Japan national badminton team


The Japan national badminton team represents Japan in international badminton competitions. The Japanese women's team have won the Uber Cup 6 times, with their most recent being the 2018 Uber Cup. The men's team won their first Thomas Cup title in 2014. The mixed team were runners-up three times at the Sudirman Cup.
The Japanese badminton team has been prestigious in the Olympics, having won a gold medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics and a silver and 2 bronze medals.

Summer Olympic Games

Japan made its Olympic badminton debut when the sport became a full medal event at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The nation won its first-ever Olympic badminton medal at the 2012 London Olympics, where Mizuki Fujii and Reika Kakiiwa secured a silver in women's doubles. Japan's first gold medal came at the [Badminton at the 2016 Badminton Asia Team Championships|2016 Summer Olympics|2016 Rio Olympics] from Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi in women's doubles; at the same Games, Nozomi Okuhara claimed a bronze in women's singles, Japan's first medal in that discipline. Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino won the nation's first mixed doubles medal with a bronze in [Badminton at the 2020 Badminton Asia Team Championships|2020 Summer Olympics|2020 Tokyo Olympic] and followed it with another bronze in 2024 Paris Olympic, becoming the first Japanese badminton players to win medals in consecutive Olympics.

World Badminton Championships

Japan has competed in the BWF World Championships since the inaugural tournament in 1977, where Etsuko Toganoo and Emiko Ueno won the nation's first gold medal in women's doubles. After winning medals in 1980, the team did not secure another podium finish until 2003. The country's first medal in a men's event occurred in 2007, with a bronze in men's doubles.
Starting in 2017, the team secured several historical firsts. Nozomi Okuhara became Japan's first women's singles world champion that year. Kento Momota followed as the first Japanese men's singles champion, winning consecutive titles in 2018 and 2019. In women's doubles, Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara also claimed back-to-back gold medals during those years. In 2021, Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi became the nation's first world champions in men's doubles. With three women's singles titles, Akane Yamaguchi is Japan's most successful player across any discipline at the world championships. Mixed doubles remains the only discipline in which Japan has not yet won a title.

List of medalists



YearPlayerCategoryMedal

Most successful players

A list of Japanese players who have won at least two gold medals at the BWF World Championships.
PlayerCategoryTotalYear
Akane YamaguchiWomen's singles32021, 2022, 2025
Kento MomotaMen's singles22018, 2019
Mayu MatsumotoWomen's doubles22018, 2019
Wakana NagaharaWomen's doubles22018, 2019

Participation in BWF competitions

;Thomas Cup
YearResult
1964First round inter-zone
1967 Final round inter-zone
1979 Semi-finalists
1982Quarter-finalists
1984Group stage − 7th
1990Group stage − 5th / 6th
2004Quarter-finalists
2006Quarter-finalists
2008Quarter-finalists
2010 Semi-finalists
2012 Semi-finalists
2014 Champions
2016Quarter-finalists − 7th
2018 Runners-up
2020 Semi-finalists − 4th
2022 Semi-finalists − 4th
2024Quarter-finalists − 5th

;Uber Cup
YearResult
1966 Champions
1969 Champions
1972 Champions
1975 Runners-up
1978 Champions
1981 Champions
1984Group stage − 7th
1986Fourth place
1988Fourth place
1990 Semi-finalists
1992Group stage − 5th / 6th
1994Group stage − 6th
1996Group stage − 5th
1998Group stage − 5th
2000Group stage − 5th
2002Group stage − 6th
2004 Semi-finalists
2006Quarter-finalists
2008Group stage − 9th
2010 Semi-finalists
2012 Semi-finalists
2014 Runners-up
2016 Semi-finalists − 3rd
2018 Champions
2020 Runners-up
2022 Semi-finalists − 3rd
2024 Semi-finalists − 4th

Participation in Badminton Asia Team Championships

The Japanese women's team has achieved significant success in the Asia Team Championships, winning consecutive titles in 2018 and 2020 after finishing as runners-up in the inaugural 2016 edition. The men's team achieved their best result in 2016 as runners-up and subsequently reached the semifinals in 2020 and 2024. In the mixed team event, Japan won the inaugural tournament in 2017 and finished as runners-up in 2019.
Men's team
YearResult
2016 Runner-up
2018Quarter-finalist
2020 Semi-finalist
2022Group stage
2024 Semi-finalist

Women's team
YearResult
2016 Runner-up
2018 Champions
2020 Champions
2022 Semi-finalist
2024 Semi-finalist

Mixed team
YearResult
2017 Champions
2019 Runner-up
2023Quarter-finalist
2025 Semi-finalist

Junior competitive record

World Junior Championships (Individual)

Japan began achieving podium finishes at the World Junior Championships in 2007, when Kenichi Tago won the team's first medal in boys' singles. The nation secured its first gold medals in 2012 through Kento Momota in boys' singles and Nozomi Okuhara in girls' singles. Akane Yamaguchi successfully defended the girls' singles title in 2013 and 2014. As of 2025, Japanese players have won a total of 10 gold medals across four disciplines, with mixed doubles being the only category in which the team has not yet claimed a title.

Medals table

List of medalists

The following table lists the medalists in individual disciplines at the World Junior Championships:
YearPlayerCategoryMedal
Silver medal

Coaching staff

RoleName
Head coach

Team structure and selection

The composition of the Japan national team is determined by the Badminton Association of Japan. The national squad is divided into three primary categories based on age and performance levels:National Team: The primary squad consisting of approximately 32 players. The quota includes a maximum of 4 players for singles disciplines and 4 pairs for each doubles discipline.U24 National Team: A developmental squad for players who are under 24 years of age. The structure mirrors the main National Team with approximately 32 players.Junior National Team: This category is further divided into U19, U17, U15, and U13 squads to nurture younger talent.

Selection criteria

To be eligible for the National Team, athletes must hold Japanese nationality. Selection for the team is generally based on meeting one of the following criteria established by the BAJ:
  1. Domestic Performance: Winners of the All Japan Championships in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles are automatically selected.
  2. Japan Ranking: Players ranked first in the Japan Ranking released immediately after the All Japan Championships.
  3. International Achievements: Players who have won a medal at the Olympics or a gold medal at the World Championships during the fiscal year.
  4. World Ranking: The highest-ranked Japanese player or pair that is placed within the top 8 of the BWF World Ranking following the All Japan Championships.
  5. Association Recommendation: Players selected by the Strengthening Strategy Headquarters based on a comprehensive evaluation of their performance in major domestic and international tournaments, as well as their future potential.
Selection for the U24 National Team is primarily based on recommendations by the coaching staff, prioritizing players with high future potential who meet the age requirements.