Japan might have exited the FIFA World Cup after a heartbreaking added-time winner in the 96th minute of regulation time against five-time champions Brazil, but they won the hearts of football fans throughout the course of the tournament. The Asian giants’ performances against Carlo Ancelotti’s men earned praise as they pushed them to the limit and also took a first half, but they also impressed in the group stage and have emerged as a remarkable tale of a nation exponentially progressing as a footballing nation.
In the first round, they remained unbeaten with an impressive run as they held strong European nations the Netherlands and Sweden to a draw while thrashing Tunisia 4-0 to secure second spot in the group and missing out on first place by a whisker on goal difference.
Among the nine Asian teams to qualify from the Asian Football Confederation, seven were knocked out in the group stage with Japan and Australia the only ones to find a place in the Round of 32. The Japanese team have managed to carry the weight of Asian football on their shoulders alone.
This continues a remarkable period for Japan, as they have reached the knockouts in four of the last five World Cups. They have faced narrow defeats each time, as Paraguay and Croatia knocked them out in the Round of 16 of the 2010 and 2022 editions, while, like 2026, they were knocked out through an injury-time winner in the pre-quarterfinal in 2018 to Belgium after taking a 2-0 lead.
Japan’s Remarkable Rise
While Japan are yet to win a knockout match in the history of the FIFA World Cup, they have consistently emerged as the continent’s finest at the biggest stage. The rise has been remarkable, as they were ranked 62nd in 1992 in the FIFA rankings. In fact, the first qualified for the World Cup in 1998. However, they have been featured in every edition of the tournament since and are now ranked 17th in the world.
The Rise Of The J-League
Until 1993, before the J-League was introduced, Japan did not even have a professional league. Before that, the country’s football ran through a semi-professional league called the Japanese Soccer League (JSL). However, that league failed to find a connection with supporters, with attendance in stadiums rapidly going down as corporate teams dominated the league.
The J-League’s inception came with the intention of bringing fans into the stadium and rapidly succeeded in improving the quality of sport in the country with increased professionalism and intensity in how players trained. In fact, it was only five years later that Japan qualified for their first World Cup.
Until 1999, the J-League ran without relegation, which was introduced in 1999 with a three-tier system introduced.
This has led to a rapid expansion of players in European clubs, with Shinji Kagawa at Manchester United emerging as an early example. Currently, there are 114 players from Japan playing for European clubs.
The School And University System
However, Japan’s success has been inspired by a strong grassroots system built through their school and university systems. It is at the school level that their top players are being nurtured. 14 of the 26 players in their World Cup squad emerged from the schooling system, as did 60% of their footballers that are plying their trade for clubs outside Europe.
Bukatsu, which are mandated extracurricular clubs for school students in Japan, are key to their rise, which allow players to train after school hours. J-League clubs scout players through their system, with the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament (also known as ‘Winter Kokuritsu’) serving as a stage for scouts to view players and sign them. Around 4000 play in the competition with 48 teams competing, and the competition is televised.
Football is also strong at the university level in Japan, as it serves as a second chance for footballers who failed to get a contract with J-League clubs to continue playing at a semi-professional level. This also allows players to continue playing football at a top level between ages 18 and 22 while continuing their education.
In fact, some players chose to not sign professional contracts with clubs and go to university as a result. Kaoru Mitoma, who currently plays for Brighton, is an example of this. At the age of 18, he rejected a professional contract at Kawasaki Frontale and instead went to Tsukuba University.
The All Japan University Football Championship has also become a key event for scouts to find players. Meanwhile, the Emperor’s Cup allows university teams to compete against J-League teams.
The Pop Culture Inspiration Which Kickstarted Everything
While Japan has largely been seen as a baseball nation, it was the incorporation of the sport in their pop culture that played a key role in helping the sport become a national obsession and inspire youngsters to take up the sport.
Long before the launch of the J-League, The release of ‘Captain Tsubasa’ in 1981, a manga (Japanese comic book), proved to play a pivotal role in the transformation of football in Japan. The main character is based on an 11-year-old kid, who dreams of winning the FIFA World Cup for Japan and follows his career as he goes on to play for top European clubs. The manga was created by Yoichi Takahashi, who was inspired by Argentina’s victory in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.
The popularity inspired a footballing wave in Japan and inspired youngsters to embrace football, which was a starting point for the events that followed in the next four decades.
The original run of the Captain Tsubasa manga was between 1981 and 1988. It is reported that between 1981 and
1987, more than 2.5 lakhs Japanese boys enrolled into a football school