Japan Soccer Team Begin Training for 2026 World Cup

May 26, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Japan's national soccer team began a domestic training camp in Chiba on May 25th ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, with 13 players including 39-year-old Yuto Nagatomo of FC Tokyo and Daichi Kamada of Eintracht Frankfurt taking part in the opening session.

Nagatomo was selected for his fifth consecutive World Cup squad, the most appearances by a Japanese player in the tournament's history. The remaining squad members are expected to join the camp in stages.

Japan will face Iceland in a farewell match at MUFG Stadium in Tokyo on May 31st before departing for Monterrey, Mexico, on June 2nd for a pre-tournament camp.

The team will then move to its base camp in Nashville in the United States as preparations continue for its opening Group F match against the Netherlands on June 14th local time, which will be played on June 15th in Japan time.

Japan Squad

GK
Tomoki Hayakawa / Keisuke Osako / Zion Suzuki

DF
Yuto Nagatomo / Shogo Taniguchi / Ko Itakura
Tsuyoshi Watanabe / Takehiro Tomiyasu / Hiroki Ito
Ayumu Seko / Yukinari Sugawara / Junnosuke Suzuki

MF/FW
Wataru Endo / Junya Ito / Daichi Kamada / Koki Ogawa
Daizen Maeda / Ritsu Doan / Ayase Ueda / Ao Tanaka
Keito Nakamura / Kaishu Sano / Takefusa Kubo / Yuito Suzuki
Kento Shiogai / Keisuke Goto

Source: Kyodo

Fire Destroys Historic Arima Inari Shrine

A fire broke out at Arima Inari Shrine near the Arima Onsen hot spring resort area in Kobe on the night of June 9th, destroying multiple buildings and leaving an elderly Shinto priest and his wife with minor injuries.

Japan Ranks Last Among OECD Countries in Sleep

Japan, which records the shortest average sleep duration among OECD countries, is launching new efforts to tackle widespread sleep deprivation, including the opening of specialized sleep disorder departments and programs aimed at improving children's sleep habits through sports and physical activity.

Japan National Team Holds First Training Session in Nashville

Japan's national soccer team arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 8th from Monterrey, Mexico, where it had been conducting a pre-World Cup training camp, and held its first practice session at its base camp for the FIFA World Cup in North America.

Sakurajima Eruption Blankets Kagoshima in Volcanic Ash

A prolonged eruption at Sakurajima on June 7th blanketed parts of Kagoshima City in volcanic ash, turning roads gray and prompting long lines of vehicles seeking car washes after a plume of smoke rose 1,300 meters above the crater.

Japan Lifts Tsunami Advisories After Philippines Quake

A powerful earthquake struck off Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines at 8:38 a.m. (Japan time) on June 8th, generating tsunami waves across parts of the Pacific, causing building collapses and casualties near the epicenter, and prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue tsunami advisories along a wide stretch of Japan's Pacific coastline before lifting all of them at 4:50 p.m.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sports NEWS

Japan Steps Up World Cup Preparations in Mexico

Japan's national football team continued preparations for the FIFA World Cup in North America on June 6th, holding a partially closed training session near Monterrey, Mexico, on the fourth day of its pre-tournament camp.

Samurai Blue Eye Historic Breakthrough in 2026 World Cup

Expectations for Japan are unusually high heading into the 2026 World Cup, with the team now aiming not merely to reach the knockout stage but to finally break through the Round of 16 and advance to the quarterfinals for the first time.

Japan Soccer Team Starts Training in Sweltering Monterrey Heat

The Japan national football team has begun its pre-World Cup training camp in Monterrey, Mexico, as players prepare for the tournament under challenging conditions, including temperatures exceeding 33 degrees Celsius.

Thousands Dive Into Ariake Mudflats for Gatalympics

The annual Gatalympics festival was held on the mudflats of the Ariake Sea in Kashima City, Saga Prefecture, drawing about 1,400 participants from 13 countries and regions who battled through a series of unique mud-based events while becoming thoroughly covered in mud.

Beach Volleyball Sisters Chase Asian Games Dream

A pair of sisters from Aichi Prefecture are closing in on a dream they have pursued for nearly a decade, with Ren Matsumoto and Non Matsumoto aiming to secure a place at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after rising to the top of Japan's beach volleyball rankings through years of family sacrifice and determination.

Japan Volleyball Player Busted Over Marijuana Possession

Volleyball player Shunichiro Sato, a member of Japan’s men’s national team, was arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of possessing marijuana after allegedly leaving a bag containing the drug at a pachinko parlor in Tokyo.

Giants Manager Quits After Arrest Over Alleged Assault on Daughter

Yomiuri Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe resigned on May 26th after being arrested on suspicion of assaulting his eldest daughter at the family’s home in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward, a scandal that has sent shockwaves through Japanese professional baseball just before the start of interleague play.

Japan Soccer Team Begin Training for 2026 World Cup

Japan's national soccer team began a domestic training camp in Chiba on May 25th ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, with 13 players including 39-year-old Yuto Nagatomo of FC Tokyo and Daichi Kamada of Eintracht Frankfurt taking part in the opening session.

< 2 3 4 5 >