tokyo. At this time the country was represented by a team from Tokyo Imperial University.

In 1919, the English Football Association presented the FA Silver Cup to Japan as a token of friendship in hopes of promoting football in Japan. This inspired the establishment of the Japan Football Association in 1921, the governing body for Japanese football. The gifted cup was used as a trophy in the first national tournament. Japan went on to join the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in 1929.

The Japan National Football Team: An Early History

The Japan National Football Team in 1936

The Origins

While school and university teams had previously represented Japan internationally, the first official National Team debuted at the Far Eastern Games in 1930. The team was put together by professor Hiroaki Chiba, Meiji University’s football coach. The team started strong by drawing with China 3-3 and beating the Philippines 7-2.

Coached by Shigeyoshi Suzuki, the national team made its first Olympic appearance at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. Despite not having professional players, the National Team managed to impress in their first few years on the international stage, one highlight being a 3-2 win against Sweden in the 1936 Olympic Games. This game was dubbed “the miracle in Berlin” by fans and earned Japan international respect for their spirited performance.

After the War

After being isolated from the world during and post-World War II, the 1950s saw Japan return to international football, rejoining FIFA in 1950. The National Team reached the semi-finals in the 1951 Asian Games, losing to Iran 3-2 but winning a bronze medal match 2-0 against Afghanistan.

Over the following decades, the National Team continued to strive for international recognition. It joined the Asian Football Confederation in 1954, and played in the qualifiers for the 1954 FIFA World Cup.

In 1960, the Japan Football Association was trying to find a way to further strengthen its national team for the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, and so they brought in a foreign professional coach, Dettmar Cramer, a previous German football player. During tournament Japan lost to Argentina in its own home stadium but Cramer believed that the national team was vastly improving. Cramer’s continuous coaching and guidance would bring success to Japan four years later at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where they bagged the bronze medal.

At this time, participating in the Olympic Games was the main focus of the national team. This was the first time an Asian team had ever won an award. The team’s Kunishige Kamamoto scored seven goals, claiming the title of the tournament’s top goal scorer.

The 80s

Up until the 80s, Japan did not have a fully professional soccer team and the country had not qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals in 30 years of trying. The National Team again missed qualifying for the 1986 FIFA World Cup, losing its long-standing rival, South Korea.

In 1987, Kenji Mori, the chairman of the Japan Soccer League (JSL) at that time, floated the idea of developing a fully professional soccer team in Japan, and in 1988, the JSL created a committee to reinvigorate football in the country. A year later, the committee formally proposed the establishment of a professional football league.

Up to this point, the growth of football in Japan had been limited by the fact that all Japanese players were amateurs, only playing in between working their day jobs. However, as many of the best players began leaving to make money overseas, support for a professional league increased.

The Rise of Japanese Football: The Modern Era

In 1991, 2 years after the proposal to establish a professional football league, JFA announced J. League, a fully professional football league in Japan. The top 10 teams of the Japan Soccer League would become the first members of the newly formed professional league, which kicked off on May 15, 1993, at Tokyo National Stadium, with a match between Verdy Kawasaki and Yokohama Marinos.

In 1992, Japan hosted the 1992 Asian Cup and won its first title by winning against Saudi Arabia with the final score of 1-0. The National Team was finally gaining momentum and emerging as a force in Asian football.

The creation of the J.League led to an increase in the national interest in the sport and a strengthening of the national team program.

Japan’s dream of qualifying for the 1994 World Cup with professional players ended in the last minute of their final game when they conceded a goal in the 90th minute to draw with Iraq. The National Team, and the country, were devastated. Having been so close to achieving their dream of reaching the World Cup, the match was dubbed “The Agony of Doha” by the fans.

The agony caused by the loss in Doha motivated the National Team more than ever. While the loss had caused disappointment among fans, it had also attracted more fans to the game. As a result, this game is widely viewed as one of the catalysts for modern Japanese football.

FIFA World Cup Success

The Japan National Football Team at the 1998 World Cup

On the road to the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying games, Japan finished the games second to South Korea in the final qualifying group. Japan was sent to a playoff against Iran in Malaysia. A draw of 2-2 looms in deadlock after 90 minutes, the game was sent into extra time. Just when the game is heading towards a penalty shootout, Okano Masayuki scored a goal that would send Japan into its first World Cup finals.

The tournament, held in France, allowed Asia its first-ever quota of four teams. While the National Team lost all their games to Argentina 1-0, Croatia 1-0 and Jamaica 2-1, the small one-goal margins of defeat in each game were an extremely impressive feat for the underdog team.

Early 2000s

In 2000, Japan reclaimed their continental title in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup after defeating Saudi Arabia, becoming the Asian champion again.

In 2002, Japan co-hosted the World Cup with South Korea. This was a historic moment for Asian football as it was the first time that the continent had hosted the tournament and the first time that two countries had hosted it together.

As a result, it became one of the most memorable World Cups in history, with many surprise results throughout the competition, indicating increasing football talent worldwide. Japan drew with Belgium 2-2 in their opening match and went on to win their next games against Russia 1-0 and against Tunisia 2-0, but exited the tournament during the round of 16, losing 1-0 to Turkey.

In the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, Japan managed to defend their title by winning against Thailand, Oman and surpassing Bahrain and Jordan. Japan managed to win against China 3-1 in the final.

2018 World Cup and Beyond

In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Japan made history as the first-ever AFC team to beat a team from CONMEBOL when they won against Colombia 2-1, and their first-ever victory at the FIFA World Cup finals in UEFA nations. [46] Their second match against Senegal ended in a draw but they lost in the last group game in Group H against Poland 0-1, leaving Japan and Senegal tied for second. Japan advanced to the knockout stage on the Fair Play Points tiebreak as they received two fewer yellow cards. The last two matches were played simultaneously. Colombia scored against Senegal, going 1-0 ahead in the 74th minute, Japan on the fair play rule, went second ahead of Senegal.

During the last game against Poland, Japan played a very conservative game and in the last 10 minutes of the match, passed the ball to one another and kept it inside their half. Japan did not attempt to score, even when they were one goal behind Poland. The match was compared to Disgrace of Gijón of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, where a similar game was played. Japan became the only AFC Team to qualify to the knockout stages in this tournament. In round 16, Japan went against Belgium and took a 2-0 victory.

This is the third time Japan has reached the last 16, equal to their best result at a previous World Cup. But Japan still lost to Belgium who would later win third place in the World Cup. Japan’s performance in the competition was praised by the public for their fighting spirit.

Moving Forward

Japan has now qualified for seven consecutive World Cups and has reached the round of 16 a total of three times. The 2022 World Cup, to be held in Qatar, is an exciting opportunity for the National Team to advance further than ever before.

A Modern Team: The Samurai Blue

With the National Team playing better than ever and the sport’s popularity increasing, the Japanese Football Association decided to give the team a nickname that would encourage even more support in the lead-up to the 2006 World Cup. After running a fan choice poll, Samurai Blue was the overwhelming choice.

Origin of the name

The name Samurai Blue references the traditional Japanese warrior class known as the samurai. The samurai were known for their skill, honour, and bravery.

According to the Japan Football Association or the JFA, the colour blue is “The blue of the sea and the sky symbolizing the land of Japan”. However, the decision on the colour is still unknown.

According to the official JFA’s website, the term Samurai Blue came from the choice of slogans from the 2006 FIFA World Cup tournament. Based on popular votes, 5 catchphrases were chosen such as “SAMURAI BLUE2006”, “Make the HISTORY”, Surprise the World, “To the top, with everyone”, and “WIN NOW!”. But ultimately, SAMURAI BLUE2006 was chosen. After the tournament, the term SAMURAI BLUE became the alternate name for the Japanese men’s football team.

Official Introduction

The nickname for the men’s football team, “Samurai Blue”, was officially introduced in October 19th, 2009, along with the rebranding of the emblem. Before the nickname was decided, other suggested names were Samurai Blues, Blue Samurai, and Blue Samurais.

Some suggest that the choice of blue stems from the win against Sweden during the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Japan won the match 3-2 and was later dubbed “Miracle in Berlin”.

Some others suggest that the overall win from the 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games was the reason for choosing blue. The participating players for Japan were mostly university students. Based on the 22-man roster, the majority of the players were from Tokyo Imperial University (now known as Tokyo University) with 12 players.

Others consisted of 3 players each from Waseda University and Kwansei Gakuin University, and 1 player each from Kyoto Imperial University (now known as Kyoto University) and Keio University. Since the core players were mostly from Tokyo Imperial University, it is said that the team used light blue uniforms, which were Tokyo Imperial University’s colours.

The current Japan national squad badge (Japan Football Association)

The current Japan national team kit

Japan National Football Team: Famous Players

Many great players have donned the Samurai Blue shirt over the years. Here are some of the most famous:

Hidetoshi Nakata

Widely considered one of the greatest Asian footballers of all time, Nakata was a key player in Japan’s World Cup success in 1998, 2002, and 2006. Nakata played for several top European clubs, including AS Roma and Parma. His time at Perugia was one of the most memorable. In his first-ever debut match in Europe with Perugia, he scored 2 goals against Juventus with the likes of Alessandro Del Piero, Edgar Davids, Didier Deschamps, and Zinedine Zidane. The match ended with a 7-goal thriller with Perugia having been defeated. He retired from football in 2006 at the age of 29.

Shunsuke Nakamura

A creative midfielder and the only player named J.League Most Valuable Player more than once, Nakamura has scored 24 goals in 98 matches for the National Team. He played in the FIFA World Cup finals in 2006 and 2010 and was also part of the AFC Asian Cup winning teams in 2000 and 2004. Following a successful spell in Europe with Reggina in Italy from2002-2005, Celtic in Scotland from 2005-2009, and Espanyol in Spain 2009-2010, he eventually returned to Japan in 2010 and has since played for Yokohama F.Marinos, Júbilo Iwata, and Yokohama FC. Nakamura recently announced that he would retire from football in December 2022.

Keisuke Honda

Honda has scored 37 goals in 98 games since his debut for the National Team in 2008. He was awarded Japanese Player of the Year in 2010, the AFC Asian Cup Most Valuable Player in 2011, and the Best Footballer in Asia in 2013. Another player with experience in Europe, Honda, has played for AC Milan and CSKA Moscow. He is currently the Head Coach for the Cambodia National Football Team.

Shinji Kagawa

With over 90 caps and 30 goals for the National Team, Kagawa is one of the greatest Japanese players. He is one of the few Japanese players to have made it big in the Premier League playing for Manchester United. In addition, Kagawa has played for Borussia Dortmund. He played with players such as Robert Lewandowski, Mats Hummels, and Ilkay Gundogan. Kagawa is currently playing for the Belgian side, Sint-Truidense VV from early 2022.

Maya Yoshida

The current captain of the Japan National Team, the defender, has over 121 caps for Japan since his debut for the team in 2010. Yoshida spent most of his club career with Southampton FC from 2012-2020. He later played for Sampdoria in Italy from 2020-2022. Yoshida is currently playing for the German side FC Schalke 04.

Competitive Record

Japan has tasted increasing success in major competitions in recent years, cementing its place as one of Asia’s best teams. Here is a summary of their competitive record:

FIFA World Cup
Japan will make its seventh appearance at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar’s 2022 tournament. The have reached the round of 16 in 2002, 2010 and 2018.

AFC Asian Cup
The AFC Asian Cup is the most successful tournament for Japan. It is the only team to have won the tournament four times, with their most recent victory in 2019 where they beat Qatar in the final. They have also finished as runners-up on two occasions.

Olympic Games
The Japan National Team qualified for the Olympics four times before the restructuring of football in the Olympics in 1992. Post-1992, it has made seven appearances, with their best result in 2012 and 2020 when they reached the semi-finals. In
the 1996 Olympic Games, they beat all odds by defeating world-favorites Brazil 1-0. This monumental moment for Japan is remembered as “the miracle in Miami.”

EAFF E-1 Football Championship
Previously known as the EAFF East Asian Cup, Japan has won twice (with their most recent victory on home ground in 2022) and been awarded second place five times.

Head-to-Head Record

Japan’s National Football Team has an excellent head-to-head record against their Asian rivals although they are only recently starting to catch up with South Korea. Here are some of their most notable results:

vs. China: Japan has won 16 times, drawn eight times, and lost ten times.
vs. South Korea: Japan has won 15 times, drawn 21 times, and lost 54.
vs. Saudi Arabia: Japan has won 11 times, drawn once, and lost six times.
vs. Iran: Japan has won six times, drawn six times, and lost nine times.
vs. Qatar: Japan has won three times, drawn four times, and lost three times.

The Future of Japan’s National Football Team

With the 2022 World Cup fast approaching, the National Team has the opportunity to progress further than ever before and solidify its place as Asia’s best football team. Football manager Moriyasu has made clear that the team is aiming to make it to the quarter-finals which would be a first. With a challenging group stage ahead with games against Germany, Costa Rica and Spain, the National Team is relishing the opportunity to test themselves again on the world stage.

The future looks bright for the Japanese National Team. With most of their players competing in European clubs, the team has enough talent and quality players to hold their own against the world’s best teams. Their determined, fighting spirit is symbolic of the Japanese spirit, and they are more determined than ever to make their country proud.