Japan men's national field hockey team
| Nickname(s) | Samurai Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Association | Japan Hockey Association | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Confederation | AHF (Asia) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head Coach | Yoshihiro Anai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assistant coach(es) | Yosuke Matsumura | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captain | Raiki Fujishima | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| FIH ranking | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current | 17 1 (18 June 2025)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 6 (first in 1932) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | 2nd (1932) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 5 (first in 1971) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | 9th (1971, 2006) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Asian Games | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 17 (first in 1958) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | 1st (2018) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Asia Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 10 (first in 1985) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | 4th (1985, 1989, 2003, 2007, 2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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The Japan men's national field hockey team represents Japan in men's international field hockey and is operated by the Japan Hockey Association. As of January 2019, they are ranked 18th in the world.[1]
The team participated in the first World Cup in 1971, where they finished 9th. The team then coached by Dutchman Siegfried Aikman,[2][3] won their first international tournament by claiming the gold medal in the final against Malaysia at the 2018 Asian Games.
Tournament history
Summer Olympics
- 1932 –
- 1936 – 7th place
- 1956 – Withdrew
- 1960 – 14th place
- 1964 – 7th place
- 1968 – 13th place
- 2020 – 11th place
World Cup
Asian Games
- 1958 – 5th place
- 1962 – 4th place
- 1966 –
- 1970 –
- 1974 – 4th place
- 1978 – 4th place
- 1982 – 4th place
- 1986 – 5th place
- 1990 – 6th place
- 1994 – 4th place
- 1998 – 4th place
- 2002 – 6th place
- 2006 – 4th place
- 2010 – 6th place
- 2014 – 6th place
- 2018 –
- 2022 –
Asia Cup
- 1985 – 4th place
- 1989 – 4th place
- 1994 – 9th place
- 1999 – 5th place
- 2003 – 4th place
- 2007 – 4th place
- 2009 – 6th place
- 2013 – 5th place
- 2017 – 5th place
- 2022 – 4th place
- 2025 – Qualified
Asian Champions Trophy
| Asian Champions Trophy record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 2011 | Ordos, China | 4th | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 10 | |
| 2012 | Doha, Qatar | 6th | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 19 | |
| 2013 | Kakamigahara, Japan | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 | |
| 2016 | Kuantan, Malaysia | 6th | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 31 | |
| 2018 | Muscat, Oman | 4th | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 18 | |
| 2021 | Dhaka, Bangladesh | 2nd | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 15 | |
| 2023 | Chennai, India | 3rd | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 18 | |
| 2024 | Hulunbuir, China | 5th | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 23 | |
| Total | 2nd place | 50 | 12 | 11 | 27 | 106 | 143 | ||
FIH Hockey Nations Cup
| FIH Hockey Nations Cup record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 2022 | Potchefstroom, South Africa | 6th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 11 | |
| 2023–24 | Gniezno, Poland | did not qualify | |||||||
| 2024–25 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 7th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 14 | |
| Total | 6th place | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 20 | 25 | ||
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
- 1987 – 6th place
- 2016 – 7th place
- 2017 – 6th place
- 2019 – 5th place
- 2020 – Cancelled
- 2022 – 4th place
- 2024 –
Hockey World League
Champions Challenge
Players
Current squad
On 12 May 2025, the following 20 players were called up for the 2024–25 FIH Hockey Nations Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 15 to 21 June 2025.[4]
Caps updated as of 16 September 2024, after the match against Malaysia.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | GK | Takashi Yoshikawa | 29 November 1994 | 151 | Gifu Asahi Club | |
| 31 | GK | Kisho Kuroda | 20 November 2003 | 2 | Tenri University | |
| 2 | DF | Shota Yamada | 21 December 1994 | 158 | Gifu Asahi Club | |
| 4 | DF | Yamato Kawahara | 21 January 2004 | 42 | Ritsumeikan University | |
| 7 | DF | Jun Watanabe | 17 May 2003 | 0 | Tenri University | |
| 13 | DF | Manabu Yamashita | 4 February 1989 | 230 | Freaks Tokyo | |
| 14 | DF | Raiki Fujishima (Captain) | 29 December 1999 | 67 | ALDER Hanno | |
| 23 | DF | Yusuke Kawamura | 24 July 2001 | 35 | LIEBE Tochigi | |
| 38 | DF | Hyota Yamada | 30 January 2003 | 0 | Asahi University | |
| 3 | MF | Yuto Higuchi | 30 September 2005 | 6 | Ritsumeikan University | |
| 5 | MF | Seren Tanaka | 9 November 1992 | 171 | Gifu Asahi Club | |
| 22 | MF | Kaito Tanaka | 1 November 1995 | 93 | Nagoya Frater | |
| 34 | MF | Keita Watanabe | 20 November 2002 | 7 | Tenri University | |
| 1 | FW | Koji Yamasaki | 27 February 1996 | 132 | BlueSticks SHIGA | |
| 11 | FW | Kazumasa Matsumoto | 21 June 2000 | 23 | Yamanashi Gakuin University | |
| 16 | FW | Hiro Saito | 5 April 2002 | 20 | Fukui University of Technology | |
| 18 | FW | Tsubasa Tanaka | 10 October 2003 | 13 | Tenri University | |
| 19 | FW | Ryoma Ooka | 2 October 2001 | 42 | Meiji University | |
| 24 | FW | Kosei Kawabe | 20 June 1999 | 46 | Gifu Asahi Club | |
| 35 | FW | Ryosuke Shinohara | 18 October 2005 | 0 | Yamanashi Gakuin University | |
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up for the national team in the last 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club | Latest call-up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Takumi Kitagawa | 7 October 1999 | 27 | Gifu Asahi Club | 2024 Asian Champions Trophy | |
| GK | Yosei Oba | 15 September 2001 | 7 | Freaks Tokyo | 2024 Asian Champions Trophy | |
| DF | Ken Nagayoshi | 26 October 1999 | 70 | LIEBE Tochigi | 2024 Asian Champions Trophy | |
| MF | Yuma Nagai | 18 March 1996 | 59 | Gifu Asahi Club | 2024 Asian Champions Trophy | |
| MF | Yuito Matsuzaki | 20 April 2003 | 7 | Tenri University | 2024 Asian Champions Trophy | |
| FW | Naru Kimura | 27 December 2005 | 13 | Ritsumeikan University | 2024 Asian Champions Trophy | |
| FW | Yuki Chiba | 13 November 2001 | 9 | LIEBE Tochigi | 2024 Asian Champions Trophy | |
| FW | Ren Kashiwagi | 26 November 2001 | 7 | Gifu Asahi Club | 2024 Asian Champions Trophy | |
See also
References
- ^ a b "FIH Outdoor World Hockey Rankings". FIH. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ (in Dutch) http://www.nrc.nl/sport/article2162322.ece/Hockeytrainer_Tilburg_wordt_bondscoach_Japan
- ^ "Japanese Hockey Federation". Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ^ "Samurai Japan Men's National Team for the 3rd FIH Nations Cup (2025/Kuala Lumpur)" (PDF). en.hockey.or.jp. Japan Hockey Association. 12 May 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2025.