Japan
National Team Information
Japan National Football Team History
Amateur Era
Japan’s first national team was made up of students from Tokyo. Their first match was a 5-0 loss to China in 1917 at the Far East Asian Games. The Japan national football team also appeared at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
In the early years, Japan either didn’t qualify or withdrew from FIFA World Cup qualification. So, their first big achievement was a Bronze medal in the 1968 Olympics. Without a domestic professional league, Japan lagged behind other competitive nations in soccer.
The Samurai Blue came close to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in 1986 but lost to South Korea in an important match. Two years later, they made their first major tournament appearance at the AFC Asian Cup but were eliminated in the group stage.
First Pro league J. League Formed in 1993
Japan national football team won their first major honor in 1992, when they hosted and won the AFC Asian Cup. The J. League was formed in 1993 as Japan’s first professional league, and it is credited with rapidly accelerating the progress of soccer in the country.
Still without a FIFA World Cup appearance to their name, Japan narrowly missed out on USA 1994 with a draw to Iraq in qualification. The first Japan World Cup appearance came four years later, but they lost all of their matches and were eliminated in the group stage. Masashi Nakayama scored Japan’s first ever World Cup goal in a 2-1 loss to Jamaica.
AFC Asian Cup Power
At the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, Japan national football team won their second major title and finished as runners up in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Japan co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with South Korea and advanced to the knockout stage for the first time. They lost to Turkey, who finished in third place, 1-0 in the round of 16. Two years later, Japan retained their AFC Asian Cup title by defeating China 3-1 in the final.
The Samurai Blue qualified for a third consecutive World Cup in 2006 but failed to advance past the group stage. Impressively, Japan were the first team to punch their ticket to the 2010 World Cup and were firmly established as an Asian power by this point.
First Win in a World Cup Away From Home
With some questionable results in the lead up to South Africa 2010, expectations weren’t too high for Japan. Regardless, Japan national football team won their opening match 1-0 versus Cameroon on a Keisuke Honda goal. The win was Japan’s first in a World Cup not on home soil.
In the next match, Japan fell to eventual finalists Netherlands 1-0 but defeated Denmark 3-1 in the group stage finale. Japan advanced to the round of 16 but fell in penalties to Paraguay. In 2011, Japan won their fourth AFC Asian Cup in seven tries.
Japan were once again the first nation to qualify for the World Cup in 2014, other than hosts Brazil. Like in 1998 and 2006, Japan failed to win a match at Brazil 2014 and were eliminated in the group stage.
Floodgates Open
At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Japan made history by becoming the first AFC team to defeat a South American team in the World Cup. Shinji Okazaki and Yuya Osaka scored the goals in a 2-1 win over Colombia. In their next match Japan drew 1-1 with Senegal and advanced to the knockout stage, despite a 1-0 loss to Poland.
In the round of 16, Japan were matched up against heavyweights Belgium. The Samurai Blue took a surprising 2-0 lead in the second half but didn’t switch up their gameplan, leaving themselves vulnerable on the counter attack.
A relentless Belgium pulled the game back level in the 74th minute and Nacer Chadli scored a last minute winner for the Red Devils. It was the first time any team had lost after securing a two goal advantage in the knockout stage since 1970.
The Japan national football team qualified for their seventh consecutive World Cup in March 2022.
2022 Qatar World Cup Performance
Japan soccer betting to advance out of a difficult Group E was not necessarily popular. They were placed in the group of death with Germany, Spain and Costa Rica. The Samurai Blue entered the tournament at just +320 odds to advance and +1400 odds to win the group. However, they pulled off a brilliant 2-1 upset over Germany in their opening match. Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano both scored to complete a second half comeback.
Japan disappointingly lost 1-0 to Costa Rica in their second match but were very much still alive. After falling behind early in their closing match versus Spain, Japan completed another second half comeback. With a 2-1 win, Japan incredibly advanced as group winners. In the round of 16, they faced 2018 finalists Croatia and the match finished in a 1-1 draw. Croatia won the penalty shootout 3-1 to knock out Japan.
Shinji Okazaki – Goals: 52
Kazuyoshi Miura – Goals: 42
Keisuke Honda – Goals: 37
Shinji Kagawa – Goals: 31
Yuya Osako – Goals: 25
Kunishige Kamamoto is Japan’s all time leading scorer, with 75 goals in 76 appearances. He was the top scorer at the 1968 Summer Olympics, with seven goals and was a key cog in Japan’s bronze medal winning team. He was included in the Japan Soccer League best XI 14 times during his playing career.
Masami Ihara captained Japan to their first World Cup in 1998 and was previously Japan’s appearances record holder. Ihara played 122 times for the national team between 1988 and 1999. He won the AFC Asian Cup in 1992 and was named the Asian Footballer of the Year in 1995.
Kazuyoshi Miura has played professional soccer since 1986 and is still playing as of 2022. The 55-year old is the oldest ever goalscorer in the J-League and was a prolific goalscorer for the national team. Miura made 89 appearances between 1990 and 2000 and scored 55 goals. King Kazu, who became the first Japanese player in Serie A in 1994, won best player at the 1992 AFC Asian Cup.
Hidetoshi Nakata is considered one of the best Asian soccer players of all time. He played in three World Cups for Japan and made 77 appearances for the national team. The midfielder won the Serie A title with Roma in 2000-01 and was the AFC Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998.
Keisuke Honda is known for his incredible set piece ability. Honda was among the best free kick takers in the world and he won best player at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. Not just a set piece specialist, Honda is also known as a creative attacking midfielder. He retired from the national team in 2018 but played at three World Cups. He finished his career with 37 goals in 98 appearances for the Samurai Blue.
Before 2002 Japan had never won a World Cup match, let alone qualified for a knockout stage. That all changed when they played in front of their home fans at the 2002 World Cup.
The Samurai Blue got their first ever point at a World Cup with a 2-2 draw versus Belgium in their opening match. In their next match, Japan got their first-ever World Cup win against Russia. Junichi Inamoto scored the game’s only goal, getting on the scoresheet for a second consecutive match.
With a 2-0 win over Tunisia in the group stage finale, Japan won Group H. In their first knockout stage berth, Japan were matched up versus a talented Turkey side. Turkey scored early and Japan were unable to get an equalizer, falling 1-0 in an overall impressive World Cup performance.
Japan were World Cup newcomers in 1998 and a great performance wasn’t necessarily expected. The fact that Japan only lost by a 1-0 scoreline to both Argentina and Croatia was seen as impressive. Less impressive was Japan’s 2-1 defeat to Jamaica in their final match.
So, the Samurai Blue contested their first World Cup and failed to get a point and only scored one goal.
Japan Soccer Leagues & Clubs:
J1 League:
Domestic Japanese soccer betting is frequently done on the J1 League. The J1 League is the top level soccer league in the country and features a total of 18 teams. The league follows a simple double round-robin format and each team plays 34 games each. The top two teams qualify for the AFC Champions League group stage. Meanwhile, the third place team qualifies for the AFC Champions league playoff round. The bottom two teams go down to the second tier and the 16th-placed team contests a relegation playoff.
J1 League Clubs 2023:
| Team |
|---|
| Hokkaido Consadole |
| lbirex Niigata |
| Kashima Antlers |
| Urawa Red Diamonds |
| Kashiwa Reysol |
| FC Tokyo |
| Kawasaki Frontale |
| Yokohama F. Marinos |
| Yokohama FC |
| Shonan Bellmare |
| Nagoya Grampus |
| Kyoto Sanga |
| Gamba Osaka |
| Cerezo Osaka |
| Vissel Kobe |
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
| Avispa Fukuoka |
| Sagan Tosu |
J2 League:
The second division Japanese soccer league is called the J2 League. There are 22 teams in the J2 League but the number will be reduced to 20 ahead of the 2024 season. The league also follows a double round-robin format and the top two teams are automatically promoted each season. There’s also a promotion playoff between the next four teams in the table. The bottom two teams get relegated to the third tier.
J2 League Clubs 2023:
| Team |
|---|
| Blaublitz Akita |
| Fagiano Okayama |
| Fujieda MYFC |
| Iwaki FC |
| JEF United Chiba |
| Júbilo Iwata |
| Machida Zelvia |
| Mito HollyHock |
| Montedio Yamagata |
| Oita Trinita |
| Omiya Ardija |
| Renofa Yamaguchi |
| Roasso Kumamoto |
| Shimizu S-Pulse |
| Thespakusatsu Gunma |
| Tochigi SC |
| Tokushima Vortis |
| Tokyo Verdy |
| V-Varen Nagasaki |
| Vegalta Sendai |
| Ventforet Kofu |
| Zweigen Kanazawa |
Japan Cups & Tournaments
Japan’s soccer teams participate in the annual emperor’s cup tournament. This tournament is open to any team in Japan, which means even high school teams have participated. All of the teams from the J1 and J2 Leagues automatically qualify. Meanwhile, the rest of the 88 teams are made up of seeded amateur teams and Prefectural qualification cup winners. It is a straight knockout tournament, as every fixture is just one leg. The winner of the tournament earns a berth in the AFC Champions League.
The J.League Cup is another Japanese soccer tournament. The format of this cup competition regularly changes. Currently, only the 18 J1 League teams and the top two relegated teams from the season before participate. There will be five groups of four teams in 2023 and the tournament will follow a group stage and knockout stage format. After a round-robin the five winners and three highest-ranked runners up will advance to the quarterfinals.
The Japanese Super Cup is another cup match for Japan soccer betting. The single-match is played by the winners of the J1 League and the Emperor’s Cup. If one team wins both competitions, the J1 League’s second-placed team typically is the other team in the match. This match usually opens the Japanese soccer season and is played in February.
Japan Soccer Betting Information
Betting on the J1
The most suitable Japanese league for betting is the J1 League. It’s the top division in the country and is set to expand to 20 teams in 2024. The J1 League is primarily made up of Japanese players but there is also a large Brazilian contingent in the league. It is a relatively new league, as the inaugural season was only in 1993. That means there is no historically dominant force in the league. No club has won ten titles yet but Kahima Antlers have come closest, with eight. Entering the 2023 season, no team other than Kawasaki Frontale and Yokohama F. Marinos has won the title since 2016. Only Kashima Antlers and Yokohama Marinos have participated in every season of the league.
In the 2022 season, 2.52 goals per game were scored and both teams scored in 49 percent of matches. Two goals or fewer were scored in 55 percent of matches but two was by far the most frequent total. All of 26.1 percent of matches finished with two goals and the most frequent scoreline was 1-1. Meanwhile, home teams had a decent-size advantage in the 2022 season.
They won 40 percent of the time, while road sides won just 28 percent of their matches. That means 32 percent of matches finished in draws. Yokohama F. Marinos and Kawasaki Frontale were head and shoulders above the rest of the league. No other team was within 10 points of them in the final table. Yokohama beat out Kawasaki by two points but they were also the only teams to average more than 1.6 goals per game.
Japan National Team Betting Tips & Odds
Recent betting tips have almost universally suggested taking Japan to qualify for the World Cup. All seven of their appearances at the World Cup have come consecutively and they are one of the strongest AFC sides. That should continue to be the case in the foreseeable future, since the Samurai Blue have some very talented players. So much so that coach Hajime Moriyasu has found it difficult to give playing time to all of his stars. Japan has a bunch of players in top European tournaments, the most prominent of which are Takumi Minamino, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Daichi Kamada, Takefusa Kubo, Ritsu Doan, Ko Itakura and Junya Ito.
One thing Japan may have to sort out in the coming years is their back line. Stalwarts Maya Yoshida and Yuto Nagatomo are 34 and 36 years old, respectively. Thus, it’s very likely they won’t be playing at World Cup 2026. Regardless, Japan proved they can hang with anyone at the 2022 World Cup. They defeated 2010 and 2014 champions Spain and Germany and drew with 2018 finalists Croatia. While Japan have never advanced out of the round of 16, that could certainly change in the years to come. They should also be one of the leading contenders to win the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
Summary
Japan’s domestic league, the J1 League, is relatively new but the standard of play is decent. The season runs through the Summer, so it could be a betting option for those looking to fill the void left behind by the top-five European leagues’ summer break.
The Samurai Blue of Japan have proven to be a resilient and dangerous team to play against. Although there will be some roster changes due to aging in the coming years, that shouldn’t change much. Japan could be a popular bet in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, 2026 World Cup Qualifiers and in the 2026 World Cup itself.
