The Japan national under-23 football team (Japanese: U-23サッカー日本代表) is a national association football youth team of Japan and is controlled by the Japan Football Association. The team won the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games and were champions in the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship. Since 1992, it was decided that teams targeting athletes under the age of 23 will participate in the Olympics (additional provisions for overage limits have been added since 1996). Therefore, the name changes to Japan national under-22 football team the year before the Olympics and Japan national under-21 football team two years prior. The exception to this was the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed one year, so in 2021, the team was called the Japan national under-24 football team. At the 2024 Olympics, they advanced to the Knockout stage without three overage players and several key players.
 | |||
| Nickname(s) | Olympic Japan | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Japan Football Association | ||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Sub-confederation | EAFF (East Asia) | ||
| Head coach | Go Oiwa | ||
| Most caps | Mao Hosoya (35) | ||
| Top scorer | Shoya Nakajima (19) | ||
| FIFA code | JPN | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Malaysia 1–1 Japan  (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; December 1990)[1] | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Japan 13–0 Philippines  (Hong Kong; 12 June 1999) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Denmark 6–1 Japan (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 6 February 1994) | |||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Appearances | 8 (first in 1996) | ||
| Best result | Fourth place (2012, 2020) | ||
| Asian Games | |||
| Appearances | 6 (first in 2002) | ||
| Best result |  Gold medalists (2010) | ||
| AFC U-23 Asian Cup | |||
| Appearances | 6 (first in 2013) | ||
| Best result | Champions (2016, 2024) | ||
Team image
Nicknames
"サムライ・ブルー (Samurai Blue)" basically refers to the Japan national football team, but the under-23 football team are sometimes referred to as "Young" Samurai Blue. However, in reality, Samurai Blue is not often used. In the Olympic Games, the name Olympíc Japan "オリンピックジャパン (Orinpikku Japan)" is used to referred to U-23 national team.
Rivalries
South Korea
Japan maintains a strong football rivalry with South Korea, even in youth set-ups.
Results and fixtures
- Legend
Win Draw Lose Fixture
2025
U-21
2024
U-23
| 22 March Friendly | Japan  | 1–3 |  Mali | Kameoka, Japan |
| 19:20 UTC+9 |
|
Report | Stadium: Sanga Stadium by Kyocera Attendance: 11,515 Referee: William Finney (England) |
| 25 March Friendly | Japan | 2–0 |  Ukraine | Kitakyushu, Japan |
| 19:15 UTC+9 | Report | Stadium: Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu Attendance: 11,756 Referee: Lewis Smith (England) |
| 16 April AFC U-23 Asian Cup GS | Japan | 1–0 |  China | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
| 16:00 UTC+3 |
|
Report | Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Attendance: 390 Referee: Casey Reibelt (Australia) |
| 19 April AFC U-23 Asian Cup GS | United Arab Emirates  | 0–2 | Japan | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
| 18:30 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Attendance: 2,097 Referee: Sadullo Gulmurodi (Tajikistan) |
| 22 April AFC U-23 Asian Cup GS | Japan | 0–1 |  South Korea | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
| 16:00 UTC+3 | Report |
|
Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Attendance: 2,683 Referee: Majed Al-Shamrani (Saudi Arabia) |
| 25 April AFC U-23 Asian Cup QF | Qatar  | 2–4 (a.e.t.) | Japan | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
| 17:00 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Attendance: 9.573 Referee: Hanna Hattab (Syria) |
| 29 April AFC U-23 Asian Cup SF | Japan | 2–0 |  Iraq | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
| 20:30 UTC+3 | Report | Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Attendance: 6,405 Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia) |
| 3 May AFC U-23 Asian Cup Final | Japan | 1–0 |  Uzbekistan | Al Rayyan, Qatar |
| 18:30 UTC+3 |
|
Report | Stadium: Jassim bin Hamad Stadium Attendance: 12,276 Referee: Mooud Bonyadifard (Iran) |
| 11 June Friendly | United States  | 0–2 | Japan | Kansas City, United States |
| 19:00 UTC−5 | Report | Stadium: Children's Mercy Park Referee: Jon Freemon (USA) |
| 17 July Friendly | France  | 1–1 | Japan | Toulon, France |
| 21:05 UTC+2 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Stade Mayol Attendance: 11,896 Referee: Mohammad Usman Aslam (Norway) |
| 24 July 2024 Summer Olympic GS | Japan | 5–0 |  Paraguay | Bordeaux, France |
| 19:00 UTC+2 | Report | Stadium: Stade de Bordeaux Attendance: 14,000 Referee: François Letexier (France) |
| 27 July 2024 Summer Olympic GS | Japan | 1–0 | Mali | Bordeaux, France |
| 21:00 UTC+2 |
|
Report | Stadium: Stade de Bordeaux Referee: Edina Alves Batista (Brazil) |
| 30 July 2024 Summer Olympic GS | Israel  | 0–1 | Japan | Nantes, France |
| 21:00 UTC+2 | Report |
|
Stadium: Stade de la Beaujoire Referee: Saíd Martínez (Honduras) |
| 2 August 2024 Summer Olympic QF | Japan | 0–3 |  Spain | Décines-Charpieu, France |
| 17:00 UTC+2 | Report | Stadium: Stade de Lyon Referee: Dahane Beida (Mauritania) |
2023
U-22
| 18 November Friendly[2] | Japan | 5–2 |  Argentina | Shizuoka, Japan |
| 14:00 UTC+9 | Report | Stadium: IAI Stadium Nihondaira Attendance: 11,225 Referee: Chae Sang-hyeop (South Korea) |
- Fixtures & Results (2023), JFA.jp
Head-to-head record
- As of 2 August 2024, after the match against
Spain.
The following table shows Japan under-23 team's all-time international record.
Coaching staff
- As of 4 April 2024.
The following staff managed the players selected for the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.[3]
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Go Oiwa |
| Assistant coach | Kenji Haneda |
| Goalkeeper coach | Yukiya Hamano |
| Physical coach | Yoshiharu Yano |
| Technical staff | Shigeyuki Ochi Hideaki Watanabe Mahiro Hikida |
Players
Current U-23 squad
The following players were called up for the Olympic Games, which is held from July to August 2024. Due to injury, Riku Handa had to withdraw from the squad.[4]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Leo Kokubo | 23 January 2001 |  Sint-Truiden | ||
| 12 | GK | Taishi Brandon Nozawa | 25 December 2002 | FC Tokyo | ||
| 2 | DF | Kaito Suzuki | 25 August 2002 | Júbilo Iwata | ||
| 3 | DF | Ryuya Nishio | 16 May 2001 | Cerezo Osaka | ||
| 4 | DF | Hiroki Sekine | 11 August 2002 | Kashiwa Reysol | ||
| 5 | DF | Seiji Kimura | 24 August 2001 | Sagan Tosu | ||
| 15 | DF | Kota Takai | 4 September 2004 | Kawasaki Frontale | ||
| 16 | DF | Ayumu Ohata | 27 April 2001 | Urawa Red Diamonds | ||
| 6 | MF | Sota Kawasaki | 30 July 2001 | Kyoto Sanga | ||
| 7 | MF | Rihito Yamamoto | 12 December 2001 | Sint-Truiden | ||
| 8 | MF | Joel Chima Fujita | 16 February 2002 | Sint-Truiden | ||
| 13 | MF | Ryotaro Araki | 29 January 2002 | FC Tokyo | ||
| 14 | MF | Shunsuke Mito | 28 September 2002 |  Sparta Rotterdam | ||
| 9 | FW | Shota Fujio | 2 May 2001 | Machida Zelvia | ||
| 10 | FW | Koki Saito | 10 August 2001 |  Queens Park Rangers | ||
| 11 | FW | Mao Hosoya | 7 September 2001 | Kashiwa Reysol | ||
| 17 | FW | Yu Hirakawa | 3 January 2001 | Bristol City | ||
| 18 | FW | Kein Sato | 11 July 2001 |  Werder Bremen II | ||
Recent U-23 call-ups
The following players were called up to the squad in the past 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Masato Sasaki | 1 May 2002 | Kashiwa Reysol |
Olympic Games, July-August 2024 PRE | ||
| GK | Zion Suzuki | 21 August 2002 |  Parma |
v. United States, 11 June 2024 | ||
| GK | Taiki Yamada | 8 January 2002 | Kashima Antlers |
2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, March–April 2024 | ||
| GK | Kazuki Fujita | 19 February 2001 | JEF United Chiba |
v. Ukraine, 25 March 2024 | ||
| DF | Takashi Uchino | 7 March 2001 | Al-Wasl |
Olympic Games, July-August 2024 PRE | ||
| DF | Riku Handa | 1 January 2002 | Gamba Osaka |
Olympic Games, July-August 2024 INJ | ||
| DF | Anrie Chase | 24 March 2004 | VfB Stuttgart |
v. United States, 11 June 2024 | ||
| DF | Kashif Bangnagande | 24 September 2001 | FC Tokyo |
v. United States, 11 June 2024 INJ | ||
| DF | Seiya Baba | 24 October 2001 | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo |
v. Ukraine, 25 March 2024 | ||
| MF | Fuki Yamada | 10 July 2001 | Tokyo Verdy |
Olympic Games, July-August 2024 PRE | ||
| MF | Kodai Sano | 25 September 2003 | NEC |
Olympic Games, July-August 2024 PRE/WD | ||
| MF | Yuta Matsumura | 13 April 2001 | Tokyo Verdy |
v. United States, 11 June 2024 | ||
| MF | Kuryu Matsuki | 30 April 2003 |  Göztepe |
v. United States, 11 June 2024 | ||
| MF | Satoshi Tanaka | 13 August 2002 | Shonan Bellmare |
2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, March–April 2024 | ||
| MF | Yota Komi | 11 August 2002 | Albirex Niigata |
v. Ukraine, 25 March 2024 | ||
| FW | Asahi Uenaka | 1 November 2001 | Yokohama F. Marinos |
Olympic Games, July-August 2024 PRE | ||
| FW | Kotaro Uchino | 19 June 2004 | University of Tsukuba |
2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, March–April 2024 | ||
| FW | Itsuki Someno | 12 September 2001 | Tokyo Verdy |
v. Ukraine, 25 March 2024 | ||
INJ Withdrew due to injury | ||||||
(Players are listed within position group by order of latest call-up, seniority, caps, goals, and then alphabetically)
Current U-22 squad
The following players were called up for a match against Argentina, played on 18 November 2023.[5]
Caps and goals updated as of 18 November 2023, after the match against Argentina.
Recent U-22 call-ups
The following players were called up to the squad in the past 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DF | Takashi Uchino | 7 March 2001 | Al-Wasl |
v. Argentina, 18 November 2023 WD | ||
| FW | Mao Hosoya | 7 September 2001 | Kashiwa Reysol |
v. Argentina, 18 November 2023 WD | ||
INJ Withdrew due to injury | ||||||
(Players are listed within position group by order of latest call-up, seniority, caps, goals, and then alphabetically)
Previous squads
- Bold indicates winning squads
- Olympic Games
- 1996 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2000 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2004 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2008 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2012 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2016 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2020 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2024 Summer Olympics Squad
- AFC U-23 Asian Cup
- 2013 AFC U-22 Championship Squad
- 2016 AFC U-23 Championship Squad
- 2018 AFC U-23 Championship Squad
- 2020 AFC U-23 Championship Squad
- 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Squad
- 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Squad
- Asian Games
Overaged players in the Olympic Games
| Tournament | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| not selected | |||
| Seigo Narazaki (GK) | Ryuzo Morioka (DF) | Atsuhiro Miura (MF) | |
| Hitoshi Sogahata (GK) | Shinji Ono (MF) | not selected | |
| not selected | |||
| Maya Yoshida (DF) | Yūhei Tokunaga (DF) | not selected | |
| Hiroki Fujiharu (DF) | Tsukasa Shiotani (DF) | Shinzo Koroki (FW) | |
| Maya Yoshida (DF) | Hiroki Sakai (DF) | Wataru Endo (MF) | |
| not selected | |||
Manager history
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| Yoshitada Yamaguchi |
1990–1992 |
| Akira Nishino |
1993–1996 |
| Philippe Troussier |
1998–2000 |
| Masakuni Yamamoto |
2002–2004 |
| Yasuharu Sorimachi |
2006–2008 |
| Takashi Sekizuka |
2010–2012 |
| Makoto Teguramori |
2014–2016 |
| Hajime Moriyasu |
2017–2020 |
| Akinobu Yokouchi |
2020 |
| Hajime Moriyasu |
2020–2021 |
| Koichi Togashi |
2021 |
| Go Oiwa |
2021–present[6] |
Records
- As of 2 August 2024
- Players in bold are still active, at least at club level.
- Caps and goals are calculated taking into account all national team levels, including U21, U22, and U23.
Most capped players
|
Top goalscorers
|
Competitive record
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
Olympic Games
.jpg)
| Summer Olympics record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1908–1988 | See Japan national team | See Japan national team | |||||||||||||
| 1992 |
Did not qualify | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 11 | ||||||||
| 1996 |
Group stage | 9th | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 6 | |
 2000 |
Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 3 | |
 2004 |
Group stage | 13th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 2 | |
| 2008 |
Group stage | 15th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 4 | |
 2012 |
Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 6 | |
 2016 |
Group stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | via AFC U-23 Asian Cup | ||||||
| 2020 |
Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 | |||||||
| 2024 |
Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | |||||||
| 2028 |
To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| 2032 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | Fourth place | 8/9 | 32 | 15 | 4 | 13 | 45 | 40 | 60 | 46 | 5 | 9 | 173 | 32 | |
Match history
| Summer Olympics history | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1996 | Group stage | Brazil | 1–0 | Win |
 Nigeria | 0–2 | Loss | ||
 Hungary | 3–2 | Win | ||
| 2000 | Group stage |  South Africa | 2–1 | Win |
 Slovakia | 2–1 | Win | ||
| Brazil | 0–1 | Loss | ||
| Quarter-finals | United States | 2–2 4–5 | Draw Loss | |
| 2004 | Group stage |  Paraguay | 3–4 | Loss |
 Italy | 2–3 | Loss | ||
 Ghana | 1–0 | Win | ||
| 2008 | Group stage | United States | 0–1 | Loss |
| Nigeria | 1–2 | Loss | ||
| Netherlands | 0–1 | Loss | ||
| 2012 | Group stage | Spain | 1–0 | Win |
 Morocco | 1–0 | Win | ||
 Honduras | 0–0 | Draw | ||
| Quarter-finals |  Egypt | 3–0 | Win | |
| Semi-finals |  Mexico | 1–3 | Loss | |
| Bronze Play-off | South Korea | 0–2 | Loss | |
| 2016 | Group stage | Nigeria | 4–5 | Loss |
 Colombia | 2–2 | Draw | ||
 Sweden | 1–0 | Win | ||
| 2020 | Group stage | South Africa | 1–0 | Win |
| Mexico | 2–1 | Win | ||
| France | 4–0 | Win | ||
| Quarter-finals |  New Zealand | 0–0 (4–2 p.) | Draw Win | |
| Semi-finals | Spain | 0–1 | Loss | |
| Bronze Play-off | Mexico | 1–3 | Loss | |
| 2024 | Group stage | Paraguay | 5–0 | Win |
| Mali | 1–0 | Win | ||
| Israel | 1–0 | Win | ||
| Quarter-finals | Spain | 0–3 | Loss | |
AFC U-23 Asian Cup
| AFC U-23 Asian Cup record | Qualifier record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA | GP | W | D | L | GS | GA | |
 2013 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 | |
| 2016 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2018 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | |
 2020 | Group stage | 15th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2024 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
 2026 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||
| Total | 6/7 | Champions | 26 | 19 | 4 | 6 | 52 | 25 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 4 | |
Match history
| AFC U-23 Asian Cup history | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2013 | Group stage |  Iran | 3–3 | Draw |
 Kuwait | 0–0 | Draw | ||
| Australia | 4–0 | Win | ||
| Quarter-finals | Iraq | 0–1 | Loss | |
| 2016 | Group stage |  North Korea | 1–0 | Win |
| Thailand | 4–0 | Win | ||
| Saudi Arabia | 2–1 | Win | ||
| Quarter-finals | Iran | 3–0 | Win | |
| Semi-finals | Iraq | 2–1 | Win | |
| Final | South Korea | 3–2 | Win | |
| 2018 | Group stage |  Palestine | 1–0 | Win |
| Thailand | 1–0 | Win | ||
| North Korea | 3–1 | Win | ||
| Quarter-finals | Uzbekistan | 0–4 | Loss | |
| 2020 | Group stage | Saudi Arabia | 1–2 | Loss |
 Syria | 1–2 | Loss | ||
| Qatar | 1–1 | Draw | ||
| 2022 | Group stage | UAE | 2–1 | Win |
| Saudi Arabia | 0–0 | Draw | ||
 Tajikistan | 3–0 | Win | ||
| Quarter-finals | South Korea | 3–0 | Win | |
| Semi-finals | Uzbekistan | 0–2 | Loss | |
| 3rd place match | Australia | 3–0 | Win | |
| 2024 | Group stage | China | 1–0 | Win |
| UAE | 2–0 | Win | ||
| South Korea | 0–1 | Loss | ||
| Quarter-finals | Qatar | 4–2 | Win | |
| Semi-finals | Iraq | 2–0 | Win | |
| Final | Uzbekistan | 1–0 | Win | |
Asian Games
Match history
| Asian Games history | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2002 | Round 1 | Palestine | 2–0 | Win |
 Bahrain | 5–2 | Win | ||
| Uzbekistan | 1–0 | Win | ||
| Quarter-finals | China | 1–0 | Win | |
| Semi-finals | Thailand | 3–0 | Win | |
| Final | Iran | 1–2 | Loss | |
| 2006 | Round 1 |  Pakistan | 3–2 | Win |
| Syria | 1–0 | Win | ||
| North Korea | 1–2 | Loss | ||
| 2010 | Round 1 | China | 3–0 | Win |
| Malaysia | 2–0 | Win | ||
 Kyrgyzstan | 3–0 | Win | ||
| Round 2 |  India | 5–0 | Win | |
| Quarter-finals | Thailand | 1–0 | Win | |
| Semi-finals | Iran | 2–1 | Win | |
| Final | UAE | 1–0 | Win | |
| 2014 | Round 1 | Kuwait | 4–1 | Win |
| Iraq | 1–3 | Loss | ||
 Nepal | 4–0 | Win | ||
| Round 2 | Palestine | 4–0 | Win | |
| Quarter-finals | South Korea | 0–1 | Loss | |
| 2018 | Round 1 | Nepal | 1–0 | Win |
| Pakistan | 4–0 | Win | ||
 Vietnam | 0–1 | Loss | ||
| Round 2 | Malaysia | 1–0 | Win | |
| Quarter-finals | Saudi Arabia | 2–1 | Win | |
| Semi-finals | UAE | 1–0 | Win | |
| Final | South Korea | 1–2 | Loss | |
| 2022 | Round 1 | Qatar | 3–1 | Win |
| Palestine | 1–0 | Win | ||
| Round 2 |  Myanmar | 7–0 | Win | |
| Quarter-finals | North Korea | 2–1 | Win | |
| Semi-finals |  Hong Kong | 4–0 | Win | |
| Final | South Korea | 1–2 | Loss | |
See also
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- Sport in Japan
- Japan Football Association (JFA)
- Kirin Cup (Invitational tournament)
- Kirin Challenge Cup (International friendly match)
- Kirin Company
- National teams
- Men's
- National football team
- National under-23 football team
- National under-20 football team
- National under-17 football team
- National futsal team
- National under-20 futsal team
- National beach soccer team
- Women's
References
External links
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