Japan national baseball team
The Japan national baseball team, also known as Samurai Japan, is the national team representing Japan in international baseball competitions. It won the World Baseball Classic in 2006, 2009, and 2023, as well as the WBSC Premier12 in 2019. The team is currently ranked 1st in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.
The team has participated in every Summer Olympic Games since the first demonstration tournament in 1984, through when baseball was discontinued following the 2008 Beijing Games and again since it returned in Tokyo. Until 2000, the team was made up exclusively of amateur players. Since the 2000 Summer Olympics, the team has included players from Nippon Professional Baseball. The team that played in and won the 2006 World Baseball Classic included Japanese players from Major League Baseball as well. The team played in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, as it had qualified through the 2007 Asian Baseball Championship. Unlike the WBC roster, the Olympic team was composed exclusively of NPB players. Japan participated in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, finishing third.
Team Japan won the 2019 WBSC Premier12 Tournament. At the Olympics in 2021, it faced Israel, Mexico, South Korea, the United States, and the Dominican Republic, and won gold. At the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Japan defeated the defending champion United States to become the champions. Their 2023 win was their third World Baseball Classic championship, the most championships for any country.
Team Japan will compete in the 2026 World Baseball Classic in March 2026.
Nickname
The team has been nicknamed "Samurai Japan". Like other national teams in Japan, the nickname is usually prefixed with the surname of the manager. However, in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, the team used Samurai, a symbol of Japan's history, instead of Hara, the surname of their manager. In 2012, it was adopted officially.Results and fixtures
The following is a list of professional baseball match results currently active in the latest version of the WBSC World Rankings, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.;Legend
Regional competition
Asian Baseball Championship
Japan have dominated the Asian Baseball Championship since its inception, and have competed in every year. Japan have never missed out on placing in the top 3 in any tournament, and is the only team to have achieved this feat. Japan also holds the record for most consecutive Asian Championships, having won four times in a row on two occasions.Asian Games
In all four Asian Games to include baseball, Japan have placed in the top 3 in every tournament, though they have only won the tournament once in the first event held in Hiroshima in 1994.International competition
Image:WBC Japan Japan.jpg|thumb|right|2009 World Baseball Classic finals. Kenji Johjima and Yu DarvishImage:WBC Championship Trophy.JPG|thumb|right|World Baseball Classic Championship Trophy
World Baseball Classic
2006
Japan won the inaugural 2006 World Baseball Classic, defeating Cuba in the Final.2006 WBC roster
2009
Japan also won the 2009 World Baseball Classic, hosting the Pool A games in the Tokyo Dome. Japan started the tournament opener with a 4–0 win over China. Japan then secured advancement into the second round with a 14–2 win in seven innings over arch-rival South Korea. The game was shortened due to the WBC's mercy rule. Japan then played South Korea again to determine seeding for the second round. In the rematch, the Koreans shut out Japan 1–0, making Japan advance as the Pool A runner-up. In Pool 1 of the WBC quarter-finals, Japan defeated Cuba 6–0, but lost to Korea again 4–1. In the elimination match that followed, Japan secured a spot in the semi-finals with a 5–0 win over Cuba. Japan defeated South Korea in the Finals 5–3 partly because of an Ichiro Suzuki base hit in the 10th inning.2009 WBC roster
2013: The end of the championship streak
Japan, the two-time world defending champions, entered the 2013 World Baseball Classic, hosting Pool A games in the Fukuoka Dome, facing off against Cuba, China, and newcomers Brazil. Despite their first loss against the Cuban team, they secured their position for the second round in 2013 World Baseball Classic Pool 1 to face off the Netherlands and Chinese Taipei. The Japanese team narrowly won against Chinese Taipei 4–3, before proceeding to face off against the Dutch team, winning against them twice before proceeding to the semi-final round, along with the Netherlands, as they faced off against Puerto Rico. Despite Japan's efforts, they eventually lost 3–1 against the Puerto Rican team right after Alex Ríos scored two additional runs from a home run. Japan finished third in the 2013 WBC, as their two-time championship streak ended. The Japanese team bowed out to both the crowd and the Puerto Rican team as a gesture of respect.2013 WBC roster
2017
In the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Japan hosted Pool B games in the Tokyo Dome. They finished first round play with a 3–0 record and advanced to the second round. After batting.364, outfielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh was named the Pool B MVP. In the second round, Japan hosted Pool E games in the Tokyo Dome and again finished pool play with a 3–0 record, advancing to the championship round. However, Japan lost to the United States 2–1 in the semifinal. They finished the tournament in third place. Pitcher Kodai Senga was named to the All-World Baseball Classic Team.2017 WBC roster
2023
In the 2023 WBC, Japan again hosted Pool B games in the Tokyo Dome, going undefeated in four games with a 38–0 run differential. Shohei Ohtani was named the most valuable player of the pool. In the quarterfinals, Japan hosted Italy and won 9–3. According to the Nikkan Sports, 48 percent of all households in Japan watched the game, making it the most watched Samurai Japan game ever, beating the previous record set during the pool game against South Korea six days earlier.After traveling to the Miami, Japan faced Mexico in the semifinal. Thanks to a home run robbery and double from Randy Arozarena, Mexico led 5–3 after the top of the eighth inning. Japan scored once in the bottom of the eighth, then two decisive runs in the bottom of the ninth on a double by Munetaka Murakami for a 6–5 win. In the championship, Japan beat the United States, with Ohtani striking out his then-MLB teammate Mike Trout to end the game. Ohtani was named the tournament MVP and the DH and a pitcher on the all-WBC team. Outfielder Masataka Yoshida was also selected to the all-WBC team.