Japan women's national volleyball team
The Japan women's national volleyball team, or All-Japan women's volleyball team, is currently ranked 6th in the world by FIVB. The current head coach is Kumi Nakada.
One of their greatest successes was at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, when they defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union on the way to the gold medal. Japan was qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics by winning the Women's Olympic Qualifier that was held from 8 May to 16 May in Tokyo, Japan. In Athens, Greece the team took fifth place in the overall-rankings.
Finally after almost three decades of medal drought in the Olympics, Japan took home the Bronze medal by defeating South Korea in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
History
2012 London Olympics
Japan qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics as the best Asian team in the 2012 FIVB Women's World Olympic Qualification Tournament.In the 2012 Olympics, Japan had been placed on Group A with Russian Federation, Italy, Dominican Republic, the host Great Britain and Algeria. Japan finished third in the Group. In the quarter-finals, Japan faced their old Asian rival China. Saori Kimura and Yukiko Ebata each scored 33 points in this thrilling game in which China were beaten by 3–2. It was their first win over China in 11 years as far as FIVB games are concerned. On 9 August 2012, the Japanese were outplayed by the defending champions Brazil in the semi-finals.
On 11 August 2012, Japan beat South Korea 3–0 in the bronze medal match. It is the first Olympics' volleyball medal for the Japanese since the 1984 Summer Olympics. On August 13, 2012, Japan Women's Team was ranked 3rd in the world behind United States women's national volleyball team and Brazil women's national volleyball team.
Winner of 6 major world titles
#, & – Twice 3 Straight Major titles in 1960s and 1970sResults
International
Olympic Games
- 1964 – Gold Medal
- 1968 – Silver Medal
- 1972 – Silver Medal
- 1976 – Gold Medal
- 1984 – Bronze Medal
- 1988 – 4th place
- 1992 – 5th place
- 1996 – 9th place
- 2004 – 5th place
- 2008 – 5th place
- 2012 – Bronze Medal
- 2016 – 5th place
- 2020 – TBA
World Championship
- 1960 – Silver Medal
- 1962 – Gold Medal
- 1967 – Gold Medal
- 1970 – Silver Medal
- 1974 – Gold Medal
- 1978 – Silver Medal
- 1982 – 4th place
- 1986 – 7th place
- 1990 – 8th place
- 1994 – 7th place
- 1998 – 8th place
- 2002 – 13th place
- 2006 – 6th place
- 2010 – Bronze Medal
- 2014 – 7th place
- 2018 – 6th place
World Cup
- 1973 – Silver Medal
- 1977 – Gold Medal
- 1981 – Silver Medal
- 1985 – 4th place
- 1989 – 4th place
- 1991 – 7th place
- 1995 – 6th place
- 1999 – 6th place
- 2003 – 5th place
- 2007 – 7th place
- 2011 – 4th place
- 2015 – 5th place
- 2019 – 5th place
World Grand Champions Cup
- 1993 – 4th place
- 1997 – 5th place
- 2001 – Bronze Medal
- 2005 – 5th place
- 2009 – 4th place
- 2013 – Bronze Medal
- 2017 – 5th place
- 2021 – TBA
FIVB World Grand Prix
- 1993 – 6th place
- 1994 – 4th place
- 1995 – 7th place
- 1996 – 8th place
- 1997 – 4th place
- 1998 – 7th place
- 1999 – 7th place
- 2000 – 8th place
- 2001 – 6th place
- 2002 – 5th place
- 2003 – 9th place
- 2004 – 9th place
- 2005 – 5th place
- 2006 – 6th place
- 2007 – 9th place
- 2008 – 6th place
- 2009 – 6th place
- 2010 – 5th place
- 2011 – 5th place
- 2012 – 9th place
- 2013 – 4th place
- 2014 – Silver Medal
- 2015 – 6th place
- 2016 – 9th place
- 2017 – 7th place
FIVB Nations League
- 2018 – 10th place
- 2019 – 9th place
Montreux Volley Masters
- 1989 – Bronze Medal
- 2001 – Bronze Medal
- 2005 – 4th place
- 2009 – 7th place
- 2010 – 7th place
- 2011 – Gold Medal
- 2013 – 5th place
- 2014 – 6th place
- 2015 – Silver Medal
- 2019 – Silver Medal
Continental
Asian Games
- 1962 – Gold Medal
- 1966 – Gold Medal
- 1970 – Gold Medal
- 1974 – Gold Medal
- 1978 – Gold Medal
- 1982 – Silver Medal
- 1986 – Silver Medal
- 1990 – Bronze Medal
- 1994 – Bronze Medal
- 1998 – Bronze Medal
- 2002 – Bronze Medal
- 2006 – Silver Medal
- 2010 – 6th place
- 2014 – 4th place
- 2018 – 4th place
Asian Championship
- 1975 – Gold Medal
- 1979 – Silver Medal
- 1983 – Gold Medal
- 1987 – Silver Medal
- 1989 – Bronze Medal
- 1991 – Silver Medal
- 1993 – Silver Medal
- 1995 – Bronze Medal
- 1997 – Bronze Medal
- 1999 – Bronze Medal
- 2001 – 4th place
- 2003 – Silver Medal
- 2005 – Bronze Medal
- 2007 – Gold Medal
- 2009 – Bronze Medal
- 2011 – Silver Medal
- 2013 – Silver Medal
- 2015 – 6th place
- 2017 - Gold Medal
- 2019 – Gold Medal
Asian Cup Volleyball Championship
- 2008 — 4th place
- 2010 — 4th place
- 2012 — 5th place
- 2014 — 4th place
- 2016 — 4th place
- 2018 — Silver Medal
Team
Current squad
The following is the Japanese roster in the 2019 Volleyball Women's World Cup.Head coach: Kumi Nakada
| No. | Name | Position | Date of birth | Height | Weight | Spike | Block | 2019–20 club |
| / | 21 5 1996 |  NEC Red Rockets | ||||||
| 3 7 1990 | Hisamitsu Springs | |||||||
| 11 7 1990 | Hisamitsu Springs | |||||||
| 3 8 1984 | Toyota Auto Body Queenseis | |||||||
| 1 9 1994 | Okayama Seagulls | |||||||
| / | 8 5 1991 | Hisamitsu Springs | ||||||
| 15 12 1993 | Denso Airbees | |||||||
| 7 3 1990 | Hitachi Rivale | |||||||
| 31 10 1990 | Denso Airybees | |||||||
| 14 | 15 8 1992 | JT Marvelous | ||||||
| 16 | / | 14 6 1998 | Toray Arrows | |||||
| 18 | 8 1 1991 | Saitama Ageo Medics | ||||||
| 21 | 19 7 1997 | Hitachi Rivale | ||||||
| 24 | 3 4 1991 | JT Marvelous | ||||||
| 28 | / | 14 5 2000 | Toray Arrows |
Former squads
- 1994 squad:
| No. | Name | Date of birth | Height | 1994 club |
| 1 | Motoko Obayashi | 15.06.67 | Hitachi | |
| 2 | Aki Nagatomi | 17.07.69 | Hitachi | |
| 3 | Chie Natori | 09.08.69 | Daiei | |
| 4 | Mika Yamauchi | 07.10.69 | Daiei | |
| 6 | Tomoko Yoshihara | 04.02.70 | Hitachi | |
| 7 | Kiyoko Fukuda | 04.08.70 | Hitachi | |
| 8 | Miho Murata | 03.09.70 | Hitachi | |
| 9 | Asako Tajimi | 26.02.72 | Hitachi | |
| 12 | Yumi Natta | 12.07.69 | Daiei | |
| 13 | Naomi Eto | 12.07.72 | Hitachi | |
| 16 | Maki Fujiyoshi | 24.05.74 | Hitachi | |
| 17 | Miyuki Shimasaki | 13.10.74 | Hitachi | |
| 5 | Kazuyo Matsukawa | 07.01.70 | Daiei | |
| 10 | Kumiko Sakamoto | 13.12.72 | Daiei | |
| 14 | Minako Onuki | 15.10.72 | NEC | |
| 15 | Miho Ota | 27.10.73 | Hitachi | |
| 18 | Eiko Yasui | 08.05.71 | Kanagawa |
- 1996 Olympic Games — 9th place
- :Kaiyo Hoshini, Aki Nagatomi, Kazumi Nakamura, Chieko Nakanishi, Motoko Obayashi, Ikumi Ogake, Mika Saiki, Kiyomi Sakamoto, Asako Tajimi, Chiho Torii, Mika Yamauchi, and Tomoko Yoshihara. Head Coach: Kuniaki Yoshida.
- 1999 FIVB World Cup — 6th place
- :Naomi Eto, Megumi Itabashi, Chikako Kumamae, Hitomi Mitsunaga, Junko Moriyama, Ikumi Ogake, Minako Onuki, Yuka Sakurai, Miki Sasaki, Hiromi Suzuki, Asako Tajimi, and Hiroko Tsukumo. Head Coach: Nobushika Kuzuwa.
- 2002 World Championship — 14th place
- :Makiko Horai, Sachiko Kodama, Chikako Kumamae, Hisako Mukai, Kanako Naito, Minako Onuki, Ai Otomo, Kana Oyama, Yuko Sano, Sachiko Sugiyama, Miyuki Takahashi, and Shinako Tanaka. Head Coach: Masahiro Yoshikawa.
- 2003 FIVB World Cup — 5th place
- :Tomoko Yoshihara, Chie Tsuji, Miki Sasaki, Kanako Omura, Yoshie Takeshita, Miyuki Takahashi, Makiko Horai, Yuko Sano, Sachiko Sugiyama, Saori Kimura, Kana Oyama, and Megumi Kurihara. Head Coach: Shoichi Yanagimoto.
- 2004 Olympic Qualification Tournament — 1st place
- :Tomoko Yoshihara, Chie Tsuji, Ikumi Narita, Miki Sasaki, Kanako Omura, Yoshie Takeshita, Miyuki Takahashi, Sachiko Sugiyama, Ai Otomo, Kana Oyama, Megumi Kurihara, and Saori Kimura. Head Coach: Shoichi Yanagimoto.
- 2004 Olympic Games — 5th place
- :Tomoko Yoshihara, Chie Tsuji, Ikumi Narita, Miki Sasaki, Kanako Omura, Yoshie Takeshita, Miyuki Takahashi, Sachiko Sugiyama, Ai Otomo, Kana Oyama, Megumi Kurihara, and Saori Kimura. Head Coach: Shoichi Yanagimoto.
- 2005 FIVB World Grand Prix — 5th place
- :Erika Araki, Makiko Horai, Megumi Itabashi, Ayako Onuma, Ai Otomo, Yuka Sakurai, Miki Shimada, Kaoru Sugayama, Sachiko Sugiyama, Yoshie Takeshita, Miyuki Takahashi, and Chie Yoshizawa. Head Coach: Shoichi Yanagimoto.
- 2008 Olympic Qualification Tournament — 3rd place
- :Erika Araki, Miyuki Kano, Yuki Kawai, Saori Kimura, Megumi Kurihara, Kanako Omura, Yuka Sakurai, Yuko Sano, Miyuki Takahashi, Sachiko Sugiyama, Yoshie Takeshita, and Asako Tajimi. Head Coach: Shoichi Yanagimoto.
- 2008 Olympic Games — 5th place
- :Erika Araki, Miyuki Kano, Yuki Kawai, Saori Kimura, Megumi Kurihara, Kanako Omura, Yuka Sakurai, Yuko Sano, Miyuki Takahashi, Sachiko Sugiyama, Yoshie Takeshita, and Asako Tajimi. Head Coach: Shoichi Yanagimoto.
- 2010 World Championship — 3rd place
- :Megumi Kurihara, Hitomi Nakamichi, Yoshie Takeshita, Kaori Inoue, Ai Yamamoto, Yuko Sano, Mai Yamaguchi, Mizuho Ishida, Erika Araki, Saori Kimura, Yukiko Ebata, Saori Sakoda, Akiko Ino, and Kanari Hamaguchi, Head Coach: Masayoshi Manabe.
- 2012 Olympic Games — Bronze Medal
- :Erika Araki, Saori Kimura, Yoshie Takeshita, Yukiko Ebata, Kaori Inoue, Ai Otomo, Yuko Sano, Mai Yamaguchi, Risa Shinnabe, Saori Sakoda, Maiko Kano, and Hitomi Nakamichi, Head Coach: Masayoshi Manabe.
- 2014 World Championship
- :Saori Kimura, Miyu Nagaoka, Hitomi Nakamichi, Arisa Takada, Arisa Satō, Mai Yamaguchi, Mizuho Ishida, Yuki Ishii, Risa Shinnabe, Yukiko Ebata, Saori Sakoda, Kana Ōno, Sayaka Tsutsui, and Haruka Miyashita, Head Coach: Masayoshi Manabe.
- 2016 Olympic Games — 5th place
- :Saori Kimura, Miyu Nagaoka, Arisa Satō, Mai Yamaguchi, Yuki Ishii, Saori Sakoda, Haruka Miyashita, Kanami Tashiro, Erika Araki, Yurie Nabeya, Haruyo Shimamura and Kotoki Zayasu, Head Coach: Masayoshi Manabe.
- 2018 World Championship — 6th Place
- :Nana Iwasaka, Koyomi Tominaga, Kanami Tashiro, Erika Araki, Mai Okumura, Haruyo Shimamura, Risa Shinnabe, Yuki Ishii, Sarina Koga, Ai Kurogo, Mami Uchiseto, Miyu Nagaoka, Kotoe Inoue, Mako Kobata, Head Coach: Kumi Nakada.