Japan Greatest All-time team 日本史上最強のサッカーチーム

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

Japan 1998

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Australia, Saudi Arabia, Iran,
China, Japan, South Korea.
Hong Kong, India
East Asia, West Asia(without Iran and Saudi Arabia),
Central Asia, South East Asia(ASEAN).

Japan's earliest international matches were at the 1917 Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo, where it was represented by a team from the Tokyo Higher Normal School. Although Japan made strong showings in swimming, baseball, and track and field, its football team suffered resounding defeats to the Republic of China and the Philippines. Before the 1990's, football was not a big sport in Japan.  In 1992, however, Japan won the Asian Cup and became a power in Asia.  With the formation of J-League in 1993, football gained ground in Japan.  In the same year, they almost qualified for the WC Finals in United States. However, they surrendered a 90th minute goal to Iraq that gave South Korea the final berth to the WC Finals.  The match was known as the "Agony of Doha".  Japan finally qualified for the WC in 1998 and went on to qualify for all of the following WC Finals at the time of writing.  In both 2002, 2010 and 2018, they advanced to the second round of the WC Finals. 

Japan was the first team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, having been invited in 1999, 2011, 2015, and 2019 editions of the tournament, though they only played in the 1999 and 2019 events.

If there were an All-Time World Cup, this would be 23 players I would bring to the tournament.

World Cup 2018

Team

GK: Eiji Kawashima 川島 永嗣

Eiji Kawashima played in Japan for Omiya Ardija, Nagoya Grampus Eight and Kawasaki Frontale before joining Lierse S.K. in Belgium in 2010. He then played for another Belgian club, Standard Liège, from 2012 to 2015, and Dundee United in Scotland from 2015 to 2016. He played for Japan at the 2010 , 2014  and 2018 World Cups. He was capped 95 times between 2008 and 2022.
  
GK: Seigo Narazaki 楢﨑 正剛
Seigo Narazaki was named in 4 straight World Cup team, but he started only in 2002.  In 1995, he joined J. League side Yokohama Flügels. He contributed to the club winning the Emperor's Cup in 1998. When Flügels was merged with cross-town Yokohama Marinos in 1999, he was signed by Nagoya Grampus Eight. He was again a member of the Emperor's Cup winning side in 1999 but this time with Nagoya.

GK: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi 川口 能活
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi was the most talented Japanese goalkeeper.  He was named in 4 straight World Cup teams.  He was the starter for France 1998 and South Africa 2006.  He spent most of his career playing at home, but spent a brief stint with Portsmouth in the English First Division.  He played for Yokohama Marinos and Jubilo Iwata. He had 116 caps between 1997 and 2010.  He was captain for two years.

RB: Atsuto Uchida 内田 篤人
Atsuto Uchida played with Kashima Anthlers in the J-League before joining for Bundesliga's Schalke 04 in 2010. From 2010 to 2017, he played Schalke 04.  He was on the Bundesliga team of the Year for the season 2012-2013 and 2013-2014.   He also played Union Berlin before returning to Japan in 2018 with Kashima Anthlers.  He went to both World Cup Finals in 2010 and 2014. He played 74 times for the Japanese national team between 2008 and 2015. He was named in the J-League 30th anniversary team.

Atsuto Uchida 

RB/CB: Takehiro Tomiyasu 

Beginning his career at Avispa Fukuoka, Tomiyasu had a spell with Belgian club Sint-Truiden and Italian club Bologna before joining Arsenal in 2021.  He featured for the side that reached the final of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, and also played at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup.  Since 2018, he earned his first cap in a game against Panama.

CB: Masami Ihara 井原 正巳

Masami Ihara was the Asian Player of the Year in 1995 and one of the players selected for AFC Century Award.  He was at one point Japan's all-time leading appearance record holder with 122. He led Japan to its first ever World Cup Finals in 1998 as the captain. He also helped Japan to win 1992 Asian Cup hosted at home. At the club level, he was a star in the J-League throughout the 1990's.  He spent most of his career with Yokohama Marinos(or Nissan Motors).  Later, Ihara played for Jublio Iwata and Urawa Reds.

Masami Ihara 

CB: Maya Yoshida 吉田 麻也
Maya Yoshida started his career with Grampus Eight Nagoya.  He played for VVV Velo in Holland between 2010 and 2012. Since 2012, he has played or Southampton.  He moved to Sampdoria in 2020.  He later played for Schalke 04 and LA galaxy. He was the captain of Japan's Olympic team in 2012.  He went to the World Cup Finals in 2014 and 2018. He had 126 caps between 2010 and 2022.  He won the Asian Cup in 2011.

CB: Yuji Nakazawa 中沢 佑二
Yuji Nakazawa went to Brazil as a youngster.  He returned to Japan, and played for Verdy Kawasaki and Yokohama Marinos.  He also played for 178 consecutive matches for Yokohama F. Marinos from July 2013 to August 2018. He went to both World Cup Finals in 2006 and 2010.  He had 110 caps between 1999 and 2010. He was one of seven Japanese players to earn over 100 caps between 1999 and 2010.  His nickname is "Bomber" because of his distinctive hairstyle.

CB: Marcus Tulio Tanaka (田中 マルクス 闘莉王)
Born in Brazil to a Japanese Brazilian father, Tulio moved to Japan at age 15.  He started with Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 2001. After the strong performance in 2006 season, which led Urawa  Diamonds to win their first ever J1 League title, he received J.League MVP. In 2007, Urawa won their first Asian champions in AFC Champions League. He also played with Nagoya Grampus.  he played 43 times for Japan.

CB: Tsuneyasu Miyamoto 宮本 恒靖
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto played 71 times for Japan between 2000 and 2006.  He led the Japanese national team in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups as well as the 2000 and 2004 Asian Cup.  He played for Gamba Osaka before moving to play for Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. Miyamoto also captained Gamba Osaka during their 2005 J1 League championship season. He ended his career with Kobe Vissel in 2011.

LB:  Yuto Nagatomo 長友 佑都
Yuto Nagatomo played for Meiji University before he started his professional career with FC Tokyo in the J-League in 2007. He is known for his offensive skills.  He joined Italy's Cesena in 2010.  After less than a season, he joined Inter Milan where he became a starter throughout the 8 seasons he played there. He can also play as a rightback.  In 2018, he joined Galatasaray in Turkey.  He collected over 100 caps for Japan. He played in the World Cup Finals in 2010 2014, and 2018.  He won the Asian Cup in 2011.

Yuto Nagatomo 

CM/DM/LB: Yasuhiko Okudera 奥寺 康彦

When soccer was still an amatuer sport in Japan, Okudera made his way to Germany.  He played with FC Klon and Werder Bremen in the 1980's. Okudera was the first Japanese footballer to play professionally in Europe, as well as being the first Asian football player to score in the European Cup, while playing for 1. FC Köln in the 1979 semi-final match against Nottingham Forest F.C. and made 32 appearances – scoring nine goals – with the Japanese national team.

DM/CM: Makoto Hasebe 長谷部 誠

Between 2002 and 2007. Hasebe played for Urawa Reds.  In 2009, he became the second Japanese player to win the Bundesliga title when Wolfsburg won it.  Since 2014, he has been playing for Eintracht Frankfurt.  With Japan, he played 114 times between 2006 and 2018.  He was captain of the 2018 World Cup team.  He was AFC Asian International Player of the Year: 2018, and selected to the Europa League Squad of the Season: 2018–19.

Makoto Hasebe

AM/CM: Ruy Ramos ラモス瑠偉

Ruy Ramos  was the Japanese Footballer of the Year  in 1990 and 1991.  Ramos was one of the first foreign players in Japanese professional football, joining club Japan Soccer League club Yomiuri (later Verdy Kawasaki) in 1977 at the age of 20. Between 1996 and 1997, he played for Kyoto Purple Sanga. In 1997, he returned to Verdy Kawasaki. He was an important member of the Japanese national team during their unsuccessful 1994 World Cup qualification while winning the 1992 Asian Cup.

AM: Kazushi Kimura 木村 和司
Kazushi Kimura was a star midfielder in the 1980's.  He was Japan's Player of the Year in 1983, 1984 and 1989.  He played for Nissan Motors before the foundation of J-League. The club became Yokohama F. Marinos in 1993, where he played three more seasons. He earned 54 caps for the Japanese national team between 1979 and 1986.  He was elected in Japan's Football Hall of Flame.

AM/RM/LM: Shunsuke Nakamura 中村 俊輔
Shunsuke Nakamura was a star player at Celtic in Scotland where he played between 2005 and 2009.  He won the SPF Player of the year and SFWA Player of the Year in 2007.  Before that, Nakamura began his professional career with J1 League club Yokohama Marinos in 1997.  Later,  he played with Reggina in Serie A.  After he left Celtic, he played briefly for Espanyol in La Liga. He played in three World Cup Finals, but he was not selected for the World Cup Finals in 2002 at home. 

AM:  Hidetoshi Nakata 中田 英寿
Hidetoshi Nakata was the most talented Japanese player of his generation and the first Japanese player who reached stardom in Europe.  He scored 10 goals in his first season with Perugia in Serie A for the 1998-1999 season.  He had a successful substitute role with AS Roma, but he never settled down after his first season.  He also played with Parma, Fiorentina and Bologna.  He later went to play in England with Bolton Wanderers. He picked up 77 caps between 1997 and 2006.  He went to three World Cup Finals: 1998, 2002 and 2006. He retired at the age of 29.

Hidetoshi Nakata

AM/RM/CM: Keisuke Honda 本田 圭佑
Keisuke Honda is the current star of the Japanese national team.  He played domestic football in Holland and Russia before making a dream move to Serie A's AC Milan in 2014. Since 2017, he played in Mexico for C.F. Pachuca. At the end of his career, he played in many places around the world. Since 2008, he has been a regular member of the national team. He was capped 98 times. He played in two World Cup Finals: 2010 and 2014. He also won the Asian Cup in 2011.

AM/RW/LW:  Shinji Kagawa 香川 真司
Shinji Kagawa began his professional career in his homeland with Cerezo Osaka before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2010. After two years with Dortmund, Kagawa signed for Manchester United on a four-year contract, but could not settle down in Old Trafford. Two years later, he returned to Dortmund, where again he was a star player. Since 2008, he has over 90 caps. He was a member of the 2014 World Cup team while controversially left off the 2010 team. He was Asian Player of the Year in 2012.

Shinji Kagawa 

FW: Ryuichi Sugiyama 杉山 隆一
Ryuichi Sugiyama played for Japan national team from 1961 to 1971.  He won the bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He also participated in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and scored 2 goals.  He spent his entire career with Mitsubishi.  In his 8 seasons, he played all matches except one game in 1970 season. He was selected in the Best Eleven in every single one of these seasons. He was Japanese Football Player of the Year three times: 1964, 1969, 1973.

FW:  Kazuyoshi Miura 三浦 知良
Kazuyoshi Miura became the first Japanese footballer to play in Italy, joining Genoa for the 1994-1995 season.  He was the Asian Player of the Year in 1993.  Despite being the best Japanese player in the 1990's, he never played in the World Cup Finals.  He was not selected for the 1998 WC in France. He had 89 caps between 1990 and 2000. On 5 March 2017, Miura became the oldest ever player to feature in a professional match when he started in Yokohama's 1–1 draw against V-Varen Nagasaki. 

Kazuyoshi Miura 

ST: Shinji Okazaki  岡崎 慎司 
In 2005, Okazaki made his professional debut with Shimizu S-Pulse.  He played in Germany with Stuttgart and Mainz.  In 2015, he joined Leicester Town.  He was an unsung her in Leicester winning the Premiership in 2015-2016 season.  He moved to Spain after Leicester Town. He was AFC Player of the Year. For Japan, he was capped 119 times between 2008 and 2019, scoring 50 goals. He went to three World Cup Finals: 2010, 2014 and 2018.

ST:  Kunishige Kamamoto  釜本 邦茂
Kunishige Kamamoto won the bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals. He is often considered to be the greatest Japanese football player of all-time. He also played at 1966, 1970 and 1974 Asian Games.  He played his entire career with Yanmar Diesel(Cerezo Osaka), being the Japan Soccer League's top scorer 6 times with his club. He served as a member of the House of Councillors between 1995 and 2001.

Kunishige Kamamoto 

Honorable Mention

Kenzo Yokoyama (横山 謙三) , Shigetatsu Matsunaga (松永成立), Shusaku Nishikawa (西川 周作), Akira Kaji (加地亮), Yuichi Komano (駒野 友一), Hisashi Kato (加藤 久), Takaji Mori (森 孝慈), Hiroki Sakai (酒井 宏樹), Takumi Horiike (堀池巧), Satoshi Tsurumi (都並 敏史), Gotoku Sakai ((酒井 高徳), Yoshitada Yamaguchi (山口 芳忠), Naoki Soma (相馬 直樹), Alessandro dos Santos (三都主), Naoki Matsuda (松田直樹), Yasuyuki Konno (今野泰幸), Akita Yutaka (秋田 豐), Tetsuji Hashiratani (柱谷哲二), Yuki Abe (阿部 勇樹) and Kou Itakura (板倉滉), Hiroshi Nanami (名波 浩), Junichi Inamoto (稲本 潤一), Yasuyuki Konno (今野 泰幸), George Yonashiro (与那城 ジョージ), Sergio Echigo (セルジオ越後) and Daishiro Yoshimura (吉村 大志郎) , Naohiro Takahara (高原 直泰), Takuya Takagi (高木 琢也) , Atsushi Yanagisawa (柳沢 敦), Masashi Nakayama (中山 雅史), Yuichi Komano (駒野 友一), Shinji Ono (小野 伸二), Hiromi Hara (原 博実), Tatsuhiko Kubo (久保 竜彦), Yuya Osako (大迫 勇也), Taizo Kawamoto (川本 泰三).

Squad Explanation
-- The original team was created in 2014.  On June, 2021, I re-edited the team.  It was not a big overhaul as I did with South Korea.  I then completely redid the team in May, 2024.

-- Kunishige Kamamoto (釜本 邦茂), Yasuhiko Okudera (奥寺 康彦), Masami Ihara (井原 正巳), Kazuyoshi Miura (三浦 知良),  Hidetoshi Nakata (中田 英寿) and Shunsuke Nakamura (中村 俊輔) are the greatest ever footballers from Japan.  They are automatic selections.

-- Before the 1990's, the standard of Japanese football was not very good.  However, Kunishige Kamamoto and Yasuhiko Okudera were the two big names before the 1990's generation.  They were well-known outside Japan. Kazushi Kimura was a very good midfielder, but was less well-known outside of Japan.

-- Japan's first ever World Cup Finals was France 1998.  From that team, I selected Hidetoshi Nakata, Masami Ihara and Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi.  Kazuyoshi Miura was controversially left off the team.  He was largely considered among the greatest ever Japanese player.

-- Despite Japan's poor performance at the World Cup 2014 in Brazil, the Japanese players on the team were among the best ever.  I included 5 players from the 2014 team.   Keisuke Honda, Atsuto Uchida, Shinji Kagawa, Yuto Nagatomo and Yasuhito Endō are on my all-time team.  Some of the footballers established themselves by playing in Europe. The blog was first created in December, 2014.

-- Japan reached the second round of the 2018 World Cup Finals.  They nearly pulled an upset victory over Belgium in the round of 16.  It was their best result since 2002.  Goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima was heavily criticised for his performance, but he is on my team since 2014.  Maya Yoshida, Yuto Nagatomo, Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda were also selected since 2014.  In 2019, I added Shinji Okazaki and Makoto Hasebe.  

-- The IFFHS Men's All-Time Japan Dream Team showcased the following players Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, Yuto Nagatomo, Yuji Nakazawa, Masami Ihara, Yasuhiko Okudera, Shunsuke Nakamura, Hidetoshi Nakata, Shinji Kagawa, Keisuke Honda Kazuyoshi Miura and Kunishige Kamamoto. 

Goalkeeper

-- Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (川口能活) was probably the most talented goalkeeper ever in Japan.  He is sometimes ranked as Japan's greatest ever. However, he had attention lapse, where he never fulfilled his promise.  He still made this all-time team.  Eiji Kawashima (川島永嗣) went to four World Cup Finals.  He should be the one considered to be Japan's greatest ever.

-- In 2013, Seigo Narazaki (楢﨑 正剛) played in a total of 512 J.League matches, breaking the record for the most appearances in the league.

-- Shigetatsu Matsunaga (松永成立) was the first-choice GK when Japan won the 1992 Asian Cup, but he missed the final because of a red card.  He was also the starting goalkeeper for the match "Agony of Doha".  He alongside Shusaku Nishikawa (西川 周作) made honorable mention.  The younger fans might not know about Kenzo Yokoyama (横山 謙三) who led Japan to a bronze medal in the 1968 Olympics.  

-- At the time of writing, Zion Suzuki (鈴木 彩艶) is a young rising goalkeeper.  

Defenders

-- During their prime, Yuto Nagatomo (長友 佑都)  and Atsuto Uchida (内田篤人) showcased their talents on opposite sides of the field. They stood out as exceptional fullbacks from Japan. Nagatomo showcased his skills in Serie A, earning recognition as one of the league's finest fullbacks. Meanwhile, Uchida's remarkable performances earned him a place in the Bundesliga Team of the Season for both 2012-13 and 2013-14. Their outstanding contributions have firmly established them as the greatest fullbacks to ever emerge from Japan.  In recent years, Takehiro Tomiyasu (冨安 健洋) emerged as Japan's greatest defender.  His best position is probably a rightback, but he played all across the defensive line.

Takehiro Tomiyasu 

-- I decided to give honorable mentions to Akira Kaji (加地亮), Yuichi Komano (駒野 友一), Hiroki Sakai (酒井 宏樹) and Takumi Horiike (堀池巧) as Atsuto Uchida and Takehiro Tomiyasu have taken up the right back position on the team.

-- Yuto Nagatomo (長友 佑都) took up one leftback position. Yasuhiko Okudera (奥寺 康彦) whom I selected as a midfielders also played as a leftback.  This position was well-covered.  So I decided to take 5 central defenders.

-- Other prominent Japanese left-backs over the years included Satoshi Tsurumi (都並 敏史), Gotoku Sakai (酒井 高徳), and Naoki Soma (相馬 直樹). While primarily known as a winger or forward, Alessandro dos Santos (三都主) also earned caps for Japan as a left-back.  

-- Masami Ihara  (井原 正巳) was honored as the Asian Player of the Year in 1995 and was also selected for the prestigious AFC Century Award, cementing his legacy as one of the all-time great Asian footballers. However, Yuji Nakazawa (中澤佑二) may be considered Japan's greatest ever central defender. Mayo Yoshida (吉田 麻也) spent an extended period of his career playing in Europe, gaining  exposure on the international stage.  Then, Tulio Tanaka (田中マルクス闘莉王) and Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (宮本 恒靖) were rated as good as Yoshida.

-- Other standout Japanese center-backs include Naoki Matsuda (松田直樹), Yasuyuki Konno (今野泰幸), Akita Yutaka (秋田 豐), Tetsuji Hashiratani (柱谷哲二), Yuki Abe (阿部 勇樹), Hisashi Kato (加藤 久) and Kou Itakura (板倉滉).  Takaji Mori (森 孝慈)  played an impressive run of 32 consecutive international A matches, securing a bronze medal at the  1968 Olympics. 

-- I don't know Yoshitada Yamaguchi (山口 芳忠)'s position.  He was selected Best Eleven for 7 years in a row (1968-1974). So I put him on honorable mentions.

Midfielders/Wingers

-- In 2021, I added Makoto Hasebe (長谷部 誠) to the team.  By that time, he  had probably became Japan's greatest ever defensive midfielders.  He had led Japan to their best finish in the World Cup Finals up to that point.  Additionally, he received recognition by being named into the Europa League Team of the Season and the Kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season for the 2018-19 season.  Yasuhiko Okudera (奥寺 康彦) was the first Japanese footballer to play professionally in Europe, as well as being the first Asian football player to score in the European Cup.  Yasuhito Endō (遠藤 保仁) is Japan's most capped player, but outside Japan, he was not as famous as the other attack midfielders who established themselves playing in Europe. He was more of a deep lying playmaker whose play connected between defense and attack.  Keisuke Honda was normally an attack midfielder, but he could also play as a deep-lying playmaker as well as a winger.  

-- Hiroshi Nanami (名波 浩) was one of the first japanese footballers to play in Italy, but an injury in 2001 ended his international career.  His career would have been better. Junichi Inamoto (稲本 潤一) became a star at the 2002 World Cup Finals, but his career in Europe never lived up to expectation. They all made honorable mentions.

-- Hidetoshi Nakata (中田 英寿) made history as the first Asian player to make a breakthrough in Italy's Serie A. He gained widespread recognition as a significant discovery during the 1998 World Cup Finals. Although he had the potential to become one of Japan's greatest players, his career gradually slowed down following his time at AS Roma. Surprisingly, Nakata chose to retire before reaching the age of 30, without any notable injuries that would have necessitated an early departure from the sport.  In 2002, Japan controversially left out Shunsuke Nakamura (中村 俊輔) out the World Cup Finals.  He later proved himself to be a big star in Scotland.  He was among the best free kick specialist playing in Europe in his prime.  I do think Nakata might be a better player, but Nakamura had done better with his career.  As mentioned, I also selected Keisuke Honda(本田 圭佑).  He was a pivotal figure in Japan's World Cup campaigns in 2010, 2014, and 2018. He led Japan to the 2nd round in 2010, contributing a decisive goal against Cameroon and an impressive free kick against Denmark. His exceptional displays at the 2011 Asian Cup led to him being recognized as the Player of the Tournament.  This three were Japan's greatest attack midfielders.

Shunsuke Nakamura 

-- While Japan has produced a plethora of exceptional attacking midfielders, the country has had relatively fewer standout wingers in comparison.  For this team, I would use two attack midfielders on the right.  Keisuke Honda played on the right for AC Milan. Despite his failure to settle down with Manchester United, Shinji Kagawa (香川 真司) had a wonderful time with Borussia Dortmund.  He enjoyed a successful career in Germany. Basically, he was an attack midfielder, but he could play as a winger (both sides) or a secondary striker.  The fact that Japan lacked very good wingers helped him to the team.  As of 2024, Takefusa Kubo (久保 建英) is only 23 years old.  He has been playing on the right, but he would become a playmaker in the future.  He still has a long way before being considered.  

-- When it comes to Japan's greatest left winger, three notable names stand out:  Shinji Ono (小野 伸二), Kaoru Mitoma (三笘 薫) and Alessandro Santos (三都主 アレサンドロ). Shinji Ono (小野 伸二) was Asian Player of the Year in 2002. He was similar player as Kagawa, but Kagawa had a much better club career.  Mitoma made a name for himself at Brighton, showcasing his talent and skills. Alessandro Santos represented Japan on 80 occasions, leaving his mark on the national team.  However, these wingers don't carry the same merits as the attacking midfielders.  So I left them off the team while taking two more attack midfielders Kazushi Kimura (木村 和司) and Ruy Ramos (ラモス瑠偉).  Then, I would use Nakamura and Kagawa as my left-side attackers.

-- I considered dropping Kazushi Kimura (木村 和司), but this team lacked players who played before the 1990's. He was probably Japan's greatest player in the 1980's. His greatest asset lies in his precise free kicks, which have resulted in numerous goals. Perhaps the most memorable image is his free kick against the South Korean national team during the Asian qualifiers for the Mexico World Cup. That remarkable goal, effortlessly sailing over seven defenders, is still regarded as a legendary free kick to this day. 

-- The 23rd spot went to Ruy Ramos (ラモス瑠偉).  He made a significant impact on the history of Japanese football as one of the pioneering foreign players to become a star in Japan.  He also helped Japan to a victory in the 1992 Asian Cup.  It was a significant milestone for the national team as well.  The other players considered included Shinji Ono, Kaoru Mitoma and Alessandro Santos because this team might need an extra left-side attacker.  Masashi Nakayama was alsop seriously considered.

Ruy Ramos

-- George Yonashiro (与那城 ジョージ), Sergio Echigo (セルジオ越後) and Daishiro Yoshimura (吉村 大志郎) were Brazil-born footballers of Japanese descent who became naturalised Japanese internationals.  They all made big impact in Japanese football. I put them on honorable mentions.

Forwards

--Kazuyoshi Miura (三浦 知良) became the first Japanese footballer to play in Italy, when he joined Genoa for the 1994-1995 season. Remarkably, even at the age of 50, he continued to actively play the sport. Widely regarded as Japan's finest player, Miura's legacy remains unparalleled. Kunishige Kamamoto (釜本 邦茂) holds the record for the highest number of goals scored in Japan's history. His remarkable performance during the 1968 Mexico Olympics, where he netted seven goals, greatly contributed to Japan's achievement of a bronze medal. Both Miura and Kamamoto are undisputed selections for this Japan's All-Time team.  

-- Shinji Okazaki (岡崎 慎司) was a key player off the bench for Leicester won the Premiership in 2015-2016.  He is AFC International Footballer of the Year: 2016. At the time of writing, he is Japan's 3rd highest goal scorer. He was another sure-in player.

Shinji Okazaki 

-- However, apart from this three, Japan lacked a 4th iconic striker.  

-- Tatsuhiko Kubo (久保 竜彦) was incredibly popular for scoring numerous unforgettable goals that fans still remember. Takuya Takagi (高木 琢也) only played 44 matches for the national team due to injuries, but he scored has an astonishing 27 goals. Hiromi Hara (原 博実) was a tall striker in the 1970's who is the 4th all-time leading scorer for Japan. Naohiro Takahara (高原 直泰) played in Germany and Argentina, but he struggled there.  Yuya Osako (大迫 勇也) scoed 25 goals for the national team. He is still relatively young to be a serious candidate. Taizo Kawamoto (川本 泰三) played on the "Miracle of Berlin" match in 1936. He was also Japan's oldest ever international player.  They were some of the top forwards in Japan's history, They all made honroable mention.

-- For the 4th forward, I narrowed it down to either Masashi Nakayama (中山 雅史) and Ryuichi Sugiyama (杉山 隆一). Nakayama is a memorable player in the Japanese soccer world, having scored the first goal for the Japanese national team at the 1998 World Cup finals.  Sugiyama was selected Japanese Footballer of the Year 3 times (1964, 1969 and 1973).  He was a member of the 1968 Olympic team.  As one of the two biggest stars in Mexico, he was often compared to  Kunishige Kamamoto, but his playing career as a top player was shorter than Kamamoto due his injuries.  In the end, I took Sugiyama.

Formation

 スクワッドの説明

-- オリジナルのチームは2014年に作成されました。2021年6月に、私はチームを再編集しました。韓国のような大規模な大改革ではありませんでした。そして、2024年5月に完全にチームを再構築しました。

-- 釜本邦茂、奥寺康彦、井原正巳、三浦知良、中田英寿、中村俊輔は、日本の最も偉大なサッカー選手です。彼らは自動的に選ばれます。

-- 1990年代以前、日本のサッカーの水準はあまり高くありませんでした。しかし、釜本邦茂と奥寺康彦は1990年代以前の世代で有名な選手でした。彼らは日本国外でも知名度がありました。木村和司は非常に優れたミッドフィールダーでしたが、日本国外ではあまり知られていませんでした。

-- 日本の初めてのワールドカップ決勝戦は1998年のフランス大会でした。そのチームから、私は中田英寿、井原正巳、川口能活を選びました。三浦知良は議論の余地がある中でチームから外されました。彼は日本の最も偉大な選手の一人と広く考えられていました。

ブラジルで行われた2014年のワールドカップでの日本の不振にもかかわらず、日本の選手たちは史上最高のものでした。私は2014年のチームから5人の選手を含めました。本田圭佑、内田篤人、香川真司、長友佑都、遠藤保仁は私のオールタイムチームにいます。これらのサッカー選手の一部はヨーロッパでプレーすることで自己を確立しました。ブログは2014年12月に最初に作成されました。

-- 日本は2018年のワールドカップ決勝戦でベルギーに対して驚異的な勝利を収める寸前まで進みました。これは2002年以来の最高成績でした。ゴールキーパーの川島永嗣は彼のパフォーマンスについて強く批判されましたが、彼は2014年以来私のチームに選ばれています。吉田麻也、長友佑都、香川真司、本田圭佑もまた2014年以来選ばれました。2019年には岡崎慎司と長谷部誠を追加しました。

-- IFFHSのメンズオールタイム日本ドリームチームには、川口能活、長友佑都、中澤佑二、井原正巳、奥寺康彦、中村俊輔、中田英寿、香川真司、本田圭佑、三浦知良、釜本邦茂の選手が紹介されています。

ゴールキーパー

-- 川口能活はおそらく日本で最も才能あるゴールキーパーでした。彼は日本史上最高の評価を受けることもあります。しかし、彼は約束を果たせなかったという注目すべき欠点もありました。それでも彼はこのオールタイムチームに選ばれました。川島永嗣は4度のワールドカップ決勝戦に出場しました。彼こそが日本史上最高と考えられるべき選手です。

Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi 川口能活

-- 2013年、楢﨑正剛はJリーグの出場試合数記録を512試合に更新しました。

松永成立は1992年のアジアカップで優勝した時に主力のゴールキーパーでしたが、決勝戦でレッドカードを受けて欠場しました。また、「ドーハの悲劇」と呼ばれる試合でも先発ゴールキーパーを務めました。彼と西川周作も名誉ある言及を受けました。若いファンには、1968年のオリンピックで日本を銅メダルに導いた横山謙三について知らない人もいるかもしれません。

-- 現時点では、鈴木彩艶は若手の有望なゴールキーパーです。

ディフェンダー

-長友佑都と内田篤人は彼らの全盛期において、フィールドの対向する側で才能を発揮しました。彼らは日本出身の優れたサイドバックとして目立ちました。長友佑都はセリエAでの活躍により、リーグ屈指のサイドバックとして認められました。一方、内田篤人は2012-13シーズンと2013-14シーズンのブンデスリーガシーズンベストイレブンに選出されるなど、素晴らしいパフォーマンスを披露しました。彼らの優れた貢献は、彼らを日本出身の最高のサイドバックとして確固たるものにしました。近年では、冨安健洋が日本最高のディフェンダーとして台頭しました。彼の最も適したポジションはおそらく右サイドバックですが、彼は守備ライン全体でプレーしました。

-- 右サイドバックのポジションには内田篤人と冨安健洋が入っているため、加地亮、駒野友一、酒井宏樹、堀池巧に名誉あるメンションを与えることにしました。

-- 左サイドバックのポジションには長友佑都が入りました。ミッドフィールダーとして選んだ奥寺康彦も左サイドバックとしてプレーしました。このポジションは十分にカバーされていましたので、私は5人のセンターバックを選ぶことにしました。

奥寺康彦 Yasuhiko Okudera 

-- 過去には、他にも都並敏史、酒井高徳、相馬直樹など、著名な日本の左サイドバックが存在しました。また、ウインガーやフォワードとして主に知られている三都主アレサンドロも左サイドバックとして日本代表でプレーしていました。

-- 井原正巳は1995年にアジア年間最優秀選手に選ばれ、名誉あるAFCセンチュリーアワードにも選出されるなど、偉大なアジアのサッカー選手の一人としての地位を確立しました。ただし、中澤佑二は日本史上最も優れたセンターバックと考えられています。吉田麻也は長期間ヨーロッパでプレーし、国際舞台での経験を積みました。また、田中マルクス闘莉王と宮本恒靖も吉田と同様に評価されています。

-- その他の優れた日本のセンターバックには、松田直樹、今野泰幸、秋田豊、柱谷哲二、阿部勇樹、加藤久、板倉滉、森孝慈がいます。森孝慈は32試合連続での国際Aマッチ出場を果たし、1968年のオリンピックで銅メダルを獲得するなど、印象的な成績を残しました。

-- 山口芳忠のポジションはわかり申し訳ありませんが、山口芳忠に関しては私の知識が及んでおらず、詳細な情報を提供することができません。山口芳忠についての情報をお探しの場合は、別の情報源や専門家のアドバイスをご参考にされることをおすすめします。

ミッドフィールダー/ウインガー

-- 2021年、私は長谷部誠をチームに加えました。その時点で、おそらく彼は日本史上最も偉大な守備的ミッドフィールダーとなっていました。彼は日本をワールドカップ決勝トーナメントで最高の成績に導いたことでも知られています。さらに、彼は2018-19シーズンのUEFAヨーロッパリーグベストイレブンとキッカーブンデスリーガシーズンベストイレブンに選ばれるなど、認められていました。奥寺康彦は、最初の日本人プロサッカー選手としてヨーロッパでプレーし、またヨーロピアンカップで得点を挙げた最初のアジア人サッカー選手でもありました。遠藤保仁は日本代表で最も出場試合数が多い選手ですが、日本国外ではヨーロッパで活躍した他の攻撃的ミッドフィールダーほどは有名ではありませんでした。彼は守備と攻撃のつながりを持つディープラインプレーメーカーでした。本田圭佑は通常攻撃的なミッドフィールダーでしたが、ディープラインプレーメーカーとして、またウインガーとしてもプレーすることができました。

-- 名波浩はイタリアでプレーした最初の日本人サッカー選手の一人でしたが、2001年の怪我により国際試合でのキャリアが終わりました。彼のキャリアはもっと良いものになっていたでしょう。稲本潤一は2002年ワールドカップ決勝トーナメントでスターとなりましたが、ヨーロッパでのキャリアは期待に応えることはありませんでした。彼らは名誉あるメンションとなりました。

-- 中田英寿はイタリアのセリエAでブレイクした最初のアジア人選手として歴史を作りました。彼は1998年ワールドカップ決勝トーナメントでの重要な発見として広く認知されました。彼は日本の偉大な選手の一人になる可能性がありましたが、ASローマでの時間を経てキャリアは徐々に減速しました。驚くべきことに、彼は30歳に達する前に引退を選びましたが、早期離脱を必要とする目立った怪我はありませんでした。2002年、日本は中村俊輔をワールドカップ決勝トーナメントから除外しましたが、彼は後にスコットランドで大スターとなりました。彼は最盛期にはヨーロッパで最高のフリーキックスペシャリストの一人でした。私は中田がより優れた選手かもしれますが、中村はキャリアでより良い成績を収めていました。先に述べたように、私はまた本田圭佑も選びました。彼は2010年、2014年、2018年の日本のワールドカップキャンペーンで重要な存在でした。彼は2010年に日本を2次ラウンドに導き、カメルーン戦で決定的なゴールとデンマーク戦での印象的なフリーキックを貢献しました。彼の2011年アジアカップでの素晴らしいプレーは、彼が大会の最優秀選手として認められる結果となりました。彼らは日本の偉大な攻撃的ミッドフィールダーです。

-- n日本は優れた攻撃的ミッドフィールダーを多く輩出してきましたが、比較的には目立つウィンガーは少なかったです。このチームでは、右サイドに2人の攻撃的ミッドフィールダーを配置します。ACミランで右サイドでプレーした本田圭佑がいます。マンチェスターユナイテッドでの定着には失敗しましたが、香川真司はブルシア・ドルトムントで素晴らしい時期を過ごしました。彼はドイツで成功したキャリアを築きました。基本的には攻撃的ミッドフィールダーでしたが、ウィンガーやセカンドストライカーとしてもプレーできました。日本が非常に優れたウィンガーを欠いていたことが、彼が代表チームに選ばれることを助けました。2024年現在、久保建英はたった23歳です。彼は右サイドでプレーしていますが、将来的にはプレーメーカーとなるでしょう。彼はまだ評価されるには長い道のりがあります。

Keisuke Honda 本田 圭佑

-- 日本最高の左ウィンガーについては、3人の著名な選手が挙げられます。小野伸二、三笘薫、三都主アレサンドロです。小野伸二は2002年のアジア最優秀選手賞を受賞しました。彼は香川と似たタイプの選手でしたが、香川の方がクラブでのキャリアがより優れていました。三笘薫はブライトンで才能と技術を発揮し、名を馳せました。三都主アレサンドロは日本代表として80試合に出場し、代表チームに大きな影響を与えました。しかし、これらのウィンガーは攻撃的ミッドフィールダーほどの実績を持っていないため、このチームからは外しました。その代わりに、木村和司を追加しました。左サイドの攻撃者として中村俊輔と香川真司を起用します。

-- 木村和司を外すことも検討しましたが、このチームには1990年代以前に活躍した選手が不足していました。彼はおそらく1980年代の日本最高の選手でした。彼の最大の武器は正確なフリーキックであり、数々のゴールにつながりました。特に記憶に残るのは、メキシコワールドカップのアジア予選で韓国代表に対して放ったフリーキックです。7人の守備選手を軽々と越えてゴールに飛び込んだその素晴らしいゴールは、今でも伝説的なフリーキックとして称賛されています。

-- ラモス瑠偉（Ruy Ramos）は、日本のサッカー史において外国人選手の草分けの一人として大きな影響を与えました。彼はまた、1992年のアジアカップで日本を勝利に導いたこともありました。これは日本代表にとっても重要な節目でした。

-- 与那城 ジョージ）、セルジオ越後）、吉村 大志郎は、日系ブラジル人のサッカー選手であり、日本国籍を取得し、日本代表になった選手です。彼らはいずれも日本のサッカー界に大きな影響を与えました。彼らを名誉あるメンションに入れました。

フォワード

-- 三浦知良は、1994-1995シーズンにジェノアに加入し、イタリアでプレーした最初の日本人サッカー選手となりました。驚くべきことに、50歳になってもなお、積極的にサッカーをプレーし続けました。日本最高のプレイヤーと広く認識されている三浦の遺産は比類のないものです。釜本邦茂は、日本の歴史で最も多くの得点を挙げた記録を保持しています。彼の素晴らしいパフォーマンスは、1968年のメキシコオリンピックでの7得点を含み、日本が銅メダルを獲得する一役を大きく果たしました。三浦と釜本は、日本のオールタイムチームにおいて疑いのない選手です。

-- 岡崎慎司は、レスターが2015-2016シーズンにプレミアリーグを制する際にベンチからの重要な選手でした。彼はAFCイントゥ・ザ・イヤー：2016を受賞しました。執筆時点では、彼は日本の歴代3位の得点者です。彼もまた、確実な選手でした。

-- 久保竜彦は、数々の忘れられないゴールを決め、非常に人気がありました。高木琢也は怪我のために代表での出場がわずか44試合でしたが、驚くべき27ゴールを挙げました。原博実は1970年代の長身ストライカーであり、日本の歴代4位の得点者です。高原直泰はドイツとアルゼンチンでプレーしましたが、そこでは苦戦しました。大迫勇也は代表チームで25ゴールを挙げました。彼はまだ比較的若く、真剣な候補となるには若干です。川本泰三は1936年の「ベルリンの奇跡」の試合に出場しました。彼はまた、日本史上最年長の代表選手でもありました。彼らは日本の歴史上トップのフォワードの一部であり、名誉あるメンションとなりました。

-- 4番目のフォワードについては、中山雅史と杉山隆一のどちらかに絞り込みました。中山は日本サッカー界で記憶に残る選手であり、1998年ワールドカップ決勝トーナメントで日本代表の初得点を挙げたことで知られています。杉山は日本年間最優秀選手賞を3度（1964年、1969年、1973年）受賞しました。彼は1968年のオリンピックチームの一員でもありました。メキシコで最も輝いた2人のスターの1人として、釜本邦茂としばしば比較されましたが、怪我のためにトッププレーヤーとしてのキャリアは釜本よりも短かったです。結果的に、私は杉山を選びました。

Ryuichi Sugiyama 杉山 隆一

Formation