# Japan national football team

The Japan national football team (サッカー日本代表, Sakkā Nihon Daihyō or Sakkā Nippon Daihyō), also known by the nickname Samurai Blue (サムライ・ブルー, 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.
Until the end of the 1980s, Japan was a small and amateur team. For a long time, football was less popular than baseball and sumo. Since the early 1990s, when Japanese football became fully professionalized, Japan has emerged as one of the most successful teams in Asia; they have qualified for every FIFA World Cup since 1998 (including an automatic berth in 2002 as co-hosts with South Korea) with knockout stage appearances that year, and in 2010, 2018 and 2022. They have won the Asian Cup a record four times, in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011. The team also finished runners-up in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2019 Asian Cup. Japan is one of three teams from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to have reached the final of a senior FIFA men's competition, the others being Australia and Saudi Arabia.
Japan's progression in a short period has served as an inspiration and example of how to develop football. Their principal continental rivals are South Korea and, most recently, 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 October 2024, Japan is the highest-ranked AFC team at 15th, and has been since December 2022.

## History
### 1910s–1930s: Pre-war era

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. However, Japan refused to participate in the 1930 FIFA World Cup.
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 1938 World Cup qualifying, but withdrew before its scheduled qualifying match against the Dutch East Indies.
After World War II began, 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. While Korea was under Japanese rule, multiple Koreans played in international competition for Japan, including Kim Yong-sik (1936–40), Kim Sung-gan (1940) and Lee Yoo-hyung (1940).

### 1950s–1980s: Post-war era

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 World Cup, but lost the AFC qualifying berth to South Korea after two matches. Japan also joined the Asian Football Confederation in 1954.
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 World Cup until 30 years later. Nonetheless, Japan were close to qualifying for the 1986 FIFA World Cup, but lost to South Korea in the deciding matches.
Japan made its first appearance in the Asian Cup in 1988, where they were eliminated in the group stage following a draw with Iran and losses to South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
The late 1980s saw concrete moves to professionalize the sport in Japan. JFA introduced a Special Licensed Player system in 1986, allowing a limited number of professional players to compete in the domestic semi-professional league. Action committees were held in 1988 and 1989 to discuss the introduction of a full professional league in Japan.

### 1990s: Rise

In the 1990s, the Japan Football Association began the professionalization of its national football team. In 1991, the owners of the semi-professional Japan Soccer League agreed to disband the league and re-form as the professional J.League, partly to raise the sport's profile and to strengthen the national team program. The following year, Japan hosted the 1992 Asian Cup and won their first title by defeating Saudi Arabia 1–0 in the final. The J.League was officially launched in 1993.
However, in its first attempt to qualify with professional players, Japan narrowly missed a ticket to the 1994 World Cup after drawing with Iraq in the final match of the qualification round, remembered by fans as the "Agony of Doha". Japan's next tournament was a defence of their continental title at the 1996 Asian Cup. The team won all their games in the group stage but were eliminated in the quarter-finals after a 2–0 loss to Kuwait.
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, and the campaign ended with a 2–1 defeat to Jamaica. Japan impressed, however, as all three defeats were only by a one goal margin.

### 2000s: Two Asian Cup titles, World Cup co-hosts

In the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, Japan managed to reclaim their title after defeating Saudi Arabia in the final, becoming Asian champions for the second time.
Two years later, Japan co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with South Korea. After a 2–2 draw with Belgium in their opening match, the Japanese team advanced to the second round with a 1–0 win over Russia and a 2–0 victory against Tunisia. However, they subsequently exited the tournament during the round of 16, after losing 1–0 to eventual third-place finishers Turkey in extra time.
With the 2004 Asian Cup hosted by China, the Japanese managed to retain the title by winning their group after two victories over Thailand and Oman, before achieving victories against Jordan and Bahrain. They defeated the hosts in the final 3–1.
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 future AFC rival Australia 3–1, drawing Croatia 0–0 and falling to Brazil 4–1.
The 2007 AFC Asian Cup saw Japan fail to defend its title. Although easily winning the group over Vietnam, Qatar and the UAE, the Japanese were totally exhausted in their game against Australia, where Japan won only by a penalty shootout. Japan lost to Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals, before failing in the third-place match against South Korea.

### 2010s

During the 2010 World Cup qualification, in the fourth round of the Asian qualifiers, Japan became the first team other than the host South Africa to qualify after defeating Uzbekistan 1–0 away. Japan was drawn in Group E along with the Netherlands, Denmark and Cameroon. Japan started with a 1–0 win against Cameroon, before subsequently losing to the Netherlands 1–0. Then, Japan resoundingly beat Denmark 3–1 to advance to the next round against Paraguay. In the round of 16, Japan were eliminated from the competition following penalties after a 0–0 draw against Paraguay.
After the World Cup, head coach Takeshi Okada resigned. He was replaced by former Juventus and Milan coach Alberto Zaccheroni. In his first few matches, Japan recorded victories over Guatemala (2–1) and Paraguay (1–0), as well as a 1–0 victory over Argentina.
Japan participated in the 2011 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. The country then started their road to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Throughout, they suffered only two losses to Uzbekistan and Jordan, and drew against Australia. After a 1–1 draw with Australia, they qualified for the 2014 World Cup, becoming the first nation aside from the hosts to qualify.
Japan started their 2013 Confederations Cup campaign with a 3–0 loss to Brazil. They were then eliminated from the competition after losing to Italy 4–3. They lost their final match 1–2 against Mexico and finished in fourth place in Group A. One month later, in the EAFF East Asian Cup, they started out with a 3–3 draw to China. They then beat Australia 3–2 and beat South Korea 2–1 in the third and final match in the tournament to claim the title.
Japan was placed into Group C at the 2014 World Cup alongside the Ivory Coast, Greece and Colombia. They fell in their first match to Ivory Coast 2–1 after initially taking the lead, allowing two goals in a two-minute span. They drew their second game to Greece 0–0. To qualify for the second round, they needed a victory against Colombia and Greece to win against Ivory Coast. Greece beat Ivory Coast 2–1, but Colombia won 4–1, eliminating Japan from the World Cup. Alberto Zaccheroni resigned as head coach. In July 2014, former Mexico and Espanyol manager Javier Aguirre took over, and Japan lost 0–2 to Uruguay in the first game he managed.
Japan won its opening match at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Group D against Asian Cup debutantes Palestine 4–0, with goals from Yasuhito Endō, Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda and Maya Yoshida. Okazaki was named man of the match. They then faced Iraq and Jordan in their next group matches, which they won 1–0 and 2–0 respectively. They qualified to the knockout stage as Group D winners with nine points, seven goals scored and no goals conceded. In the quarter-finals, Japan lost to the UAE in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw, as Honda and Shinji Kagawa missed their penalty kicks. Japan's elimination marked their worst performance in the tournament in 19 years.
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 five wins and two draws. On 31 August 2017, Japan defeated Australia 2–0 at home, thus qualifying them for the 2018 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, citing reasons of a breakdown in relationship between the coach and players, and poor recent friendly results, and appoint the Technical Director, Japanese coach Akira Nishino as the new manager.
Japan made history in the 2018 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 World Cup finals in UEFA nations. Their second match against Senegal ended in a draw with goals from Takashi Inui and Keisuke Honda. Japan were defeated in their last group game in the Group H against Poland 1–0, 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 with no attempts to take a shot on goal, despite losing 1–0, 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 2–0 lead with a goal in the 48th minute by Genki Haraguchi and another in the 52nd by Takashi Inui, but yielded three goals afterwards, including the winner by Nacer Chadli on the counterattack in the 94th minute. The defeat to 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 3–2 in extra-time in the quarter-final of the 1970 edition. Despite losing a 2–0 lead, Japan's impressive performance was praised by fans, pundits and the media.
Japan participated in the 2019 Asian Cup, finishing on top of group F after defeating Turkmenistan 3–2, Oman 1–0 and Uzbekistan 2–1. Japan defeated Saudi Arabia in the round of sixteen and dark horse Vietnam in the quarter-finals by a 1–0 margin. After defeating Iran 3–0 to reach the final, Japan's hope to win their fifth Asian Cup was lost with the team suffering a 3–1 defeat to Qatar, who won the Asian Cup for the first time.
Japan were invited to the 2019 Copa America, their second appearance at the tournament, and brought a young squad to the competition. They were placed in Group C with Uruguay, Chile and Ecuador. The nation lost their opening match 4–0 to Chile, before bouncing back and drawing against Uruguay 2–2. Japan needed a win against Ecuador to qualify for the knockouts, however they drew 1–1 and missed out due to inferior goal difference to Paraguay. Aftermath saw Japan played a friendly game against the Paraguayans, and won 2–0 at home.

### 2020s

After China was removed as host of the 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship, it was announced that Japan was the new host. After topping the table with two wins and one draw, Japan won the competition for the second time in their history.
Japan qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and were drawn into Group E with Germany, Costa Rica and Spain. On 23 November, Japan produced an upset, beating Germany 2–1, with two goals in an eight-minute span during the second half. After losing to Costa Rica 1–0, going into the final matchday, every team in Group E could qualify or be eliminated, with no team assured of any placement. In the end, Japan managed to qualify for the round of 16 by defeating Spain 2–1 in their final group stage match, while also contributing to Germany's elimination from the tournament. By topping their group, Japan went on to face Croatia in the round of 16 where they would lose 3–1 on penalties after a 1–1 draw. It was the third team in 52 years to have come from behind twice in one tournament, following Brazil and (West) Germany. They beat Spain with the lowest possession (18%) of the ball ever for a winning side since the 1966 World Cup. It also was the first time that an Asian team topped their World Cup group held outside their home country, and also the first Asian team to reach the knockouts twice in a row.
Japan were considered the favourites for the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, but disappointed; Hajime Moriyasu's men began the tournament with an unconvincing victory over a Vietnamese side deprived of a number of key players (4–2), before going on to play a nightmarish game against Iraq (a 2–1 loss). This defeat, Japan's first in the group stage since their first appearance in 1988, condemned them to finish second in the group due to their unfavourable head-to-head record. The Japanese sealed three points after overcoming Indonesia 3–1 and then eliminated Bahrain by the same scoreline in the round of 16. Japan met Iran in the quarter-finals for a rematch of the previous edition's semi-final, and got the game off to a perfect start with Hidemasa Morita's 28th-minute opener, before falling completely flat in the second half, succumbing to Iran's fiery attacks, 2–1. The country suffered two defeats at the Asian Cup for the first time since their debut in 1988, while conceding at least one goal in every match. The squad also had to contend with an extra controversy, with the sudden departure of Junya Itō shortly before the match against Iran, due to the Stade de Reims player having been accused of sexual assault.

## Team image
### Nicknames

Japan's national football team is nicknamed the Samurai Blue (サムライ・ブルー, Samurai Burū) by the JFA. The team also is often known by the last name of the manager. For example, under Takeshi Okada, the team was known as Okada Japan (岡田ジャパン, Okada Japan), or during the 2022 World Cup, the team is referred by the current manager's (Hajime Moriyasu) name, as "Moriyasu Japan" (森保ジャパン, Moriyasu Japan).

### Kits

The national team kit design has gone through several alterations in the past. In the early 1980s, the kit was white with blue trim. The kits worn for the 1992 Asian Cup consisted of white stripes (stylized to form a wing) with red diamonds. During the 1996 Asian Cup and the 1998 World Cup, the national team kits were blue jerseys with red and white flame designs on the sleeves, and were designed by JFA (with the sponsor alternating each year between Asics, Puma, and Adidas). The 1996 design was reproduced in a special kit used against Syria on 7 June 2017.
Japan uses blue and white rather than red and white due to a superstition. Japan first used blue shirts in the 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games, where a team of the Tokyo Imperial University (whose color is light blue) represented Japan wearing light blue shirts, and then in a match against Sweden in the 1936 Summer Olympics. Between 1988 and 1992, the kits were red and white, matching the colours of Japan's national flag. After failing to qualify for the 1990 World Cup and 1992 Summer Olympics, the red shirt was scrapped.
In the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2015 Asian Cup, Japan temporarily switched the colour of the numbers from white to gold.
Japan's kit is provided by German company Adidas, the team's exclusive kit supplier since April 1999. Before that, Asics and Puma had been the team's official apparel sponsor.
On 3 June 2021, Japan released the special 100th anniversary kit for a friendly match against Jamaica, but the match was cancelled and replaced with a match against the U-24 team. The kit was also used by the U-24 team against U-24 Ghana on 5 June 2021.

#### Kit suppliers

| Kit provider | Period |
| None | 1936–1978 |
| Asics | 1979 |
| Puma | 1980–1985 |
| Adidas | 1986 |
| Asics | 1987–1988 |
| Adidas | 1989–1992 |
| Asics | 1993–1998 |
| Adidas | 1999–present |

### Crest

The crest or emblem of the national team was adopted in late 2017 as part of a larger rebranding by the Japan Football Association. The crest features the Yatagarasu, a three-legged crow from Japanese mythology that is a symbol for the sun, holding a solid red ball that is like the sun from national flag. The text "JFA" (for the Japan Football Association) is inscribed at the bottom of the crow. A red stripe is also present at the center of the shield behind the crow. The shield has a metallic gold trim and has a thicker black outline. The name of the country represented by the national team "Japan" is also inscribed within the black border.
The previous crest used from 1996 had a shield with a more complex shape. The ball held by the Yatagarasu had white details. The text "Japan" is absent and "JFA" is written in a different typeface.
Before 1988, Japan used the national flag outlined in red (and with JFA written in black on the lower left corner of the flag) on the shirts.
The Yatagarasu was first seen on the Japan shirts in 1988, where it was on a yellow circle with a blue outline with "JAPAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION" written around it. In 1991, the emblem changed to a white shield with a red vertical stripe on the center with the crow on it and "JFA" written in a green Gothic typeface. This crest was used until 1996.

### Home stadium

Japan plays its home matches among various stadiums, in rotation, around the country, especially the Saitama Stadium 2002.

### Rivalries
#### South Korea

Japan maintains a strong football rivalry with South Korea. Japan have met South Korea 80 times, trailing the statistic at 16 wins, 23 draws, and 42 losses, while scoring 73 goals and conceding 124. Since November 1991, when the Japan Professional Football League was launched, the record is almost even with 9 wins, 12 draws and 10 losses. Both countries have made themselves unrivalled in both Asian Cup and World Cup records, being two of the most successful Asian football teams, and they hosted the 2002 World Cup in a joint bid.

#### North Korea

Japan maintains a rivalry with North Korea, although the rivalry is infrequent due to political circumstances. Japan have met North Korea 22 times, with a record of 10 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses.

#### China

Previously, when Japan had not established professional football, Japan had only 4 wins, 3 draws and 13 losses against China. However, Japan's establishment of professional football helped turn the tide, and the Japanese have been able to exert domination with 15 wins, 6 draws and just 2 losses. China has not beaten Japan since March 1998, and lost to them 3–1 in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup final.

#### Australia

Japan began to develop a fierce rivalry with fellow Asian powerhouse Australia, shortly after the latter joined the Asian Football Confederation. 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.
Japan have met Australia 27 times, with a record of 12 wins, 9 draws and 6 losses.

#### Saudi Arabia

Japan and Saudi Arabia are two of the most historically successful national teams in Asia and have frequently met each other in many major tournaments, including in the Asian Cup and World Cup qualification. The frequency is also rivalled by high-level performances of Japan and Saudi Arabia in the Asian and global football stage, as they are two of the three AFC members (alongside Australia) to reach the final of any senior FIFA competition. Both countries also gained headlines for producing "unexpected" wins in the 2022 World Cup, with Japan earning wins against Germany and Spain and Saudi Arabia against eventual champions Argentina in the group stage. These wins over World Cup-winning oppositions have allowed comparisons of developments between Japan and Saudi Arabia to emerge.
In the head-to-head record, Japan have an advantage over the Saudis with 12 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses.

#### Iran

Japan and Iran have a combined seven Asian Cup titles, with a rivalry developing in the 1990s due to the famous "Joy of Johor Bahru" (ジョホール・バルの歓喜, Johōru Baru no kanki) that gave Japan a ticket to their first World Cup defeating the Persians by 3–2 in a neutral Asian play-off hosted in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
More recently, the two countries met in the 2019 and 2023 Asian Cups. The Samurai Blue defeated Team Melli 3–0 in the semifinals of the 2019 edition. The Iranians got revenge four years later eliminating Japan 2–1 in the quarter-finals.
Japan have met Iran 19 times, with a record of 6 wins, 6 draws and 7 losses.

### Supporters

Japanese national team supporters are known for chanting "Nippon Ole" (Nippon is the Japanese word for Japan) at home matches.

### Sponsorship

Japan has one of the highest sponsorship incomes for a national squad. In 2006 their sponsorship income amounted to over 16.5 million pounds.
Primary sponsors include Adidas, ANA, Kirin, Saison Card International, FamilyMart, JAL, MS&AD Insurance Group, Asahi Shinbun, Mizuho Financial, Daito Trust Construction and KDDI.

### Mascot

The mascots are "Karappe" (カラッペ) and "Karara" (カララ), two Yatagarasu wearing the Japan national football team kit. The mascots were designed by Japanese manga artist Susumu Matsushita. Each year when a new kit is launched, the mascots' uniforms are updated in order to match the kit being used by the team.
For the 2014 World Cup, the Pokémon character Pikachu served as the mascot.

## Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win  Draw  Loss  Fixture

### 2024

* Fixtures & Results (2024), JFA.jp

### 2025

* Fixtures & Results (2025), JFA.jp

## Head-to-head record

    The following table shows Japan's all-time international record, correct as of 18 November 2024.
| Opponent | From | To | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| Afghanistan | 1951 | 2015 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | +13 |
| Angola | 2005 | 2005 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Argentina | 1964 | 2010 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 16 | −12 |
| Australia | 1956 | 2024 | 28 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 40 | 31 | +9 |
| Austria | 2007 | 2007 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Azerbaijan | 2012 | 2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| Bahrain | 1978 | 2024 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 11 | +15 |
| Bangladesh | 1975 | 1993 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | +21 |
| Belarus | 2013 | 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 |
| Belgium | 1999 | 2018 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 8 | +3 |
| Bolivia | 1999 | 2019 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2006 | 2016 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 |
| Brazil | 1968 | 2022 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 5 | 35 | −30 |
| Brunei | 1980 | 2000 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 1 | +28 |
| Bulgaria | 1976 | 2016 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 13 | −3 |
| Cambodia | 1964 | 2015 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | +10 |
| Cameroon | 2001 | 2020 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 |
| Canada | 2001 | 2023 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 4 | +6 |
| Chile | 2008 | 2019 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| China | 1917 | 2024 | 36 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 56 | 42 | +14 |
| Chinese Taipei | 1963 | 1983 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 7 | +17 |
| Colombia | 2003 | 2023 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | −5 |
| Costa Rica | 1995 | 2022 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | +7 |
| Croatia | 1997 | 2022 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Cyprus | 2014 | 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Czech Republic | 1998 | 2011 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Denmark | 1971 | 2010 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 |
| Ecuador | 1995 | 2022 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 |
| Egypt | 1998 | 2007 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 |
| El Salvador | 2019 | 2023 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | +8 |
| England | 1995 | 2010 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 |
| Finland | 2006 | 2009 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 |
| France | 1968 | 2012 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 14 | −9 |
| Germany | 2004 | 2023 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 |
| Ghana | 1994 | 2022 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 9 | +5 |
| Greece | 2005 | 2014 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Guatemala | 2010 | 2013 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 |
| Haiti | 2017 | 2017 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Honduras | 2002 | 2014 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 7 | +7 |
| Hong Kong | 1958 | 2022 | 27 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 59 | 17 | +42 |
| Hungary | 1993 | 2004 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 |
| Iceland | 1971 | 2012 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | +5 |
| India | 1954 | 2006 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 41 | 19 | +22 |
| Indonesia | 1954 | 2024 | 17 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 40 | 24 | +16 |
| Iran | 1951 | 2024 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 22 | 21 | +1 |
| Iraq | 1978 | 2024 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 10 | +9 |
| Israel | 1973 | 1977 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 10 | −9 |
| Italy | 2001 | 2013 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 |
| Ivory Coast | 1993 | 2020 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Jamaica | 1998 | 2014 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 |
| Jordan | 1988 | 2015 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 4 | +8 |
| Kazakhstan | 1997 | 2005 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 |
| Kuwait | 1978 | 1998 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 8 | −6 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 2018 | 2021 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | +10 |
| Latvia | 2005 | 2013 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 |
| Macau | 1980 | 2000 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | +45 |
| Malaysia | 1958 | 2004 | 35 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 56 | 55 | +1 |
| Mali | 2018 | 2018 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Malta | 2006 | 2006 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Mexico | 1996 | 2020 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 11 | −5 |
| Mongolia | 1942 | 2021 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 0 | +71 |
| Montenegro | 2007 | 2007 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| Myanmar | 1994 | 2024 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | +27 |
| Nepal | 1986 | 1998 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | +19 |
| Netherlands | 2009 | 2013 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | −4 |
| New Zealand | 1981 | 2017 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | +5 |
| Nigeria | 1995 | 2003 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| North Korea | 1975 | 2024 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 23 | 16 | +7 |
| Norway | 2002 | 2002 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | −3 |
| Oman | 1988 | 2021 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 21 | 5 | +16 |
| Pakistan | 1960 | 1988 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 |
| Palestine | 2015 | 2015 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 |
| Panama | 2018 | 2020 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 |
| Paraguay | 1995 | 2022 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 10 | +5 |
| Peru | 1999 | 2023 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 5 | +3 |
| Philippines | 1917 | 1974 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 33 | 33 | 0 |
| Poland | 1996 | 2018 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | +6 |
| Qatar | 1982 | 2019 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 13 | −1 |
| Romania | 1974 | 2003 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 13 | −7 |
| Russia | 1995 | 2002 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1982 | 2024 | 19 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 29 | 17 | +12 |
| Scotland | 1995 | 2009 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| Senegal | 1987 | 2018 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 |
| Serbia | 2010 | 2021 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 |
| Singapore | 1959 | 2015 | 28 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 67 | 21 | +46 |
| Slovakia | 2000 | 2004 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 |
| Spain | 2001 | 2022 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| South Africa | 2009 | 2009 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| South Korea | 1954 | 2022 | 81 | 16 | 23 | 42 | 76 | 124 | −48 |
| Sri Lanka | 1972 | 1993 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | +16 |
| Sweden | 1936 | 2002 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| Switzerland | 1993 | 2018 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −1 |
| Syria | 1978 | 2024 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 9 | +28 |
| Tajikistan | 2011 | 2021 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | +18 |
| Thailand | 1960 | 2024 | 28 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 70 | 23 | +47 |
| Togo | 2009 | 2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 2006 | 2019 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| Tunisia | 1996 | 2023 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 |
| Turkey | 1997 | 2023 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 |
| Turkmenistan | 2019 | 2019 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 |
| Ukraine | 2002 | 2018 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | −1 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1981 | 2017 | 20 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 22 | 18 | +4 |
| United States | 1993 | 2022 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 |
| Uruguay | 1985 | 2023 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 24 | −6 |
| Uzbekistan | 1996 | 2019 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 30 | 10 | +20 |
| Venezuela | 2010 | 2019 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Vietnam | 2007 | 2024 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 |
| Wales | 1992 | 1992 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 |
| Yemen | 2006 | 2010 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | +5 |
| Zambia | 2014 | 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 |
| Total (110 Countries) | 1917 | 2024 | 811 | 387 | 165 | 249 | 1,436 | 952 | +484 |

## Coaching staff
### Current staff

    As of 29 August 2024
| Role | Name |
| Head coach | Hajime Moriyasu |
| Assistant coaches | Makoto Hasebe Ryoichi Maeda Hiroshi Nanami Toshihide Saito |
| Goalkeeping coach | Takashi Shimoda |
| Fitness coach | Ryoichi Matsumoto |
* Players & Staffs (2024), JFA.jp

### Manager history

    As of 19 November 2024 after the match against China.
| Manager | Period | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Manager | Period | Matches | Won | Draw | Lost | Win % |
| Masujiro Nishida | 1923 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Goro Yamada | 1925 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Vacant | 1925 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| Shigeyoshi Suzuki (1st) | 1930 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| Shigemaru Takenokoshi (1st) | 1934 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33% |
| Shigeyoshi Suzuki (2nd) | 1936 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% |
| Shigemaru Takenokoshi (2nd) | 1940 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Hirokazu Ninomiya | 1951 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33.33% |
| Shigemaru Takenokoshi (3rd) | 1954–56 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 16.66% |
| Taizo Kawamoto | 1958 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Shigemaru Takenokoshi (4th) | 1958–59 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 33.33% |
| Vacant | 1960 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Hidetoki Takahashi | 1961–1962 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 21.43% |
| Ken Naganuma (1st) | 1963–1969 | 31 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 58.06% |
| Shunichiro Okano | 1970–1971 | 19 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 57.90% |
| Ken Naganuma (2nd) | 1972–1976 | 42 | 16 | 6 | 20 | 38.09% |
| Hiroshi Ninomiya | 1976–1978 | 27 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 22.22% |
| Yukio Shimomura | 1979–1980 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 57.14% |
| Masashi Watanabe | 1980 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66.67% |
| Saburō Kawabuchi | 1980–1981 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 30% |
| Takaji Mori | 1981–1985 | 43 | 22 | 5 | 16 | 51.16% |
| Yoshinobu Ishii | 1986–1987 | 17 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 64.70% |
| Kenzo Yokoyama | 1988–1991 | 24 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 20.83% |
| Hans Ooft | 1992–1993 | 27 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 59.25% |
| Paulo Roberto Falcão | 1994 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 33.33% |
| Shu Kamo | 1994–1997 | 46 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 50% |
| Takeshi Okada (1st) | 1997–1998 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 33.33% |
| Philippe Troussier | 1998–2002 | 50 | 23 | 16 | 11 | 46% |
| Zico | 2002–2006 | 71 | 37 | 16 | 18 | 52.11% |
| Ivica Osim | 2006–2007 | 20 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 65% |
| Takeshi Okada (2nd) | 2007–2010 | 50 | 26 | 13 | 11 | 52% |
| Hiromi Hara (caretaker) | 2010 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Alberto Zaccheroni | 2010–2014 | 55 | 30 | 12 | 13 | 54.54% |
| Javier Aguirre | 2014–2015 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 70% |
| Vahid Halilhodžić | 2015–2018 | 38 | 21 | 9 | 8 | 55.26% |
| Akira Nishino | 2018 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 28.57% |
| Hajime Moriyasu | 2018–present | 88 | 62 | 11 | 15 | 70.45% |
| Manager | Period | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Manager | Period | Matches | Won | Draw | Lost | Win % |

## Players
### Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Bahrain and Saudi Arabia on 20 and 25 March 2025, respectively.
Caps and goals as of 19 November 2024, after the match against China.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 1GK | Zion Suzuki | (2002-08-21) 21 August 2002 (age 22) | 16 | 0 | Parma |
| 1GK | Keisuke Ōsako | (1999-07-28) 28 July 1999 (age 25) | 8 | 0 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
| 1GK | Kōsei Tani | (2000-11-20) 20 November 2000 (age 24) | 2 | 0 | Machida Zelvia |
| 2DF | Yūto Nagatomo | (1986-09-12) 12 September 1986 (age 38) | 142 | 4 | FC Tokyo |
| 2DF | Kō Itakura | (1997-01-27) 27 January 1997 (age 28) | 35 | 2 | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
| 2DF | Yūta Nakayama | (1997-02-16) 16 February 1997 (age 28) | 22 | 0 | Machida Zelvia |
| 2DF | Hiroki Itō | (1999-05-12) 12 May 1999 (age 25) | 19 | 1 | Bayern Munich |
| 2DF | Yukinari Sugawara | (2000-06-28) 28 June 2000 (age 24) | 14 | 2 | Southampton |
| 2DF | Ayumu Seko | (2000-06-07) 7 June 2000 (age 24) | 4 | 0 | Grasshopper |
| 2DF | Kota Takai | (2004-09-04) 4 September 2004 (age 20) | 1 | 0 | Kawasaki Frontale |
| 2DF | Hiroki Sekine | (2002-08-11) 11 August 2002 (age 22) | 0 | 0 | Reims |
| 3MF | Wataru Endō (captain) | (1993-02-09) 9 February 1993 (age 32) | 67 | 4 | Liverpool |
| 3MF | Takumi Minamino | (1995-01-16) 16 January 1995 (age 30) | 65 | 24 | Monaco |
| 3MF | Junya Itō | (1993-03-09) 9 March 1993 (age 32) | 60 | 14 | Reims |
| 3MF | Ritsu Dōan | (1998-06-16) 16 June 1998 (age 26) | 55 | 10 | SC Freiburg |
| 3MF | Takefusa Kubo | (2001-06-04) 4 June 2001 (age 23) | 40 | 5 | Real Sociedad |
| 3MF | Hidemasa Morita | (1995-05-10) 10 May 1995 (age 29) | 39 | 6 | Sporting CP |
| 3MF | Daichi Kamada | (1996-08-05) 5 August 1996 (age 28) | 38 | 8 | Crystal Palace |
| 3MF | Ao Tanaka | (1998-09-10) 10 September 1998 (age 26) | 30 | 8 | Leeds United |
| 3MF | Kaoru Mitoma | (1997-05-20) 20 May 1997 (age 27) | 26 | 8 | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| 3MF | Keito Nakamura | (2000-07-28) 28 July 2000 (age 24) | 14 | 8 | Reims |
| 3MF | Reo Hatate | (1997-11-21) 21 November 1997 (age 27) | 10 | 0 | Celtic |
| 3MF | Joel Chima Fujita | (2002-02-16) 16 February 2002 (age 23) | 2 | 0 | Sint-Truiden |
| 4FW | Ayase Ueda | (1998-08-28) 28 August 1998 (age 26) | 30 | 14 | Feyenoord |
| 4FW | Kyōgo Furuhashi | (1995-01-20) 20 January 1995 (age 30) | 22 | 5 | Rennes |
| 4FW | Daizen Maeda | (1997-10-20) 20 October 1997 (age 27) | 22 | 4 | Celtic |
| 4FW | Shūto Machino | (1999-09-30) 30 September 1999 (age 25) | 5 | 3 | Holstein Kiel |

### Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the squad within the last twelve months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
| GK | Daiya Maekawa | (1994-09-08) 8 September 1994 (age 30) | 2 | 0 | Vissel Kobe | v. Syria, 11 June 2024 |
| DF | Kōki Machida | (1997-08-25) 25 August 1997 (age 27) | 16 | 0 | Union SG | v. China, 19 November 2024 |
| DF | Daiki Hashioka | (1999-05-17) 17 May 1999 (age 25) | 11 | 0 | Luton Town | v. China, 19 November 2024 |
| DF | Shogo Taniguchi | (1991-07-15) 15 July 1991 (age 33) | 32 | 1 | Sint-Truiden | v. Indonesia, 15 November 2024 $^{INJ}$ |
| DF | Henry Heroki Mochizuki | (2001-09-20) 20 September 2001 (age 23) | 0 | 0 | Machida Zelvia | v. Australia, 15 October 2024 |
| DF | Takehiro Tomiyasu | (1998-11-05) 5 November 1998 (age 26) | 42 | 1 | Arsenal | v. Syria, 11 June 2024 |
| DF | Seiya Maikuma | (1997-10-16) 16 October 1997 (age 27) | 8 | 0 | AZ | v. North Korea, 21 March 2024 |
| DF | Tsuyoshi Watanabe | (1997-02-05) 5 February 1997 (age 28) | 3 | 0 | Gent | v. North Korea, 21 March 2024 |
| MF | Yuki Soma | (1997-02-25) 25 February 1997 (age 28) | 14 | 5 | Machida Zelvia | v. Syria, 11 June 2024 |
| MF | Takumu Kawamura | (1999-08-28) 28 August 1999 (age 25) | 3 | 1 | Red Bull Salzburg | v. Syria, 11 June 2024 |
| MF | Kaishū Sano | (2000-12-30) 30 December 2000 (age 24) | 4 | 0 | Mainz 05 | v. North Korea, 21 March 2024 $^{INJ}$ |
| FW | Kōki Ogawa | (1997-08-08) 8 August 1997 (age 27) | 9 | 9 | NEC Nijmegen | v. China, 19 November 2024 |
| FW | Yuki Ohashi | (1996-07-27) 27 July 1996 (age 28) | 1 | 0 | Blackburn Rovers | v. China, 19 November 2024 |
| FW | Takuma Asano | (1994-11-10) 10 November 1994 (age 30) | 53 | 9 | Mallorca | v. Bahrain, 10 September 2024 |
| FW | Mao Hosoya | (2001-09-07) 7 September 2001 (age 23) | 6 | 1 | Kashiwa Reysol | v. Bahrain, 10 September 2024 |
| FW | Yuito Suzuki | (2001-10-25) 25 October 2001 (age 23) | 1 | 0 | Brøndby | v. Syria, 11 June 2024 |
| $^{INJ}$ Withdrew due to injury $^{PRE}$ Preliminary squad / standby $^{RET}$ Retired from the national team $^{SUS}$ Serving suspension $^{WD}$ Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue. |||||||

## Records

    As of 19 November 2024.
    Players in bold are still active with Japan.

### Most appearances

| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Pos | Career |
| 1 | Yasuhito Endō | 152 | 15 | MF | 2002–2015 |
| 2 | Yuto Nagatomo | 142 | 4 | DF | 2008–present |
| 3 | Maya Yoshida | 126 | 12 | DF | 2010–2022 |
| 4 | Masami Ihara | 122 | 5 | DF | 1988–1999 |
| 5 | Shinji Okazaki | 119 | 50 | FW | 2008– 2019 |
| 6 | Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi | 116 | 0 | GK | 1997–2010 |
| 7 | Makoto Hasebe | 114 | 2 | MF | 2006–2018 |
| 8 | Yuji Nakazawa | 110 | 17 | DF | 1999–2010 |
| 9 | Keisuke Honda | 98 | 37 | MF | 2008–2018 |
| 9 | Shunsuke Nakamura | 98 | 24 | MF | 2000–2010 |

### Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
| 1 | Kunishige Kamamoto (list) | 75 | 76 | 0.99 | 1964–1977 |
| 2 | Kazuyoshi Miura | 55 | 89 | 0.62 | 1990–2000 |
| 3 | Shinji Okazaki | 50 | 119 | 0.42 | 2008–2019 |
| 4 | Hiromi Hara | 37 | 75 | 0.49 | 1978–1988 |
| 4 | Keisuke Honda | 37 | 98 | 0.38 | 2008–2018 |
| 6 | Shinji Kagawa | 31 | 97 | 0.32 | 2008–2019 |
| 7 | Takuya Takagi | 27 | 44 | 0.61 | 1992–1997 |
| 8 | Kazushi Kimura | 26 | 54 | 0.48 | 1979–1986 |
| 9 | Yuya Osako | 25 | 57 | 0.44 | 2013–2022 |
| 10 | Takumi Minamino | 24 | 64 | 0.38 | 2015–present |

### Captains

| Name | Pos | Period | Note |
| Shigeo Yaegashi | MF | 1968 | Summer Olympics bronze medalist leading captain (1968) |
| Aritatsu Ogi | MF | 1969–1974 | |
| Kunishige Kamamoto | FW | 1975–1977 | |
| Nobuo Fujishima | MF | 1978 | |
| Hiroshi Ochiai | MF DF | 1978–1979 | |
| Hideki Maeda | MF | 1980–1981 | |
| Mitsuhisa Taguchi | GK | 1982–1984 | |
| Kazushi Kimura | MF | 1986 | |
| Hisashi Kato | DF | 1985–1987 | |
| Hiromi Hara | FW | 1988 | |
| Shigetatsu Matsunaga | GK | 1989 | |
| Shinichi Morishita | GK | 1990 | |
| Tetsuji Hashiratani | MF | 1991–1995 | AFC Asian Cup winning captain (1992) |
| Masami Ihara | DF | 1996–1999 | |
| Masashi Nakayama | FW | 2001 | FIFA Confederations Cup runners-up leading captain (2001) |
| Ryuzo Morioka | CB | 2000–2002 | AFC Asian Cup winning captain (2000) |
| Hidetoshi Nakata | CM | 2002–2004 | |
| Tsuneyasu Miyamoto | CB | 2003–2006 | AFC Asian Cup winning captain (2004), East Asian Football Championship runners-up leading captain (2003) (2005) |
| Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi | GK | 2006–2008 | East Asian Football Championship runners-up leading captain (2008) |
| Yuji Nakazawa | CB | 2008–2010 | East Asian Football Championship third place leading captain (2010) |
| Makoto Hasebe | DM | 2010–2018 | AFC Asian Cup winning captain (2011) |
| Yuichi Komano | DF | 2013 | EAFF East Asian Cup winning captain (2013) |
| Gen Shoji | CB | 2017 | EAFF E-1 Championship runners-up leading captain (2017) |
| Maya Yoshida | CB | 2018–2022 | AFC Asian Cup runners-up leading captain (2019) |
| Sho Sasaki | LB | 2019 | EAFF E-1 Championship runners-up leading captain (2019) |
| Shōgo Taniguchi | CB | 2022 | EAFF E-1 Championship winning captain (2022) |
| Wataru Endō | DM | 2023–present | |

## Competitive record

Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
    *Denotes draws includes knockout matches decided on penalty shootouts. Red border indicates that the tournament was hosted on home soil. Gold, silver, bronze backgrounds indicate 1st, 2nd and 3rd finishes respectively. Bold text indicates best finish in tournament.

### FIFA World Cup

| FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record |
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1930 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Qualified as invitees | Qualified as invitees | Qualified as invitees | Qualified as invitees | Qualified as invitees | Qualified as invitees |
| 1934 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1938 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1950 | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA |
| 1954 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| 1958 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1962 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 1966 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1970 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 1974 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| 1978 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 1982 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 1986 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 5 |
| 1990 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| 1994 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 13 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 35 | 6 |
| 1998 | Group stage | 31st | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | Squad | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 51 | 12 |
| 2002 | Round of 16 | 9th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | Squad | Qualified as co-hosts | Qualified as co-hosts | Qualified as co-hosts | Qualified as co-hosts | Qualified as co-hosts | Qualified as co-hosts |
| 2006 | Group stage | 28th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | Squad | 12 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 5 |
| 2010 | Round of 16 | 9th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | Squad | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 23 | 9 |
| 2014 | Group stage | 29th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | Squad | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 8 |
| 2018 | Round of 16 | 15th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | Squad | 18 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 44 | 7 |
| 2022 | Round of 16 | 9th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | Squad | 18 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 58 | 6 |
| 2026 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 1 |
| 2030 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 2034 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| Total | Round of 16 | 7/22 | 25 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 25 | 33 | — | 147 | 91 | 28 | 28 | 342 | 92 |

#### Match history

FIFA World Cup history :
| Year | Round | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1998 | Group stage | Argentina | 0–1 | Loss |
| 1998 | Group stage | Croatia | 0–1 | Loss |
| 1998 | Group stage | Jamaica | 1–2 | Loss |
| 2002 | Group stage | Belgium | 2–2 | Draw |
| 2002 | Group stage | Russia | 1–0 | Win |
| 2002 | Group stage | Tunisia | 2–0 | Win |
| 2002 | Round of 16 | Turkey | 0–1 | Loss |
| 2006 | Group stage | Australia | 1–3 | Loss |
| 2006 | Group stage | Croatia | 0–0 | Draw |
| 2006 | Group stage | Brazil | 1–4 | Loss |
| 2010 | Group stage | Cameroon | 1–0 | Win |
| 2010 | Group stage | Netherlands | 0–1 | Loss |
| 2010 | Group stage | Denmark | 3–1 | Win |
| 2010 | Round of 16 | Paraguay | 0–0 (3–5 p) | Draw (Loss) |
| 2014 | Group stage | Ivory Coast | 1–2 | Loss |
| 2014 | Group stage | Greece | 0–0 | Draw |
| 2014 | Group stage | Colombia | 1–4 | Loss |
| 2018 | Group stage | Colombia | 2–1 | Win |
| 2018 | Group stage | Senegal | 2–2 | Draw |
| 2018 | Group stage | Poland | 0–1 | Loss |
| 2018 | Round of 16 | Belgium | 2–3 | Loss |
| 2022 | Group stage | Germany | 2–1 | Win |
| 2022 | Group stage | Costa Rica | 0–1 | Loss |
| 2022 | Group stage | Spain | 2–1 | Win |
| 2022 | Round of 16 | Croatia | 1–1 (1–3 p) | Draw (Loss) |

### AFC Asian Cup

| AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record |
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1956 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1960 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1964 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1968 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 |
| 1972 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1976 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 1980 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1984 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1988 | Group stage | 10th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | Squad | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| 1992 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | Squad | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts |
| 1996 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | Squad | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions |
| 2000 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 6 | Squad | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| 2004 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 6 | Squad | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions |
| 2007 | Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 7 | Squad | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 2 |
| 2011 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 6 | Squad | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 4 |
| 2015 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | Squad | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions | Qualified as defending champions |
| 2019 | Runners-up | 2nd | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 6 | Squad | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| 2023 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 8 | Squad | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 2 |
| 2027 | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Total | 4 Titles | 11/19 | 53 | 33 | 12 | 8 | 104 | 52 | — | 50 | 41 | 4 | 5 | 162 | 19 |

#### Match history

AFC Asian Cup history :
| Year | Round | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1988 | Group stage | Iran | 0–0 | Draw |
| 1988 | Group stage | South Korea | 0–2 | Loss |
| 1988 | Group stage | United Arab Emirates | 0–1 | Loss |
| 1988 | Group stage | Qatar | 0–3 | Loss |
| 1992 | Group stage | United Arab Emirates | 0–0 | Draw |
| 1992 | Group stage | North Korea | 1–1 | Draw |
| 1992 | Group stage | Iran | 1–0 | Win |
| 1992 | Semi-finals | China | 3–2 | Win |
| 1992 | Final | Saudi Arabia | 1–0 | Win |
| 1996 | Group stage | Syria | 2–1 | Win |
| 1996 | Group stage | Uzbekistan | 4–0 | Win |
| 1996 | Group stage | China | 1–0 | Win |
| 1996 | Quarter-finals | Kuwait | 0–2 | Loss |
| 2000 | Group stage | Saudi Arabia | 4–1 | Win |
| 2000 | Group stage | Uzbekistan | 8–1 | Win |
| 2000 | Group stage | Qatar | 1–1 | Draw |
| 2000 | Quarter-finals | Iraq | 4–1 | Win |
| 2000 | Semi-finals | China | 3–2 | Win |
| 2000 | Final | Saudi Arabia | 1–0 | Win |
| 2004 | Group stage | Oman | 1–0 | Win |
| 2004 | Group stage | Thailand | 4–1 | Win |
| 2004 | Group stage | Iran | 0–0 | Draw |
| 2004 | Quarter-finals | Jordan | 1–1 (4–3 p) | Draw (Win) |
| 2004 | Semi-finals | Bahrain | 4–3 | Win |
| 2004 | Final | China | 3–1 | Win |
| 2007 | Group stage | Qatar | 1–1 | Draw |
| 2007 | Group stage | United Arab Emirates | 3–1 | Win |
| 2007 | Group stage | Vietnam | 4–1 | Win |
| 2007 | Quarter-finals | Australia | 1–1 (4–3 p) | Draw (Win) |
| 2007 | Semi-finals | Saudi Arabia | 2–3 | Loss |
| 2007 | Third place play-off | South Korea | 0–0 (5–6 p) | Draw (Loss) |
| 2011 | Group stage | Jordan | 1–1 | Draw |
| 2011 | Group stage | Syria | 2–1 | Win |
| 2011 | Group stage | Saudi Arabia | 5–0 | Win |
| 2011 | Quarter-finals | Qatar | 3–2 | Win |
| 2011 | Semi-finals | South Korea | 2–2 (3–0 p) | Draw (Win) |
| 2011 | Final | Australia | 1–0 | Win |
| 2015 | Group stage | Palestine | 4–0 | Win |
| 2015 | Group stage | Iraq | 1–0 | Win |
| 2015 | Group stage | Jordan | 2–0 | Win |
| 2015 | Quarter-finals | United Arab Emirates | 1–1 (4–5 p) | Draw (Loss) |
| 2019 | Group stage | Turkmenistan | 3–2 | Win |
| 2019 | Group stage | Oman | 1–0 | Win |
| 2019 | Group stage | Uzbekistan | 2–1 | Win |
| 2019 | Round of 16 | Saudi Arabia | 1–0 | Win |
| 2019 | Quarter-finals | Vietnam | 1–0 | Win |
| 2019 | Semi-finals | Iran | 3–0 | Win |
| 2019 | Final | Qatar | 1–3 | Loss |
| 2023 | Group stage | Vietnam | 4–2 | Win |
| 2023 | Group stage | Iraq | 1–2 | Loss |
| 2023 | Group stage | Indonesia | 3–1 | Win |
| 2023 | Round of 16 | Bahrain | 3–1 | Win |
| 2023 | Quarter-finals | Iran | 1–2 | Loss |

### Copa América

Japan was the first team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, having been invited to the 1999 tournament. Japan was also invited in 2011 and initially accepted the invitation. However, following the Tōhoku earthquake, the JFA later withdrew on 16 May 2011, citing the difficulty of releasing some Japanese players from European teams to play as replacements. On the next day, CONMEBOL invited Costa Rica to replace Japan in the competition.
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.
On 14 May 2018, CONMEBOL announced that Japan, alongside Qatar, would be the two invited teams for the 2019 Copa América.
Copa América record :
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
| 1999 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | Squad |
| 2011 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 2015 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 2019 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | Squad |
| Total | Group stage | 2/4 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 15 | — |

### FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record :
| year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
| 1992 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1995 | Group stage | 6th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | Squad |
| 1997 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1999 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2001 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | Squad |
| 2003 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | Squad |
| 2005 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Squad |
| 2009 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2013 | Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 9 | Squad |
| 2017 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| Total | Runners-up | 5/10 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 19 | 25 | — |

#### Match history

FIFA Confederations Cup history :
| Year | Round | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1995 | Group stage | Nigeria | 0–3 | Loss |
| 1995 | Group stage | Argentina | 1–5 | Loss |
| 2001 | Group stage | Canada | 3–0 | Win |
| 2001 | Group stage | Cameroon | 2–0 | Win |
| 2001 | Group stage | Brazil | 0–0 | Draw |
| 2001 | Semi-finals | Australia | 1–0 | Win |
| 2001 | Final | France | 0–1 | Loss |
| 2003 | Group stage | New Zealand | 3–0 | Win |
| 2003 | Group stage | France | 1–2 | Loss |
| 2003 | Group stage | Colombia | 0–1 | Loss |
| 2005 | Group stage | Mexico | 1–2 | Loss |
| 2005 | Group stage | Greece | 1–0 | Win |
| 2005 | Group stage | Brazil | 2–2 | Draw |
| 2013 | Group stage | Brazil | 0–3 | Loss |
| 2013 | Group stage | Italy | 3–4 | Loss |
| 2013 | Group stage | Mexico | 1–2 | Loss |

### Olympic Games

| Summer Olympics record | Summer Olympics record | Summer Olympics record | Summer Olympics record | Summer Olympics record | Summer Olympics record | Summer Olympics record | Summer Olympics record | Summer Olympics record | Summer Olympics record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record |
| Year | Result | Position | M | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | M | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1908 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1912 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1920 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1924 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1928 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1936 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | Squad | No qualification | No qualification | No qualification | No qualification | No qualification | No qualification |
| 1948 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1952 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1956 | First round | 10th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Squad | No qualification | No qualification | No qualification | No qualification | No qualification | No qualification |
| 1960 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1964 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 15 | Squad | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts |
| 1968 | Bronze medalists | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 8 | Squad | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 4 |
| 1972 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 7 |
| 1976 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 11 |
| 1980 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 5 |
| 1984 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 26 | 17 |
| 1988 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 3 |
| 1992–present | See Japan national under-23 team | See Japan national under-23 team | See Japan national under-23 team | See Japan national under-23 team | See Japan national under-23 team | See Japan national under-23 team | See Japan national under-23 team | See Japan national under-23 team | See Japan national under-23 team | See Japan national under-23 team | See Japan national under-23 team | See Japan national under-23 team | See Japan national under-23 team | See Japan national under-23 team | See Japan national under-23 team |
| Total | Bronze medalists | 4/17 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 35 | — | 40 | 21 | 5 | 14 | 111 | 49 |

#### Match history

Summer Olympics history :
| Year | Round | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1936 | First round | Sweden | 3–2 | Win |
| 1936 | Quarter-finals | Italy | 0–8 | Loss |
| 1956 | First round | Australia | 0–2 | Loss |
| 1964 | Group stage | Argentina | 3–2 | Win |
| 1964 | Group stage | Ghana | 2–3 | Loss |
| 1964 | Quarter-finals | Czechoslovakia | 0–4 | Loss |
| 1968 | Group stage | Nigeria | 3–1 | Win |
| 1968 | Group stage | Brazil | 1–1 | Draw |
| 1968 | Group stage | Spain | 0–0 | Draw |
| 1968 | Quarter-finals | France | 3–1 | Win |
| 1968 | Semi-finals | Hungary | 0–5 | Loss |
| 1968 | Bronze play-off | Mexico | 2–0 | Win |

### Asian Games

Asian Games record :
| Year | Result | Position | M | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
| 1951 | Third place | 3rd | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | Squad |
| 1954 | Group stage | 10th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | Squad |
| 1958 | Group stage | 12th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | Squad |
| 1962 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Squad |
| 1966 | Third place | 3rd | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 5 | Squad |
| 1970 | Fourth place | 4th | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | Squad |
| 1974 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | Squad |
| 1978 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | Squad |
| 1982 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Squad |
| 1986 | Group stage | 9th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 4 | Squad |
| 1990 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | Squad |
| 1994 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | Squad |
| 1998 | Group stage | 9th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 | Squad |
| 2002–present | See Japan national under-23 football team | See Japan national under-23 football team | See Japan national under-23 football team | See Japan national under-23 football team | See Japan national under-23 football team | See Japan national under-23 football team | See Japan national under-23 football team | See Japan national under-23 football team | See Japan national under-23 football team |
| Total | Third place | 13/13 | 50 | 25 | 4 | 21 | 83 | 56 | — |

### EAFF E-1 Championship

EAFF E-1 Championship record :
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
| 2003 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | Squad |
| 2005 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Squad |
| 2008 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | Squad |
| 2010 | Third Place | 3rd | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | Squad |
| 2013 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 6 | Squad |
| 2015 | Fourth Place | 4th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | Squad |
| 2017 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Squad |
| 2019 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | Squad |
| 2022 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | Squad |
| Total | Champions | 9/9 | 27 | 13 | 9 | 5 | 44 | 25 | — |

#### Match history

EAFF E-1 Championship history :
| Year | Round | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2003 | First match | China | 2–0 | Win |
| 2003 | Second match | Hong Kong | 1–0 | Win |
| 2003 | Third match | South Korea | 0–0 | Draw |
| 2005 | First match | North Korea | 0–1 | Loss |
| 2005 | Second match | China | 2–2 | Draw |
| 2005 | Third match | South Korea | 1–0 | Win |
| 2008 | First match | North Korea | 1–1 | Draw |
| 2008 | Second match | China | 1–0 | Win |
| 2008 | Third match | South Korea | 1–1 | Draw |
| 2010 | First match | China | 0–0 | Draw |
| 2010 | Second match | Hong Kong | 3–0 | Win |
| 2010 | Third match | South Korea | 1–3 | Loss |
| 2013 | First match | China | 3–3 | Draw |
| 2013 | Second match | Australia | 3–2 | Win |
| 2013 | Third match | South Korea | 2–1 | Win |
| 2015 | First match | North Korea | 1–2 | Loss |
| 2015 | Second match | South Korea | 1–1 | Draw |
| 2015 | Third match | China | 1–1 | Draw |
| 2017 | First match | North Korea | 1–0 | Win |
| 2017 | Second match | China | 2–1 | Win |
| 2017 | Third match | South Korea | 1–4 | Loss |
| 2019 | First match | China | 2–1 | Win |
| 2019 | Second match | Hong Kong | 5–0 | Win |
| 2019 | Third match | South Korea | 0–1 | Loss |
| 2022 | First match | Hong Kong | 6–0 | Win |
| 2022 | Second match | China | 0–0 | Draw |
| 2022 | Third match | South Korea | 3–0 | Win |

## Honours
### Worldwide

* FIFA Confederations Cup
** Runners-up (1): 2001
* Olympic Games
** Bronze medal (1): 1968

### Intercontinental

* Afro-Asian Cup of Nations
** Champions (2): 1993, 2007
* AFC–OFC Challenge Cup
** Champions (1): 2001

### Continental

* AFC Asian Cup
** Champions (4): 1992, 2000, 2004, 2011
** Runners-up (1): 2019
* Asian Games$^1$
** Bronze medal (2): 1951, 1966

### Regional

* Dynasty Cup
** Champions (3): 1992, 1995, 1998
* Far Eastern Games
** Gold medal (1): 1930
* EAFF East Asian Cup/EAFF E-1 Football Championship
** Champions (2): 2013, 2022
** Runners-up (5): 2003, 2005, 2008, 2017, 2019
** Third place (1): 2010

### Friendly

* Kirin Cup
** Winners: 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015
* Bangabandhu Cup
** Winners: 1999

### Awards

* FIFA Confederations Cup Fair Play Award: 2001, 2003
* AFC National Team of the Year: 2000, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011
* AFC Asian Cup Fair Play Award: 2007, 2019
* EAFF Championship Fair Play Award: 2005
* Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize: 2002

### Summary

Only official senior honours are included, according to FIFA statutes (competitions organized/recognized by FIFA or an affiliated confederation).
| Senior Competition | | | | Total |
| FIFA Confederations Cup | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Olympic Games | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| AFC Asian Cup | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Afro-Asian Cup of Nations | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| AFC–OFC Challenge Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 7 | 2 | 1 | 10 |

#### Notes

* Competition organized by the OCA, officially not recognized by FIFA.