Japan national under-23 football team

Japan U23
Association	Japan Football Association
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	EAFF (East Asia)
Head coach	Go Oiwa
Most caps	Kensuke Nagai; Keigo Higashi; Reo Hatate; (31 each)
Top scorer	Shoya Nakajima (19)
FIFA code	JPN
First colours	Second colours
First international
	Malaysia 1–1 Japan ; (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; December 1990)
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)

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.

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.

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

2024

U-23

22 March Friendly	Japan	1–3	Mali	Kameoka, Japan
19:20 UTC+9	Hirakawa 2'	Report	Sangaré 34' Tounkara 53' Traoré 90'	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	Sato 48' Tanaka 76'	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	Matsuki 8'	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	Kimura 27' Kawasaki 66'	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	Kim Min-woo 75'	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	Al-Rawi 24' Gaber 49'	Report	Yamada 2' Kimura 67' Hosoya 101' K. Uchino 113'	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	Hosoya 28' Araki 41'	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	Yamada 90+1'	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	Fujio 6' (pen.) Hosoya 69'	Stadium: Children's Mercy Park Referee: Jon Freemon (USA)

17 July Friendly	France	1–1	Japan	Toulon, France
21:05 UTC+2	Olise 47'	Report	Fujita 25'	Stadium: Stade Mayol Attendance: 11,896 Referee: Mohammad Usman Aslam (Norway)

24 July 2024 Summer Olympic GS	Japan	v	Paraguay	Bordeaux, France
19:00 UTC+2		Report		Stadium: Stade de Bordeaux Referee: François Letexier (France)

27 July 2024 Summer Olympic GS	Japan	v	Mali	Bordeaux, France
21:00 UTC+2		Report		Stadium: Stade de Bordeaux

30 July 2024 Summer Olympic GS	Israel	v	Japan	Nantes, France
21:00 UTC+2		Report		Stadium: Stade de la Beaujoire

Fixtures & Results (2024)

2023

U-22

6 September AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification	Japan	6–0	Pakistan	Arad, Bahrain
21:30 UTC+3	K. Suzuki 11' Mito 43', 64' Hosoya 45+2', 51' (pen.) Fujita 59' (pen.)	Report		Stadium: Al Muharraq Stadium

9 September AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification	Palestine	0–1	Japan	Arad, Bahrain
21:30 UTC+3		Report	Fujio 23'	Stadium: Al Muharraq Stadium

12 September AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification	Japan	0–0	Bahrain	Arad, Bahrain
18:30 UTC+3				Stadium: Al Muharraq Stadium

20 September Asian Games GS	Japan	3–1	Qatar	Hangzhou, China
19:30 UTC+8	Yachida 2' K. Uchino 25' Yamasaki 88'	Report	Al-Sulaiti 79'	Stadium: Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium Attendance: 5,904 Referee: Kim Hee-gon (South Korea)

25 September Asian Games GS	Palestine	0–1	Japan	Hangzhou, China
19:30 UTC+8		Report	Yachida 22'	Stadium: Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium Attendance: 6,417 Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (Malaysia)

28 September Asian Games R16	Japan	7–0	Myanmar	Hangzhou, China
19:30 UTC+8	Sato 12', 27' Ayukawa 26', 35' Sumi 42' K. Uchino 66' Hino 73'	Report		Stadium: Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium Attendance: 7,217 Referee: Clifford Daypuyat (Philippines)

1 October Asian Games QF	Japan	2–1	North Korea	Hangzhou, China
19:30 UTC+8	K. Uchino 50' Matsumura 80' (pen.)	Report	Kim Kuk-bom 74'	Stadium: Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Rustam Lutfullin (Uzbekistan)

4 October Asian Games SF	Hong Kong	0–4	Japan	Hangzhou, China
18:00 UTC+8		Report	Ayukawa 23' Hino 54', 86' Komi 74'	Stadium: Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium Attendance: 7,456 Referee: Qasim Al-Hatmi (Oman)

7 October Asian Games Final	South Korea	2–1	Japan	Hangzhou, China
20:00 UTC+8	Jeong Woo-yeong 27' Cho Young-wook 56'	Report	K. Uchino 2'	Stadium: Hangzhou Sports Park Stadium Attendance: 68,018 Referee: Ammar Mahfoodh (Bahrain)

14 October Friendly^[2]	Mexico	1–4	Japan	Arizona, United States
15:00 UTC−7	Ávila 73'	Report	Hosoya 14', 20' K. Suzuki 81' K. Uchino 82'	Stadium: Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium

17 October Friendly^[2]	United States	4–1	Japan	Arizona, United States
19:30 UTC−7	Gomez 5' Aaronson 45' Morris 57' McGuire 73'	Report	Matsuki 37'	Stadium: Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium

18 November Friendly^[2]	Japan	5–2	Argentina	Shizuoka, Japan
14:00 UTC+9	Sato 18' Y. Suzuki 66', 75' Matsumura 81' Fukuda 88'	Report	Solari 22' Almada 50'	Stadium: IAI Stadium Nihondaira Attendance: 11,225 Referee: Chae Sang-hyeop (South Korea)

Fixtures & Results (2023), JFA.jp

Head-to-head record

As of 11 June 2024, after the match against United States.

The following table shows Japan under-23 team's all-time international record.

Against	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	GF	GA	GD	Confederation
Australia	11	5	0	6	20	15	+5	AFC
Bahrain	3	1	1	1	6	2	+4	AFC
Cambodia	2	2	0	0	6	0	+6	AFC
China	8	4	0	4	10	5	+5	AFC
Chinese Taipei	4	4	0	0	15	1	+14	AFC
Hong Kong	7	6	0	1	19	4	+15	AFC
Indonesia	3	3	0	0	10	3	+7	AFC
India	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1	AFC
Iran	5	2	2	1	10	7	+3	AFC
Iraq	4	2	1	2	6	6	0	AFC
Jordan	1	0	1	0	2	2	0	AFC
Kuwait	5	3	2	0	15	2	+13	AFC
Lebanon	2	2	0	0	6	1	+5	AFC
Macau	3	3	0	0	21	0	+21	AFC
Malaysia	17	13	4	0	47	7	+40	AFC
Myanmar	3	3	0	0	23	0	+23	AFC
Nepal	5	5	0	0	21	0	+21	AFC
Oman	1	1	0	0	4	1	+3	AFC
North Korea	4	3	0	1	7	4	+3	AFC
Qatar	7	5	2	1	12	7	+5	AFC
Saudi Arabia	5	5	1	1	9	6	+3	AFC
South Korea	20	6	3	11	25	23	+2	AFC
Palestine	6	6	0	0	11	1	+10	AFC
Philippines	3	3	0	0	32	0	+32	AFC
Pakistan	3	3	0	0	13	2	+11	AFC
Singapore	2	2	0	0	4	1	+3	AFC
Syria	2	1	0	1	2	2	0	AFC
Tajikistan	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	AFC
Thailand	10	9	0	1	26	3	+23	AFC
East Timor	2	2	0	0	7	0	+7	AFC
Uzbekistan	3	1	0	2	1	6	–5	AFC
United Arab Emirates	6	5	1	1	10	2	+7	AFC
Vietnam	5	4	0	1	9	1	+8	AFC
Angola	1	0	1	0	1	1	0	CAF
Egypt	6	2	1	3	2	8	–6	CAF
Ghana	4	3	0	1	11	2	+9	CAF
Mali	2	0	1	1	2	4	-2	CAF
Morocco	3	3	0	0	7	2	+5	CAF
Nigeria	3	0	0	3	5	9	–4	CAF
South Africa	3	3	0	0	6	1	+5	CAF
Tunisia	3	1	0	2	4	6	–2	CAF
Canada	1	0	0	1	0	1	–1	CONCACAF
Costa Rica	4	1	2	1	5	4	+1	CONCACAF
Honduras	2	1	1	0	3	1	+2	CONCACAF
Jamaica	2	2	0	0	13	0	+13	CONCACAF
Mexico	5	2	1	2	10	10	0	CONCACAF
United States	5	1	2	2	7	9	–2	CONCACAF
Argentina	4	3	0	1	9	3	+6	CONMEBOL
Brazil	5	2	2	1	6	5	+1	CONMEBOL
Chile	1	1	0	0	6	1	+5	CONMEBOL
Colombia	2	0	1	1	2	4	–2	CONMEBOL
Ecuador	1	0	0	1	0	1	–1	CONMEBOL
Paraguay	1	0	0	1	3	4	–1	CONMEBOL
Venezuela	1	1	0	0	4	0	+4	CONMEBOL
Belgium	1	0	0	1	2	3	–1	UEFA
Croatia	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	UEFA
Denmark	2	0	1	1	1	6	–5	UEFA
England	3	2	1	0	4	1	+3	UEFA
Italy	3	0	1	2	3	7	–4	UEFA
France	1	1	0	0	4	0	+4	UEFA
Germany	3	1	1	1	9	5	+4	UEFA
Greece	1	0	1	0	1	1	0	UEFA
Hungary	1	1	0	0	3	2	+1	UEFA
Kazakhstan	2	2	0	0	5	1	+4	UEFA
Netherlands	2	0	1	1	0	1	–1	UEFA
Norway	1	0	0	1	2	3	–1	UEFA
Portugal	2	1	0	1	2	2	0	UEFA
Republic of Ireland	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	UEFA
Russia	5	2	2	1	7	5	+2	UEFA
Spain	4	1	1	2	2	4	–2	UEFA
Slovakia	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1	UEFA
Sweden	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1	UEFA
Switzerland	2	1	0	1	3	3	0	UEFA
Ukraine	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	UEFA
New Zealand	4	2	2	0	9	1	+8	OFC
Against:75 Nations	Played:265	Won:158	Drawn:41	Lost:66	GF	GA	GD	Confederation

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	1GK	Leo Kokubo	(2001-01-23) 23 January 2001 (age 23)	Sint-Truiden
12	1GK	Taishi Brandon Nozawa	(2002-12-25) 25 December 2002 (age 21)	FC Tokyo

2	2DF	Kaito Suzuki	(2002-08-25) 25 August 2002 (age 22)	Júbilo Iwata
3	2DF	Ryuya Nishio	(2001-05-16) 16 May 2001 (age 23)	Cerezo Osaka
4	2DF	Hiroki Sekine	(2002-08-11) 11 August 2002 (age 22)	Kashiwa Reysol
5	2DF	Seiji Kimura	(2001-08-24) 24 August 2001 (age 23)	Sagan Tosu
15	2DF	Kota Takai	(2004-09-04) 4 September 2004 (age 20)	Kawasaki Frontale
16	2DF	Ayumu Ohata	(2001-04-27) 27 April 2001 (age 23)	Urawa Red Diamonds

6	3MF	Sota Kawasaki	(2001-07-30) 30 July 2001 (age 23)	Kyoto Sanga
7	3MF	Rihito Yamamoto	(2001-12-12) 12 December 2001 (age 22)	Sint-Truiden
8	3MF	Joel Chima Fujita	(2002-02-16) 16 February 2002 (age 22)	Sint-Truiden
13	3MF	Ryotaro Araki	(2002-01-29) 29 January 2002 (age 22)	FC Tokyo
14	3MF	Shunsuke Mito	(2002-09-28) 28 September 2002 (age 22)	Sparta Rotterdam

9	4FW	Shota Fujio	(2001-05-02) 2 May 2001 (age 23)	Machida Zelvia
10	4FW	Koki Saito	(2001-08-10) 10 August 2001 (age 23)	Sparta Rotterdam
11	4FW	Mao Hosoya	(2001-09-07) 7 September 2001 (age 23)	Kashiwa Reysol
17	4FW	Yu Hirakawa	(2001-01-03) 3 January 2001 (age 23)	Bristol City
18	4FW	Kein Sato	(2001-07-11) 11 July 2001 (age 23)	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)	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Masato Sasaki	(2002-05-01) 1 May 2002 (age 22)	Kashiwa Reysol	Olympic Games, July-August 2024 ^PRE
GK	Zion Suzuki	(2002-08-21) 21 August 2002 (age 22)	Sint-Truiden	v. United States, 11 June 2024
GK	Taiki Yamada	(2002-01-08) 8 January 2002 (age 22)	Kashima Antlers	2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, March–April 2024
GK	Kazuki Fujita	(2001-02-19) 19 February 2001 (age 23)	JEF United Chiba	v. Ukraine, 25 March 2024

DF	Takashi Uchino	(2001-03-07) 7 March 2001 (age 23)	Fortuna Düsseldorf	Olympic Games, July-August 2024 ^PRE
DF	Riku Handa	(2002-01-01) 1 January 2002 (age 22)	Gamba Osaka	Olympic Games, July-August 2024 ^INJ
DF	Anrie Chase	(2004-03-24) 24 March 2004 (age 20)	VfB Stuttgart II	v. United States, 11 June 2024
DF	Kashif Bangnagande	(2001-09-24) 24 September 2001 (age 23)	FC Tokyo	v. United States, 11 June 2024 ^INJ
DF	Seiya Baba	(2001-10-24) 24 October 2001 (age 23)	Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo	v. Ukraine, 25 March 2024

MF	Fuki Yamada	(2001-07-10) 10 July 2001 (age 23)	Tokyo Verdy	Olympic Games, July-August 2024 ^PRE
MF	Kodai Sano	(2003-09-25) 25 September 2003 (age 21)	NEC	Olympic Games, July-August 2024 ^PRE/WD
MF	Yuta Matsumura	(2001-04-13) 13 April 2001 (age 23)	Kashima Antlers	v. United States, 11 June 2024
MF	Kuryu Matsuki	(2003-04-30) 30 April 2003 (age 21)	FC Tokyo	v. United States, 11 June 2024
MF	Satoshi Tanaka	(2002-08-13) 13 August 2002 (age 22)	Shonan Bellmare	2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, March–April 2024
MF	Yota Komi	(2002-08-11) 11 August 2002 (age 22)	Albirex Niigata	v. Ukraine, 25 March 2024

FW	Asahi Uenaka	(2001-11-01) 1 November 2001 (age 23)	Yokohama F. Marinos	Olympic Games, July-August 2024 ^PRE
FW	Kotaro Uchino	(2004-06-19) 19 June 2004 (age 20)	University of Tsukuba	2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, March–April 2024
FW	Itsuki Someno	(2001-09-12) 12 September 2001 (age 23)	Tokyo Verdy	v. Ukraine, 25 March 2024
^INJ Withdrew due to injury ^PRE Preliminary squad / standby ^TRP Training partner ^WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

(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.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Club
1	1GK	Masato Sasaki	(2002-05-01) 1 May 2002 (age 22)	Kashiwa Reysol
12	1GK	Kazuki Fujita	(2001-02-19) 19 February 2001 (age 23)	JEF United Chiba
23	1GK	Taishi Brandon Nozawa	(2002-12-25) 25 December 2002 (age 21)	FC Tokyo

2	2DF	Riku Handa	(2002-01-01) 1 January 2002 (age 22)	Gamba Osaka
3	2DF	Ryuya Nishio	(2001-05-16) 16 May 2001 (age 23)	Cerezo Osaka
4	2DF	Taichi Yamasaki	(2001-01-08) 8 January 2001 (age 23)	Sanfrecce Hiroshima
5	2DF	Seiji Kimura	(2001-08-24) 24 August 2001 (age 23)	FC Tokyo
15	2DF	Kaito Suzuki	(2002-08-25) 25 August 2002 (age 22)	Júbilo Iwata
17	2DF	Kashif Bangnagande	(2001-09-24) 24 September 2001 (age 23)	FC Tokyo
21	2DF	Ayumu Ohata	(2001-04-27) 27 April 2001 (age 23)	Urawa Red Diamonds
25	2DF	Taiga Hata	(2002-01-20) 20 January 2002 (age 22)	Shonan Bellmare

6	3MF	Sota Kawasaki	(2001-07-30) 30 July 2001 (age 23)	Kyoto Sanga
7	3MF	Rihito Yamamoto	(2001-12-12) 12 December 2001 (age 22)	Sint-Truiden
8	3MF	Joel Chima Fujita	(2002-02-16) 16 February 2002 (age 22)	Sint-Truiden
10	3MF	Yuito Suzuki	(2001-10-25) 25 October 2001 (age 23)	Brøndby
13	3MF	Fuki Yamada	(2001-07-10) 10 July 2001 (age 23)	Tokyo Verdy
14	3MF	Shunsuke Mito	(2002-09-28) 28 September 2002 (age 22)	Sparta Rotterdam
16	3MF	Kuryu Matsuki	(2003-04-30) 30 April 2003 (age 21)	FC Tokyo
18	3MF	Kein Sato	(2001-07-11) 11 July 2001 (age 23)	Werder Bremen II
19	3MF	Tomoki Kondo	(2001-03-21) 21 March 2001 (age 23)	Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
20	3MF	Yuta Matsumura	(2001-04-13) 13 April 2001 (age 23)	Kashima Antlers
26	3MF	Taichi Fukui	(2004-07-15) 15 July 2004 (age 20)	Arouca

9	4FW	Yutaro Oda	(2001-08-12) 12 August 2001 (age 23)	Heart of Midlothian
11	4FW	Asahi Uenaka	(2001-11-01) 1 November 2001 (age 23)	Yokohama F. Marinos
24	4FW	Shio Fukuda	(2004-04-08) 8 April 2004 (age 20)	Borussia Mönchengladbach II

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)	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Ryoya Kimura	(2003-06-10) 10 June 2003 (age 21)	Nihon University	v. United States, 17 October 2023
GK	Yuma Obata	(2001-11-07) 7 November 2001 (age 23)	Vegalta Sendai	Asian Games, September-October 2023
GK	Taiki Yamada	(2002-01-08) 8 January 2002 (age 22)	Kashima Antlers	Asian Games, September-October 2023 ^WD
GK	Leo Kokubo	(2001-01-23) 23 January 2001 (age 23)	Sint-Truiden	AFC U-23 Asian Cup QF, September 2023
GK	Zion Suzuki	(2002-08-21) 21 August 2002 (age 22)	Sint-Truiden	AFC U-23 Asian Cup QF, September 2023

DF	Takashi Uchino	(2001-03-07) 7 March 2001 (age 23)	Fortuna Düsseldorf	v. Argentina, 18 November 2023 ^WD
DF	Anrie Chase	(2004-03-24) 24 March 2004 (age 20)	VfB Stuttgart II	v. United States, 17 October 2023
DF	Hayato Okuda	(2001-04-21) 21 April 2001 (age 23)	Cerezo Osaka	Asian Games, September-October 2023
DF	Ibuki Konno	(2001-05-10) 10 May 2001 (age 23)	Gamba Osaka	Asian Games, September-October 2023
DF	Seiya Baba	(2001-10-24) 24 October 2001 (age 23)	Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo	Asian Games, September-October 2023
DF	Manato Yoshida	(2001-11-16) 16 November 2001 (age 22)	Yokohama F. Marinos	Asian Games, September-October 2023
DF	Hiroki Sekine	(2002-08-11) 11 August 2002 (age 22)	Kashiwa Reysol	Asian Games, September-October 2023
DF	Kenta Nemoto	(2002-12-13) 13 December 2002 (age 21)	Ryutsu Keizai University	Asian Games, September-October 2023
DF	Shinya Nakano	(2003-08-17) 17 August 2003 (age 21)	Gamba Osaka	AFC U-23 Asian Cup QF, September 2023
DF	Kota Takai	(2004-09-04) 4 September 2004 (age 20)	Kawasaki Frontale	AFC U-23 Asian Cup QF, September 2023

MF	Satoshi Tanaka	(2002-08-13) 13 August 2002 (age 22)	Shonan Bellmare	v. United States, 17 October 2023
MF	Yuta Arai	(2003-03-24) 24 March 2003 (age 21)	Toyo University	v. United States, 17 October 2023
MF	Yu Hirakawa	(2001-01-03) 3 January 2001 (age 23)	Bristol City	v. Mexico, 14 October 2023 ^INJ
MF	Jun Nishikawa	(2002-02-21) 21 February 2002 (age 22)	Iwaki FC	Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF	Daiki Matsuoka	(2001-06-01) 1 June 2001 (age 23)	Avispa Fukuoka	Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF	Masato Shigemi	(2001-09-20) 20 September 2001 (age 23)	Avispa Fukuoka	Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF	Teppei Yachida	(2001-11-01) 1 November 2001 (age 23)	FC Anyang	Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF	Kakeru Yamauchi	(2002-01-06) 6 January 2002 (age 22)	Vissel Kobe	Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF	Yota Komi	(2002-08-11) 11 August 2002 (age 22)	Albirex Niigata	Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF	Koshiro Sumi	(2002-08-13) 13 August 2002 (age 22)	University of Tsukuba	Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF	Shota Hino	(2002-10-16) 16 October 2002 (age 22)	Sagan Tosu	Asian Games, September-October 2023
MF	Koki Saito	(2001-08-10) 10 August 2001 (age 23)	Lommel	AFC U-23 Asian Cup QF, September 2023

FW	Mao Hosoya	(2001-09-07) 7 September 2001 (age 23)	Kashiwa Reysol	v. Argentina, 18 November 2023 ^WD
FW	Kotaro Uchino	(2004-06-19) 19 June 2004 (age 20)	University of Tsukuba	v. United States, 17 October 2023
FW	Shota Fujio	(2001-05-02) 2 May 2001 (age 23)	Machida Zelvia	v. Mexico, 14 October 2023 ^INJ
FW	Shun Ayukawa	(2001-09-15) 15 September 2001 (age 23)	Oita Trinita	Asian Games, September-October 2023
FW	Yudai Kimura	(2001-02-28) 28 February 2001 (age 23)	Tokyo Verdy	Asian Games, September-October 2023 ^INJ
FW	Naoki Kumata	(2004-08-02) 2 August 2004 (age 20)	Genk	Asian Games, September-October 2023 ^INJ
^INJ Withdrew due to injury ^PRE Preliminary squad / standby ^TRP Training partner ^WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

(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

AFC U-23 Asian Cup

Asian Games

Overaged players in the Olympic Games

Tournament	Player 1	Player 2	Player 3
1996	not selected
2000	Seigo Narazaki (GK)	Ryuzo Morioka (DF)	Atsuhiro Miura (MF)
2004	Hitoshi Sogahata (GK)	Shinji Ono (MF)	not selected
2008	not selected
2012	Maya Yoshida (DF)	Yūhei Tokunaga (DF)	not selected
2016	Hiroki Fujiharu (DF)	Tsukasa Shiotani (DF)	Shinzo Koroki (FW)
2020	Maya Yoshida (DF)	Hiroki Sakai (DF)	Wataru Endo (MF)
2024	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 11 June 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

#	Name	Caps	Goals	Pos	Career
1	Keigo Higashi	31	5	MF	2010–2012
	Kensuke Nagai	31	13	FW	2009–2012
	Reo Hatate	31	8	MF	2017–2021
4	Shoya Nakajima	30	19	FW	2014–2016
4	Mao Hosoya	30	15	FW	2021–
5	Hotaru Yamaguchi	29	1	MF	2010–2012
7	Kein Sato	28	8	MF	2021–
9	Kazuya Yamamura	26	1	DF	2010–2012
9	Hiroki Sakai	26	3	DF	2011–2021
8	Daisuke Matsui	25	2	MF	2002–2004

Top goalscorers

#	Name	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
1	Shoya Nakajima	19	30	0.63	2014–2016
2	Mao Hosoya	15	30	0.5	2021–
3	Kensuke Nagai	13	31	0.42	2009–2012
4	Ayase Ueda	12	24	0.5	2017–2021
5	Daizen Maeda	9	18	0.5	2018–2021
6	Reo Hatate	8	31	0.26	2017–2021
6	Kein Sato	8	28	0.29	2021–
7	Musashi Suzuki	7	10	0.7	2014–2016
	Takefusa Kubo	7	18	0.39	2018–2021
	Yuito Suzuki	7	20	0.35	2021–

Competitive record

Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place

Olympic Games

Summer Olympics record									Qualifier record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1908–1988	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	Qualified
2028	To be determined
2032	To be determined
Total	Fourth place	7/7	28	12	4	12	38	37	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	v
		Mali	v
		Israel	v

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

Asian Games record
Hosts / Year	Result	Position	GP	W	D	L	GS	GA
2002	Silver	2	6	5	0	1	13	4
2006	Round 1	11	3	2	0	1	5	4
2010	Gold	1	7	7	0	0	17	1
2014	Quarter-finals	6	5	3	0	2	10	5
2018	Silver	2	7	5	0	2	10	4
2022	Silver	2	6	5	0	1	18	4
2026
2030
2034
Total	6/6	Gold	28	22	0	6	55	18

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
	Round 1	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

References

^ Hyung-Jin Yoon (6 May 2006). "Japan - International Results U-23 (Olympic) Team [Malaysia (1) – Japan (1)]". RDFC. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c "List of International matches". jfa.jp. Japan Football Association (JFA). Retrieved 4 January 2022.
^ "U-23日本代表メンバー・スケジュール（4.6-5.4 カタール／ドーハ）AFC U23アジアカップカタール2024". Japan Football Association (JFA). Tokyo. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
^ "U-23日本代表メンバー・スケジュール（7.11-8.11 フランス）第33回オリンピック競技大会（2024／パリ）" (in Japanese). 3 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
^ "U-22日本代表メンバー・スケジュール　国際親善試合 vs. U-22アルゼンチン代表（11.18 静岡／IAIスタジアム日本平）" (in Japanese). 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
^ "Mr. OIWA Go appointed as Head Coach of U-21 Japan National Team". Japan Football Association (JFA). Tokyo. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2021.

External links

(in English) Japan national under-21 football team (2022) – official website at JFA.jp
(in English) Japan national under-24 football team (2021) – official website at JFA.jp
(in English) Japan national under-23 football team (2020) – official website at JFA.jp
(in Japanese) Japan national team 2021 schedule at JFA.jp

[1] Hyung-Jin Yoon (6 May 2006). "Japan - International Results U-23 (Olympic) Team [Malaysia (1) – Japan (1)]". RDFC. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.

[List_of_International_matches-2] "List of International matches". jfa.jp. Japan Football Association (JFA). Retrieved 4 January 2022.

[3] "U-23日本代表メンバー・スケジュール（4.6-5.4 カタール／ドーハ）AFC U23アジアカップカタール2024". Japan Football Association (JFA). Tokyo. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.

[4] "U-23日本代表メンバー・スケジュール（7.11-8.11 フランス）第33回オリンピック競技大会（2024／パリ）" (in Japanese). 3 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.

[5] "U-22日本代表メンバー・スケジュール　国際親善試合 vs. U-22アルゼンチン代表（11.18 静岡／IAIスタジアム日本平）" (in Japanese). 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.

[6] "Mr. OIWA Go appointed as Head Coach of U-21 Japan National Team". Japan Football Association (JFA). Tokyo. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2021.

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v t e National sports teams of Japan
Men	A1GP American football Australian rules football Bandy Baseball U-18 Basketball U-17 U-19 3x3 U-23 3x3 Wheelchair Boxing Cricket U-19 Field hockey Floorball U-19 Football U-23 U-20 U-17 Futsal U-23 U-20 Beach soccer eFootball Cerebral palsy Goalball Gymnastics Handball MJ MY Ice hockey Junior U-18 Kabaddi Korfball Lacrosse Roller hockey Rugby league Rugby union 7s U-20 Wheelchair Softball U-19 Squash Tennis Volleyball U-21 U-19 Water polo
Women	Baseball Basketball U-19 U-17 3x3 U-23 3x3 Wheelchair Beach handball Cricket Field hockey U-21 Floorball Football U-23 U-20 U-17 Futsal Goalball Gymnastics Handball W-J Ice hockey F U-18 Rugby union 7s Softball U-18 Squash Tennis Volleyball U-23 U-21 U-19 Water polo
Mixed	Badminton Baseball5 Boxing Tennis Wheelchair handball
Olympics Paralympics Asian Games Universiade Youth Olympics

v t e National under-23 football teams of Asia (AFC)
AFC U-23 Asian Cup
West Asia (WAFF)	Bahrain Iraq Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Oman Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Syria United Arab Emirates Yemen
Central Asia (CAFA)	Afghanistan Iran Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan
South Asia (SAFF)	Bangladesh Bhutan India Maldives Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka
East Asia (EAFF)	China Chinese Taipei¹ Guam Hong Kong Japan Macau Mongolia North Korea Northern Mariana Islands² South Korea
Southeast Asia (AFF)	Australia Brunei Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Timor-Leste Vietnam
¹ Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, competes as "Chinese Taipei" ² Not a member of FIFA

Team image

Nicknames

Rivalries

South Korea

Results and fixtures

2024

U-23

2023

U-22

Head-to-head record

Coaching staff

Players

Current U-23 squad

Recent U-23 call-ups

Current U-22 squad

Recent U-22 call-ups

Previous squads

Overaged players in the Olympic Games

Manager history

Records

Most capped players

Top goalscorers

Competitive record

Olympic Games

Match history

AFC U-23 Asian Cup

Match history

Asian Games

Match history

See also

References

External links