View source for Japan women's national football team

{{Infobox national football team |type = women
| Name                  = Japan
| Badge                 =
| Badge_size            = 180px
| Nickname              = なでしこジャパン (''[[Yamato nadeshiko|Nadeshiko]] Japan'')
| Association           = [[Japan Football Association]]
| Sub-confederation     = [[East Asian Football Federation|EAFF]] (East Asia)
| Confederation         = [[Asian Football Confederation|AFC]] (Asia)
| Coach                 = [[Asako Takakura]]
| Captain               = [[Saki Kumagai]]
| Most caps             = [[Homare Sawa]] (205)
| Top scorer            = [[Homare Sawa]] (83)
| FIFA Trigramme        = JPN
| FIFA Rank             = {{FIFA Women's World Rankings|JPN}}
| FIFA max              = 3
| FIFA max date         = December 2011
| FIFA min              = 14
| FIFA min date         = July 2003
| pattern_la1           = _jpn20h
| pattern_b1            = _jpn20h
| pattern_ra1           = _jpn20h
| pattern_sh1           = _jpn20h
| pattern_so1           = _jpn20h
| leftarm1              = 4eb2eb
| body1                 = 4eb2eb
| rightarm1             = 4eb2eb
| shorts1               = 000080
| socks1                = 4eb2eb
| pattern_la2           = _jpn18a
| pattern_b2            = _jpn18a
| pattern_ra2           = _jpn18a
| pattern_sh2           = _jpn18a
| pattern_so2           = _jpn18a
| leftarm2              = DADADA
| body2                 = DADADA
| rightarm2             = DADADA
| shorts2               = FFFFFF
| socks2                = DADADA
| First game            = {{fbw|TPE}} 1–0 {{fbw-rt|JPN|1947}}<br>([[Hong Kong]]; 7 June 1981)
| Largest win           = {{fbw|JPN|1947}} 21–0 {{fbw-rt|GUM}}<br>([[Guangzhou]], [[China]]; 5 December 1997)
| Largest loss          = {{fbw|ITA}} 9–0 {{fbw-rt|JPN|1947}}<br>([[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]; 9 September 1981)<ref name="JFA">[http://www.jfa.or.jp/archive/women/daihyo/data/WGame.pdf Japan Football Association]{{in lang|ja}}</ref><br/>{{fbw|USA}} 9–0 {{fbw-rt|JPN|1947}}<br>([[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], [[United States]]; 29 April 1999)<ref name="JFA"/>
| World cup apps        = 8
| World cup first       = 1991
| World cup best        = '''Champions''' ([[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup|2011]])
| Regional name         = [[Football at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
| Regional cup apps     = 4
| Regional cup first    = [[Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics|1996]]
| Regional cup best     = Runners-up ([[Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012]])
| 2ndRegional name      = [[AFC Women's Asian Cup|Asian Cup]]
| 2ndRegional cup apps  = 16
| 2ndRegional cup first = [[1977 AFC Women's Championship|1977]]
| 2ndRegional cup best  =  '''Champions''' ([[2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup|2014]], [[2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup|2018]])
| medaltemplates        =
{{Medal|Competition|[[FIFA Women's World Cup|World Cup]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup|2011 Germany]]|Team}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2015 FIFA Women's World Cup|2015 Canada]]|Team}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Football at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2012 Summer Olympics|2012 London]]|[[Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|Team]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[AFC Women's Asian Cup|Asian Cup]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup|2014 Vietnam]]|Team}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup|2018 Jordan]]|Team}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[1986 AFC Women's Championship|1986 Hong Kong]]|Team}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[1991 AFC Women's Championship|1991 Japan]]|Team}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[1995 AFC Women's Championship|1995 Malaysia]]|Team}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2001 AFC Women's Championship|2001 Chinese Taipei]]|Team}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[1989 AFC Women's Championship|1989 Hong Kong]]|Team}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[1993 AFC Women's Championship|1993 Malaysia]]|Team}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[1997 AFC Women's Championship|1997 China]]|Team}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2008 AFC Women's Championship|2008 Vietnam]]|Team}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup|2010 China]]|Team}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Asian Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2010 Asian Games|2010 Guangzhou]]|[[Football at the 2010 Asian Games|Team]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2018 Asian Games|2018 Jakarta-Palembang]]|[[Football at the 2018 Asian Games|Team]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1990 Asian Games|1990 Beijing]]|Team}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1994 Asian Games|1994 Hiroshima]]|Team}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2006 Asian Games|2006 Doha]]|Team}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2014 Asian Games|2014 Incheon]]|[[Football at the 2018 Asian Games|Team]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[1998 Asian Games|1998 Bangkok]]|Team}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2002 Asian Games|2002 Busan]]|Team}}
}}
{{nihongo|'''Japan women's national football team'''|サッカー日本女子代表|Sakkā Nihon Joshi Daihyō}}, also known as {{nihongo|'''''Nadeshiko'' Japan'''|なでしこジャパン|}}, is a [[Japan]]ese women's [[association football]] team.  The team represents Japan in international competition.  It is made up of the best female players in [[Japan]].

''Nadeshiko'' Japan is best known as the first Asian team to win the [[FIFA Women's World Cup]].

==History==
[[Japan Football Association]] (JFA) set up an official women's organization in 1979. The ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA) asked each member country to promote and develop the sport among women.<ref name="hongo">Hongo, Jun, "[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120124i1.html Nadeshiko Japan eyes London Olympic gold] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101153733/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120124i1.html |date=2012-11-01 }}", ''Japan Times'', 24 January 2012, p. 3.</ref>

In 1981 the Japan women's national football team played its first international match in [[Hong Kong]].  The team lost to Taiwan 0-1.<ref name="hongo"/>

The women’s national team qualified for the "1991 FIFA Women's World Cup" in China.

In 2004, the JFA organized a public contest to select a name for the team;<ref name="hongo"/> and "''Nadeshiko'' Japan" was chosen from among 2,000+ entries.<ref>"Nadeshiko", a kind of [[dianthus]] flower, comes from the phrase {{nihongo|''[[Yamato nadeshiko]]''|大和撫子||literally, "ideal Japanese woman"}}</ref>

In the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, Japan defeated the United States team in the last game of a knockout tournament.<ref>[https://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/matches/round=255989/match=300144437/summary.html "Japan edge USA for maiden title,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718121005/http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/matches/round=255989/match=300144437/summary.html |date=2011-07-18 }} 17 July 2011; [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/14168601.stm "Women's World Cup final: Japan beat USA on penalties,"] BBC (UK). 17 July 2011; retrieved 2012-8-8.</ref>

In the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], ''Nadeshiko'' Japan won the [[silver medal]].<ref>Baxter, Kevin. [http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/11/sports/la-sp-on-japans-korea-soccer-20120811  "Japanese soccer team gets upgrade ...,"] ''Los Angeles Times.'' August 11, 2012; excerpt, " Japan's soccer association was chided for making the world champions fly coach to London .... But association President [[Kuniya Daini]] confirmed the women will have better seats on the trip home"; retrieved 2012-8-17.</ref>

==International statistics==
===FIFA Women's World Cup Record===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!Hosts / Year
!Result
!width=20|{{Tooltip|GP|Games Played}}
!width=20|{{Tooltip|W|Won}}
!width=20|{{Tooltip|D|Drawn}}*
!width=20|{{Tooltip|L|Lost}}
!width=20|{{Tooltip|GS|Goals Scored}}
!width=20|{{Tooltip|GA|Goals Allowed}}
!width=20|{{Tooltip|GD|Goal Difference}}
|-
||{{flagicon|China|}} [[1991 FIFA Women's World Cup|1991]] || Group Stage || 3 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 0 || 12 || −12
|-
||{{flagicon|Sweden}} [[1995 FIFA Women's World Cup|1995]] || Quarter Final || 4 || 1 || 0 || 3 || 2 || 8 || −6
|-
||{{flagicon|USA}} [[1999 FIFA Women's World Cup|1999]] || Group Stage || 3 || 0 || 1 || 2 || 1 || 10 || −9
|-
||{{flagicon|USA}} [[2003 FIFA Women's World Cup|2003]] || Group Stage || 3 || 1 || 0 || 2 || 7 || 6 || +1
|-
||{{flagicon|China}} [[2007 FIFA Women's World Cup|2007]] || Group Stage || 3 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 3 || 3 || 0
|- style="background:gold;"
||{{flagicon|Germany}} [[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup|2011]] || '''Champions''' || 6 || 4 || 1 || 1 || 12 || 6 || +6
|- style="background:silver;"
||{{flagicon|Canada}} [[2015 FIFA Women's World Cup|2015]] || Runner-up || 7 || 6 || 0 || 1 || 11 || 8 || +3
|-
|'''Total''' || 7/7 || 28 || 13 || 3 || 11 || 34 || 51 || −17
|}
:''*Draws include knockout matches decided on [[penalty shootout (football)|penalty kicks]].''

{{col-2}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;font-size:95%;"
|-
!colspan=4|FIFA Women's World Cup Record
|-
!Year
!Round
!Score
!Result
|-
|rowspan=3|[[1991 FIFA Women's World Cup|1991]]
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 1''' {{fbw|BRA}}||Loss
|-
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 8''' {{fbw|SWE}}||Loss
|-
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 3''' {{fbw|USA}}||Loss
|-
|rowspan=4|[[1995 FIFA Women's World Cup|1995]]
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 1''' {{fbw|GER}}||Loss
|-
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 1''' {{fbw|BRA}}||Win
|-
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 2''' {{fbw|SWE}}||Loss
|-
|Quarterfinals||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 4''' {{fbw|USA}}||Loss
|-
|rowspan=3|[[1999 FIFA Women's World Cup|1999]]
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''1 – 1''' {{fbw|CAN}}||Draw
|-
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 5''' {{fbw|RUS}}||Loss
|-
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 4''' {{fbw|NOR}}||Loss
|-
|rowspan=3|[[2003 FIFA Women's World Cup|2003]]
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''6 – 0''' {{fbw|ARG}}||Win
|-
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 3''' {{fbw|GER}}||Loss
|-
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''1 – 3''' {{fbw|CAN}}||Loss
|-
|rowspan=3|[[2007 FIFA Women's World Cup|2007]]
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 2''' {{fbw|ENG}}||Draw
|-
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''1 – 0''' {{fbw|ARG}}||Win
|-
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 2''' {{fbw|GER}}||Loss
|-
|rowspan=6|[[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup|2011]]
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 1''' {{fbw|NZL}}||Win
|-
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''4 – 0''' {{fbw|MEX}}||Win
|-
|Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 2''' {{fbw|ENG}}||Loss
|-
|Quarterfinals||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''1 – 0''' {{fbw|GER}}||Win
|-
|Semifinals||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''3 – 1''' {{fbw|SWE}}||Win
|-
|Final||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 2 (3–1)''' {{fbw|USA}}||Win
|-
|rowspan=7|[[2015 FIFA Women's World Cup|2015]]
| Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''1 – 0''' {{fbw|CHE}} || Win
|-
| Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 1''' {{fbw|CMR}} || Win
|-
| Group stage ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''1 – 0''' {{fbw|ECU}} || Win
|-
| Round of 16 ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 1''' {{fbw|NLD}} || Win
|-
| Quarterfinals ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''1 – 0''' {{fbw|AUS}} || Win
|-
| Semifinals ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 1''' {{fbw|ENG}} || Win
|-
| Final ||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 5''' {{fbw|USA}} || Loss
|}
{{col-end}}

===Olympic Games Record===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;font-size:95%;"
|-
!Hosts / Year
!Result
!width=20|{{Tooltip|GP|Games Played}}
!width=20|{{Tooltip|W|Won}}
!width=20|{{Tooltip|D|Drawn}}*
!width=20|{{Tooltip|L|Lost}}
!width=20|{{Tooltip|GS|Goals Scored}}
!width=20|{{Tooltip|GA|Goals Allowed}}
!width=20|{{Tooltip|GD|Goal Difference}}
|-
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics|1996]] || Round 1 ||  3 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 2 || 9 || −7
|-
|{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] || Didn't Qualify ||  - || - || - || - || - || - || -
|-
|{{flagicon|GRE}} [[Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|2004]] || Quarterfinals ||  3 || 1 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 3 || −1
|-
|{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|2008]] || 4th Place || 6 || 2 || 1 || 3 || 11 || 10 || +1
|-
|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|2012]] || Finals || 5 || 3 || 2 || 0 || 6 || 2 || +4
|-
|'''Total''' || 4/5 || 17 || 6 || 3 || 8 || 21 || 24 || −2
|}
:''*Draws include knockout matches decided on [[penalty shootout (football)|penalty kicks]].''
{{col-2}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;font-size:95%;"
|-
!colspan=4|Olympic Games Record
|-
!Year
!Round
!Score
!Result
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics|1996]]
|Round 1||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 3''' {{fbw|GER}}||Loss
|-
|Round 1||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 2''' {{fbw|BRA}}||Loss
|-
|Round 1||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 4''' {{fbw|NOR}}||Loss
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|2004]]
|Round 1||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''1 – 0''' {{fbw|SWE}}||Win
|-
|Round 1||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 1''' {{fbw|NGA}}||Loss
|-
|Quarterfinals||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''1 – 2''' {{fbw|USA}}||Loss
|-
|rowspan=6|[[Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|2008]]
|Round 1||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 2''' {{fbw|NZL}}||Draw
|-
|Round 1||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 1''' {{fbw|USA}}||Loss
|-
|Round 1||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''5 – 1''' {{fbw|NOR}}||Win
|-
|Quarterfinals||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 0''' {{fbw|CHN}}||Win
|-
|Semifinals||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 4''' {{fbw|USA}}||Loss
|-
|Third-place||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 2''' {{fbw|GER}}||Loss
|-
|rowspan=6|[[Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|2012]]
|Round 1||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 1''' {{fbw|CAN}}|| Win
|-
|Round 1||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 0''' {{fbw|SWE}}|| Draw
|-
|Round 1||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''0 – 0''' {{fbw|RSA}}|| Draw
|-
|Quarterfinals||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 0''' {{fbw|BRA}}|| Win
|-
|Semifinals||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} '''2 – 1''' {{fbw|FRA}}|| Win
|-
|Final||align="left"|{{fbw|JPN}} ''' – ''' {{fbw|USA}}|| Loss
|}
{{col-end}}

==Coaches==
* [[Seiki Ichihara]] (1981)
* [[Takao Orii]] (1984)
* [[Ryohei Suzuki (footballer, born 1949)|Ryohei Suzuki]] (1986-1989)
* [[Tamotsu Suzuki]] (1989-1996)<ref>FIFA.com, [https://www.fifa.com/mm/document/fifafacts/wcwwc/ip-202_02e_wwc_24474.pdf   FIFA Women's World Cup, p. 2 <nowiki>[PDF p. 2 of 2]</nowiki>]{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305000654/http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/fifafacts/wcwwc/ip-202_02e_wwc_24474.pdf |date=2016-03-05 }}; retrieved 2012-8-17.</ref>
* [[Satoshi Miyauchi]] (1997-1999)<ref>RedSwift.com, [http://homepage1.nifty.com/kisch/football/nadeshiko.html  "'Nadeshiko Japan' Squad"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003150944/http://homepage1.nifty.com/kisch/football/nadeshiko.html |date=2012-10-03 }} retrieved 2012-8-17.</ref>
* [[Tamotsu Suzuki]] (1999)
* [[Shinobu Ikeda]] (2000-2002)
* [[Eiji Ueda]] (2002-2004)
* [[Hiroshi Ohashi]] (2004-2007)
* [[Norio Sasaki]] (2008-2016)<ref>FIFA.com, [https://www.fifa.com/ballondor/coachoftheyear/coach=277159/index.html "Coach of the Year, Norio Sasaki"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150330025248/http://www.fifa.com/ballondor/coachoftheyear/coach=277159/index.html |date=2015-03-30 }}; Westlake, Adam. [http://japandailypress.com/tag/norio-sasaki  "Nadeshiko Japan coach Sasaki to step down after London Olympics,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318192740/http://japandailypress.com/tag/norio-sasaki |date=2013-03-18 }} ''Japan Daily Press.'' August 9, 2012; retrieved 2012-8-17.</ref>
* [[Asako Takakura]] (2016-)

==Related pages==
* [[Sports in Japan]]
* [[Japan at the Olympics]]
* [[Japan national football team]]
* [[List of Japan women's international footballers]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Other websites==
{{Commons category-inline|Japan women's national association football team}}
* [http://www.jfa.or.jp/eng/ Japan Football Association website {{in lang|en}}]; [http://www.jfa.or.jp/ {{in lang|ja}}]

{{National sports teams of Japan}}
[[Category:Asian women's national football teams]]
[[Category:Football in Japan]]
[[Category:National sports teams of Japan]]