Japan
FIFA #17
Beat Germany. Beat Spain. The Blue Samurai are no longer a pleasant surprise — they're a genuine threat, and every opponent knows it going in.
📍 In the US
Staged out of Los Angeles, where the Japanese-American community has deep roots and Little Tokyo and Sawtelle have already turned Blue Samurai blue. The Japan supporters will clean their stadium section after every match — stadium staff have been alerted and are reportedly touched.
Style
Intensely organized and disciplined, pressing the ball in packs and switching quickly from defense to attack through tight passing.
Rivals
South Korea. The rivalry carries the full weight of two nations' complicated history — on the pitch it's always more than a football match, and the result matters in ways that linger long after the final whistle.
Home Base
Japan's transformation into a serious football nation happened remarkably fast — the professional J-League only launched in 1993. The country now has millions of registered players, a fanbase known for cleaning stadiums after matches, and a team that casually beats Germany and Spain. It's been quite thirty years.
Human Rights
Freedom House
Political rights and civil liberties score (higher = more free)
Reporters Without Borders
Press Freedom Index ranking (lower = more free, out of 180 countries)
UN Human Development Index
Human Development Index score (higher = more developed, 0–1 scale)
Transparency International
Perceived public sector corruption — higher is cleaner
ILGA World
Legal status of same-sex relationships