As we count down to the highly anticipated FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026, we take a closer look at the competing men's and women's teams ready to battle for global supremacy. In this special preview series, we profile each nation's journey to the tournament, examining their road to qualification, historic achievements, key players to watch, and the tactical minds leading them into the ultimate hockey showcase. In today’s story we take a look at the Japan women’s team, ranked #15 in the world.
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Japan are competing in their tenth FIH Hockey World Cup and seventh in succession. While their fourth-place finish at the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifier in Santiago (CHI) was just enough for their ticket to this year’s event, the outcome could so easily have been better. 4-0 wins over Canada and Malaysia either side of a narrow 2-1 defeat to Ireland moved Sakura Japan into the semi-finals where successive shoot-out losses to eventual champions Chile (semis) and Ireland (3/4 play-off) saw them miss out on the podium.
In June, the team endured a substandard Nations Cup campaign in Auckland, New Zealand, failing to reach the semi-finals before eventually finishing in sixth after another shoot-out defeat, this time at the hands of Korea. Despite that disappointment, Japan’s promising young team will be eager to test themselves against the very best in the shape of two-time winners Australia and reigning champions the Netherlands, the undisputed tournament favourites.
The team is captained by 28-year-old midfielder Amiru Shimada, while striker Hiroka Murayama, Shiho Kobayakawa and Akari Nakagomi are all capable of contributing to the scoreboard.
Nickname: Sakura Japan / Cherry Blossoms
How they qualified: 4th place – 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifier, Santiago (CHI)
Notable honours: 9th place – Olympic Games (2012), 10th place – Olympic Games (2016), 10th place – Rabobank Hockey World Cup (2014), 8th place – FIH Champions Trophy (2014), FIH Champions Challenge 1 gold medallists (2011), Asian Games gold medallists (2018), 3x Asian Games silver medallists (1986, 1994, 2006), 3x Asia Cup gold medallists (2007, 2013, 2022).
Rank in previous WC editions: 1978 – 6th, 1981 – 7th, 1990 – 11th, 2002 – 10th, 2006 – 5th, 2010 – 11th, 2014 – 10th, 2018 – 13th, 2022 – 11th
Head coach: Akira Takahashi. A member of the Japan Samurais team that competed at the 2002 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup in Kuala Lumpur (MAS), Akira Takahashi took charge of the Cherry Blossoms in 2025 after spending almost two decades as coaching the senior men’s team.
Quote: Head Coach, Akira Takahashi: At the World Cup, SAKURA JAPAN will show the world our unity, resilience, and fighting spirit by never giving up until the very end. Inspired by the support of our fans and carrying the pride of Japan, we will give everything we have in every match and compete together as one team.
Co-captains, Amiru Shimada and Yuu Kudo: We will take on the World Cup, a stage that comes only once every four years, with pride in representing SAKURA JAPAN and with the hopes of the players and staff who have built this team, as well as all those who continue to support us, in our hearts. In every match, we will draw on SAKURA JAPAN's resilience and unity, give everything we have as one team, and fight until the very end.
One to watch: Amiru Shimada. Japan’s influential captain has been a regular in the team since April 2019, when she launched her international career in a three-match series against Pool A opponents Chile, registering her first international goal with the winner in their second meeting.
FIH team / stats page:click here.
Japan Hockey Association website: www.en.hockey.or.jp
X: jha_hockey Facebook: @hockey.nationalteam
The FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 begins on 15 August, with both men’s and women’s teams in action on opening day across the Netherlands and Belgium. For more information on the competition including the competition format, pools and the complete match schedule, click here.
