# Japan men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics

This article lists various water polo records and statistics in relation to the Japan men's national water polo team at the Summer Olympics.
The Japan men's national water polo team has participated in 9 of 27 official men's water polo tournaments.

## Abbreviations

| Apps | Appearances | Rk | Rank | Ref | Reference | Cap No. | Water polo cap number |
| Pos | Playing position | FP | Field player | GK | Goalkeeper | ISHOF | International Swimming Hall of Fame |
| L/R | Handedness | L | Left-handed | R | Right-handed | Oly debut | Olympic debut in water polo |
| (C) | Captain | p. | page | pp. | pages | | |

## Team statistics
### Comprehensive results by tournament

Notes:
* Results of Olympic qualification tournaments are not included. Numbers refer to the final placing of each team at the respective Games.
* At the 1904 Summer Olympics, a water polo tournament was contested, but only American contestants participated. Currently the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Swimming Federation (FINA) consider water polo event as part of unofficial program in 1904.
* Last updated: 5 May 2021.

#### Legend

* 1 – Champions
* 2 – Runners-up
* 3 – Third place
* 4 – Fourth place
* — – The nation did not participate in the Games
* Q – Qualified for forthcoming tournament
* – Hosts
| Men's team | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | Years |
| Japan | — | — | — | | | | | 4 | 14 | — | | | 14 | 11 | 12 | 15 | | — | 11 | | | | | | | | 12 | Q | 9 |
| Total teams | 7 | | 4 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 5 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 10 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | |

### Number of appearances

Last updated: 27 July 2021.

#### Legend

* Year$^*$ – As host team
| Men's team | Apps | Record streak | Active streak | Debut | Most recent | Best finish | Confederation |
| Japan | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1932 | 2020$^*$ | Fourth place | Asia – AASF |

### Best finishes

Last updated: 27 July 2021.

#### Legend

* Year$^*$ – As host team
| Men's team | Best finish | Apps | Confederation |
| Japan | Fourth place (1932) | 9 | Asia – AASF |

### Finishes in the top four

Last updated: 5 May 2021.

#### Legend

* Year$^*$ – As host team
| Men's team | Total | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Fourth place | First | Last |
| Japan | 1 | | | | 1 (1932) | 1932 | 1932 |

### Medal table

Last updated: 5 May 2021.
| Men's team | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| Japan (JPN) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Player statistics
### Multiple appearances

The following table is pre-sorted by number of Olympic appearances (in descending order), year of the last Olympic appearance (in ascending order), year of the first Olympic appearance (in ascending order), date of birth (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.
* Number of four-time Olympians: 0
* Number of three-time Olympians: 0
* Last updated: 27 July 2021.

### Top goalscorers

The following table is pre-sorted by number of total goals (in descending order), year of the last Olympic appearance (in ascending order), year of the first Olympic appearance (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.
* Number of goalscorers (50+ goals): 0
* Number of goalscorers (40–49 goals): 0
* Number of goalscorers (30–39 goals): 0
* Last updated: 1 April 2021.

### Goalkeepers

The following table is pre-sorted by edition of the Olympics (in ascending order), cap number or name of the goalkeeper (in ascending order), respectively.
Last updated: 27 July 2021.

#### Legend and abbreviation

* – Hosts
* Eff % – Save efficiency (Saves / Shots)
| Year | Cap No. | Goalkeeper | Birth | Age | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| 1932 | | Takashige Matsumoto | 1908 | 23 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1932 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1936 | | Jihei Furusho | 1914 | 21 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1936 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1960 | | Mineo Kato | 1934 | 26 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1960 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1964 | | Mineo Kato (2) | 1934 | 30 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1964 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1968 | 1 | Tetsunosuke Ishii | 1944 | 24 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1968 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1972 | 1 | Yukiharu Oshita | 1949 | 23 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1972 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| 1984 | 1 | Etsuji Fujita | 1961 | 23 | | Starting goalkeeper | |
| 1984 | | (Unknown) | | | | | |
| Year | Cap No. | Goalkeeper | Birth | Age | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| Year | Cap No. | Goalkeeper | Birth | Age | Saves | Shots | Eff % | Note |
| 2016 | 1 | Katsuyuki Tanamura | 1989 | 27 | 52 | 113 | 46.0% | Starting goalkeeper |
| 2016 | 13 | Tomoyoshi Fukushima | 1993 | 23 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 2020 | 1 | Katsuyuki Tanamura (2) | 1989 | 31 | | | | |
| 2020 | 13 | Tomoyoshi Fukushima (2) | 1993 | 28 | | | | |
Source:
* Official Results Books (PDF): 2016 (pp. 125–126).

### Top sprinters

The following table is pre-sorted by number of total sprints won (in descending order), year of the last Olympic appearance (in ascending order), year of the first Olympic appearance (in ascending order), name of the sprinter (in ascending order), respectively.
* Number of sprinters (30+ sprints won, since 2000): 0
* Number of sprinters (20–29 sprints won, since 2000): 0
* Number of sprinters (10–19 sprints won, since 2000): 0
* Number of sprinters (5–9 sprints won, since 2000): 1
* Last updated: 15 May 2021.

#### Legend and abbreviation

* – Hosts
* Eff % – Efficiency (Sprints won / Sprints contested)
Male players with 5 or more sprints won at the Olympics (statistics since 2000) :
| Rk | Sprinter | Birth | Total sprints won | Total sprints contested | Eff % | Water polo tournaments (sprints won / contested) | Water polo tournaments (sprints won / contested) | Water polo tournaments (sprints won / contested) | Water polo tournaments (sprints won / contested) | Water polo tournaments (sprints won / contested) | Age of first/last | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| Rk | Sprinter | Birth | Total sprints won | Total sprints contested | Eff % | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Age of first/last | ISHOF member | Note | Ref |
| 1 | Mitsuaki Shiga | 1991 | 6 | 13 | 46.2% | 2016 (6/13) | | | | | 24/24 | | | |
Source:
* Official Results Books (PDF): 2016 (pp. 125–126).