Japan national badminton team

Japan
AssociationBadminton Association of Japan
ConfederationBadminton Asia
PresidentMitsuru Murai
BWF ranking
Current ranking4 (7 January 2025)
Highest ranking1 (4 October 2018)
Sudirman Cup
Appearances17 (first in 1989)
Best resultRunners-up (2015, 2019, 2021)
Thomas Cup
Appearances16 (first in 1964)
Best result Champions (2014)
Uber Cup
Appearances26 (first in 1966)
Best result Champions (1966, 1969, 1972, 1978, 1981, 2018)
Asian Mixed Team Championships
Appearances4 (first in 2017)
Best result Champions (2017)
Asian Men's Team Championships
Appearances9 (first in 1965)
Best resultRunners-up (2016)
Asian Women's Team Championships
Appearances4 (first in 2016)
Best result Champions (2018, 2020)

The Japan national badminton team (Japanese: 日本代表バドミントンチーム) represents Japan in international badminton team competitions. The Japanese women's team have won the Uber Cup 6 times, with their most recent being the 2018 Uber Cup. The men's team won their first Thomas Cup title in 2014. The mixed team were runners-up three times at the Sudirman Cup.

The Japanese badminton team has been prestigious in the Olympics, having won a gold medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics and a silver and 2 bronze medals.

Summer Olympic Games

As of the 2024 Olympics[1]
RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 China22151552
2 Indonesia86822
3 South Korea78722
4 Denmark33410
5 Chinese Taipei2103
6 Japan1146
7 Spain1001
8 Malaysia06511
9 Great Britain0123
 India0123
11 Netherlands0101
 Thailand0101
13 Russia0011
Totals (13 entries)444448136

List of medalists

Medal Name Games Sport Event
 Silver Mizuki Fujii
Reika Kakiiwa
2012 London Badminton Women's doubles
 Gold Misaki Matsutomo
Ayaka Takahashi
2016 Rio de Janeiro Badminton Women's doubles
 Bronze Nozomi Okuhara 2016 Rio de Janeiro Badminton Women's singles
 Bronze Yuta Watanabe
Arisa Higashino
2020 Tokyo Badminton Mixed doubles
 Bronze Yuta Watanabe
Arisa Higashino
2024 Paris Badminton Mixed doubles
 Bronze Nami Matsuyama
Chiharu Shida
2024 Paris Badminton Women's doubles

Participation in BWF competitions

**Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Participation in Badminton Asia Team Championships

Junior competitive record

World Junior Team Championships

Suhandinata Cup

Year Result
2000 Group stage - 7th of 24
2002 Did not enter
2004 Group stage - 14th of 20
2006 Group stage - 5th of 28
2007 Group stage - 5th of 25
2008 Group stage - 6th of 21
2009 Group stage - 6th of 21
2010 Group stage - 5th of 24
2011 Group stage - 5th of 22
2012 Runner-up
2013 Fourth place
2014 Semi-finalist
2015 Fourth place
2016 Semi-finalist
2017 Semi-finalist
2018 Semi-finalist
2019 Semi-finalist
2020 Cancelled
2021 Cancelled
2022 Semi-finalist
2023 Quarter-finalist - 5th of 38
2024 Semi-finalist

Asian Junior Team Championships

Players

Current squad

As of 1 July 2025 [5][6]

Men's team

Name DoB/Age Ranking of event
MS MD XD
Kodai Naraoka (2001-06-30) 30 June 2001 6 - -
Kenta Nishimoto (1994-08-30) 30 August 1994 13 - -
Koki Watanabe (1999-01-29) 29 January 1999 16 - -
Yūshi Tanaka (1999-10-05) 5 October 1999 22 - -
Koo Takahashi (2001-09-20) 20 September 2001 49 - -
Shōgo Ogawa (2001-01-04) 4 January 2001 60 - -
Riki Takei (2003-07-21) 21 July 2003 136 - -
Yūdai Okimoto (2005-05-28) 28 May 2005 219 - -
Takurō Hoki (1995-08-14) 14 August 1995 - 19 -
Yūgo Kobayashi (1995-07-10) 10 July 1995 - 19 -
Kenya Mitsuhashi (1997-07-11) 11 July 1997 - 25 -
Hiroki Okamura (1998-12-06) 6 December 1998 - 25 -
Hiroki Midorikawa (2000-05-17) 17 May 2000 - 30 9
Kyohei Yamashita (1998-10-12) 12 October 1998 - 30 -
Takumi Nomura (1997-08-07) 7 August 1997 - 35 -
Yūichi Shimogami (1998-03-05) 5 March 1998 - 35 24
Kakeru Kumagai (2002-01-05) 5 January 2002 - 72 -
Hiroki Nishi (2003-03-21) 21 March 2003 - 72 49
Tori Aizawa (1999-06-29) 29 June 1999 - 76 -
Daisuke Sano (2000-06-03) 3 June 2000 - 76 -
Shuji Sawada (2007-07-19) 19 July 2007 - - -
Tsubasa Yoshida (2003-09-23) 23 September 2003 - - -

Women's team

Name DoB/Age Ranking of event
WS WD XD
Akane Yamaguchi (1997-06-06) 6 June 1997 3 - -
Tomoka Miyazaki (2006-08-17) 17 August 2006 7 - -
Natsuki Nidaira (1998-07-12) 12 July 1998 17 - -
Riko Gunji (2002-07-31) 31 July 2002 31 - -
Kaoru Sugiyama (2003-06-06) 6 June 2003 34 - -
Nozomi Okuhara (1995-03-13) 13 March 1995 47 - -
Hina Akechi (2005-03-14) 14 March 2005 55 - -
Asuka Takahashi (1999-11-13) 13 November 1999 59 - -
Nami Matsuyama (1998-06-28) 28 June 1998 - 2 -
Chiharu Shida (1997-04-29) 29 April 1997 - 2 -
Rin Iwanaga (1999-05-21) 21 May 1999 - 5 -
Kie Nakanishi (1995-12-24) 24 December 1995 - 5 -
Yuki Fukushima (1993-05-06) 6 May 1993 - 9 -
Mayu Matsumoto (1995-08-07) 7 August 1995 - 9 -
Mizuki Otake (2002-02-27) 27 February 2002 - 24 -
Miyu Takahashi (2002-05-15) 15 May 2002 - 24 -
Arisa Igarashi (1996-08-01) 1 August 1996 - 49 -
Hinata Suzuki (2002-03-26) 26 March 2002 - 358 -
Nao Yamakita (2005-10-30) 30 October 2005 - 358 -
Natsu Saitō (2000-06-09) 9 June 2000 - - 9
Sayaka Hobara (1998-07-30) 30 July 1998 - - 24
Aya Tamaki (2006-10-07) 7 October 2006 - - -
Rima Sekino (2002-10-29) 29 October 2002 - - -

Coaching staff

As of 1 April 2025 [7][8]
Role Name
Head coach Hitoshi Ōhori
Men's single coach Shō Sasaki
Kazumasa Sakai
Women's single coach Takako Ida
Shōji Satō
Men's doubles coach Lee Wan Wah
Hiroyuki Endo
Women's doubles coach Kei Nakashima
Mizuki Fujii
Mixed doubles coach Norio Imai
Noriyasu Hirata

References

  1. ^ "Olympic Analytics - Medals by Countries". olympanalyt.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  2. ^ BWF: Thomas Cup Archived 2008-04-10 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ BWF: Uber Cup Archived 2008-04-10 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ BWF: Sudirman Cup Archived 2008-04-10 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Press Release: Announcement of additional selections for the 2025 Japan National Team (6 June 2025)" (PDF) (in Japanese). Nippon Badminton Association. 6 June 2025. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Press Release: Announcement of withdrawal from the 2025 Japan national team (1 July 2025)" (PDF) (in Japanese). Nippon Badminton Association. 1 July 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  7. ^ "Announcement regarding the 2025 Japan Badminton National Team Staff" (PDF) (in Japanese). Nippon Badminton Association. 25 December 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  8. ^ "2025 Representative Player" (in Japanese). Nippon Badminton Association. Retrieved 1 April 2025.