World Cup: Slick Japan on mission to inspire new generation

Months before the World Cup began Japanese captain Saki Kumagai knew what the score was.

For women's football in her country, this tournament was — and remains — do or die, win or bust.

Because, despite all the flair, style and devastating counterattacks that Nadeshiko Japan have brought to the World Cup as they marched on to the quarter-finals after swatting aside Norway with a simple 3-1 victory in Wellington, women's football is far from thriving within Japan.

"I have a responsibility," Kumagai told DW. "I don't personally feel pressure, I just know my responsibility."

"Right now women’s football is not famous in Japan, so for us it is so important for the future of the sport and for young girls, that our women’s team in Japan becomes famous. 

"Of course we want to inspire the next generation," the former Bayern Munich defender added.

2011 triumph bore unrealistic expectations

Few former winners, ranked as high as No.11 in the world, would enter the World Cup with so little anticipation of their ability to lift the trophy again.

Yet, Japan arrived in New Zealand to little fanfare or noise, only to show their attacking prowess and defensive nous and strength as they won all three of the group matches without conceding a goal – picking up an impressive 4-0 win over a much-fancied Spain to top Group C.

Much of the antipathy surrounding the team began at home, with the decline in the popularity of women's football focused solely on results.

Having pulled off a major shock in 2011, when they won the World Cup, Japan reached the final four years later – but were overwhelmed by the United States.

But, Japan's Round of 16 loss to the Netherlands in 2019 put a nail in the coffin of the popularity of both the team and the sport as a whole.

"After we won the World Cup, a lot of girls started playing football," Kumagai explained to DW in March. "A lot of girls’ teams had better conditions and also a lot of people came to watch games in the Japanese league."

"Now the sport is less popular again and that's not good. Our national team hasn't won a lot recently and the Japanese people are less interested in the sport again."

'We must not worry about the past, only the future'

However, the impressive speed and agility of the team, especially 23-year-old Hinata Miyazawa whose goal against Norway was her fifth of the tournament, has shown glimpses of what they are capable of.

Kumagai was keen to express her pride at seeing her team replicate on the pitch what she knows they are capable of.

"We are such a good team together," she beamed after the win over Norway. "We want to continue to play this way with each other and to enjoy."

Head coach Futoshi Ikeda echoed his captain’s thoughts, adding: "We must not worry about the past but focus on what lies ahead."

"What we achieved so far was the result of our working as a team. We are working towards a goal and the atmosphere in the team means the strength of the team has been realized."

Possible blackout blighted build-up

At one stage there was a danger that the slick, impressive attacking play from Japan, that has seen them score 14 goals across four games thus, would not have been seen at home in Japan at all. 

FIFA's insistence on the competition being valued at a higher price than by local broadcasters ended in an impasse. 

As the last standout without a deal, the head of the country's domestic WE league, Haruna Takada, floated the idea of crowdfunding the money to ensure the World Cup would be shown.

Ikeda was robust about the importance of striking a deal, he told the Japan Times: "For women's soccer to develop in the future in Japan, it's important we have many people watching and supporting us."

At the very last moment on July 20, the day the tournament began, a deal between FIFA and the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, NHK, was agreed.

The importance of young girls being able to watch Miyazawa, who is leading the Golden Boot race with five goals and an assist, was reinforced by Kumagai.

"It’s important for girls to see us play, and to believe they can also play football in Japan," she said. "The style we are playing is Japanese style! I want us to show just what we can do."

"We can beat the best teams in the world and we get more and more confidence with our style of play."

Domestic league struggling to keep up

When Japan lifted the World Cup on home turf in 2011, the Japanese Football Association (JFA) were too unprepared for the spike in interest to take full advantage of it.

It took until 2021 for a fully-profession domestic league, the WE league, to be set up, but it still continues to fall far behind Europe and in the United States in standard and competitiveness.

The first year of the competition, which involves 12 teams, drew in average crowds of approximately 1,500. This year saw a drop to a little over 1,000 spectators per match.

Nine players from the 23-strong Japanese squad play overseas, including Kumagai who spent seven years at Olympique Lyonnais – winning five Champions League titles in the process – before winning the league with Bayern in 2023.

Regardless of where the players ply their trade, Ikeda pointed to how well they are gelling as a unit.

"Each player needs to grow and they have therefore chosen to play overseas," he explained.

"These ambitious players have the energy but also each player is growing, even the ones playing in Japan."

"We are showing what we can do when we come together."

The tournament's dark horses are certainly working as one and in doing so, showing young girls in Japan once again that there is future in women's football.

Edited by Michael Da Silva