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 | 18 (19 December 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 | 11 (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 – 5th place
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 25 July 2025, the following 18 players were called up for the 2025 Asia Cup in Rajgir, India from 29 August to 7 September 2025.[4]
Caps updated as of 21 June 2025, after the match against South Africa.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | GK | Takashi Yoshikawa | 29 November 1994 | 156 | Gifu Asahi Blue Devils | |
| 31 | GK | Kisho Kuroda | 20 November 2003 | 7 | Tenri University | |
| 2 | DF | Shota Yamada | 21 December 1994 | 163 | Gifu Asahi Blue Devils | |
| 4 | DF | Yamato Kawahara | 21 January 2004 | 47 | Ritsumeikan University | |
| 13 | DF | Manabu Yamashita | 4 February 1989 | 235 | Freaks Tokyo | |
| 15 | DF | Ken Nagayoshi | 26 October 1999 | 70 | LIEBE Tochigi | |
| 23 | DF | Yusuke Kawamura | 24 July 2001 | 40 | LIEBE Tochigi | |
| 38 | DF | Hyota Yamada | 30 January 2003 | 5 | Asahi University | |
| 3 | MF | Yuto Higuchi | 30 September 2005 | 6 | Ritsumeikan University | |
| 5 | MF | Seren Tanaka | 9 November 1992 | 176 | Gifu Asahi Blue Devils | |
| 14 | MF | Raiki Fujishima (Captain) | 29 December 1999 | 72 | ALDER Hanno | |
| 22 | MF | Kaito Tanaka | 1 November 1995 | 98 | Gifu Asahi Blue Devils | |
| 34 | MF | Keita Watanabe | 20 November 2002 | 12 | BlueSticks SHIGA | |
| 1 | FW | Koji Yamasaki | 27 February 1996 | 137 | BlueSticks SHIGA | |
| 6 | FW | Naru Kimura | 27 December 2005 | 13 | Ritsumeikan University | |
| 11 | FW | Kazumasa Matsumoto | 21 June 2000 | 28 | Miyazaki Perfecture | |
| 24 | FW | Kosei Kawabe | 20 June 1999 | 51 | Gifu Asahi Blue Devils | |
| 35 | FW | Ryosuke Shinohara | 18 October 2005 | 5 | 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 | Jun Watanabe | 17 May 2003 | 5 | Tenri University | 2024–25 FIH Hockey Nations Cup | |
| 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 | Ryoma Ooka | 2 October 2001 | 47 | Meiji University | 2024–25 FIH Hockey Nations Cup | |
| FW | Hiro Saito | 5 April 2002 | 25 | Fukui University of Technology | 2024–25 FIH Hockey Nations Cup | |
| FW | Tsubasa Tanaka | 10 October 2003 | 13 | Tenri University | 2024–25 FIH Hockey Nations Cup | |
| 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. 19 December 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ^ (in Dutch) http://www.nrc.nl/sport/article2162322.ece/Hockeytrainer_Tilburg_wordt_bondscoach_Japan
- ^ "Japanese Hockey Federation". Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ^ "Samurai Japan (Japan Men's National Hockey Team) announces roster for the 12th AHF Hero Asia Cup (2025/Rajgir)" (PDF). en.hockey.or.jp. Japan Hockey Association. 25 July 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.