Japan national American football team

Last updated
Japan Flag of Japan.svg 日本
Japan American Football National Team.png
Association JAFA
Region Asia (AFAF)
Founded1984
Colors Red, White
Head coach Kiyoyuki Mori
General managerShinzo Yamada
First international
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 24–14 Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
(Palermo, Italy; June 28, 1999)
Biggest win
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 88–0 Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea
(Osaka, Japan; February 23, 2003)
Biggest defeat
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 12–59 Flag of the United States.svg  United States
(Canton, United States; July 18, 2015)
IFAF World Championship
Appearances5 (first in 1999)
Best result Gold medal with cup.svg (1999, 2003)
Japan national American football team
Medal record
Men’s American football
Representing Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
World Championship
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1999 Italy Team Competition
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2003 Germany Team Competition
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2007 Japan Team Competition
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2011 Austria Team Competition
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2015 United States Team Competition

The Japan national American football team represents Japan in international American football competitions. The team is controlled by the Japan American Football Association, and has been one of the world's strongest international teams since it began participating regularly in international tournaments in the 1990s, and currently possesses the second most American Football World Cups [1] (1999, 2003).

Contents

Japan won the inaugural 1999 IFAF World Championship and won again in 2003. [2] In 2007 they advanced to the final, losing to the United States 23–20 in overtime. [3] [4] [5] In 2010 Japan beat Germany 24–14 in the inaugural Germany-Japan Bowl. [6] In February 2011, Japan bested South Korea (76–0) to qualify for the 2011 IFAF World Championship. [7]

IFAF World Championship record

YearPositionGPWLPFPA
Flag of Italy.svg 1999 1st3308414
Flag of Germany.svg 2003 1st2205720
Flag of Japan.svg 2007 2nd32111623
Flag of Austria.svg 2011 3rd43110361
Flag of the United States.svg 2015 2nd31265109

2011 IFAF World Championship Roster

Japan National American Football Team 2011 IFAF World Championship roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special Teams

Inactive List

Roster updated 2011-07-08

2014

Preparing for the qualification match for the 2015 IFAF World Championship, the JAFA scheduled an international friendly match against Germany on April 12, 2014 at Kawasaki Stadium in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. 85 players were initially chosen for the national team on March 11 which was whittled down to the required 45-men roster before April 12. [8] Before a crowd of 1,889, Japan defeated Germany 38–0 in a strong defensive showing for the Japanese which limited Germany to only 135 yards of total offense, as well as causing four turnovers and two sacks, the latter of which was all in the second half. [9] Before going against the Philippines, Japan made 5 changes in their roster, replacing WRs Ryoma Hagiyama and Naoki Maeda with Takeshi Akiyama and Junpei Yoshimoto, RB Keita Takanohashi with Takashi Miyako, LB Yuki Ikeda with Yoshiki Tanaka, and S Toshinari Masatani with Takeshi Miyake. [10] Against a young Philippine team that was in its first year in the IFAF, the Japanese showed no quarter, scoring on every offensive possession as well as holding the Philippines to only 1st down en route to an 86–0 victory, the 2nd biggest win in the national team's history. [11] With the win, Japan, along with South Korea, (which defeated Kuwait in the other qualification match 69-7) qualified for the 2015 IFAF World Championship tournament in Canton, Ohio, United States.

Japan 2014 final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Head coach
  • Kiyoyuki Mori

accessed 2016-03-09

2015

Due to Canada dropping out of the tournament for personal team reasons, Japan was granted a bye on the scheduled match which was supposed to be on July 9 and in turn would play the winner of the Mexico-United States match on July 12. In their first match of the tournament, Japan, despite a strong defensive showing in the first half that included 2 interceptions and 29-yd field goal block, eventually lost to the United States 18–43. In their 2nd match, Japan defeated Mexico 35–7 with a strong effort on offense and defense. The win ensured the Japanese a rematch with the United States for the Gold Medal. Team Japan would lose to the United States 12–59 in what is the national team's largest loss in history.

Japan 2015 final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Head coach
  • Kiyoyuki Mori

Assistant coaches

  • Tsuyoshi Kawada - Assistant Head Coach
  • Tominaga Hajime - Offensive Coordinator/Running backs and Tight Ends
  • Makoto Ohashi - Defensive Coordinator
  • Norikazu Nobuhara - Special Teams Coordinator/Secondary
  • Hayato Arima - Quarterbacks
  • Shoei Hasegawa - Wide Receivers
  • Masayoshi Yamanaka - Defensive Linemen
  • Masahara Fumitaka - Offensive Linemen
  • Gen Arisawa - Linebackers

Team doctor

  • Takeshi Sorimachi

Trainers

  • Rika Yoshihiro
  • Shigenobu Okuma
  • Yoshinaga Takanori

Equipment Managers

  • Tomomi Nakamura
  • Kunie Makotochu
  • Shin Nishikawa

Director of Operations

  • Shinzo Yamada

accessed 2016-03-09

See also

Notes

  1. "IFAF Competition". IFAF. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
  2. "Worldcup 2003". www.worldcup2003.info. Archived from the original on 22 August 2002. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  3. "U.S. edges Japan to win football World Cup". Bangor Daily News . July 16, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  4. "U.S. wins American football title". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . July 15, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  5. "3rd IFAF World Championships2007 in KAWASAKI/JAPAN".
  6. "IFAF - Featured Articles - JAPAN WINS FIRST-EVER GERMAN-JAPAN BOWL". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
  7. "Japan trounces South Korea, qualifies for IFAF World Championship | the Japan Times Online". Archived from the original on 2011-03-02. Retrieved 2011-03-25.
  8. "Japan names 45-man squad for clash with Germany". xleague.com. April 9, 2014. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  9. Marantz, Ken (April 14, 2014). "Japan grinds out 38-0 win over Germany". xleague.com. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  10. "Japan makes 5 changes for clash with Philippines". xleague.com. April 21, 2014. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  11. Ikezawa, Hiroshi (April 26, 2014). "Japan rolls to 2015 IFAF berth with rout". japantimes.co.jp. Retrieved March 11, 2016.

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