Women's national volleyball team representing Japan
The Japan women's national volleyball team (Hinotori Nippon, 火の鳥NIPPON), or All-Japan women's volleyball team , is currently ranked 7th[4] in the world by FIVB. The head coach is Masayoshi Manabe .
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.
Masae Kasai standing in the center of podium as the captain of Oriental Witches [ja] ,[5] 1964 Tokyo Olympics Women's VolleyballJapan 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 .[6]
Medals
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.[7] 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.[8] 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 .[9] 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 .
2020 Tokyo Olympics Japan was the host nation for the 2020 Summer Olympics . The other teams in their group in Tokyo were Kenya , Serbia, Brazil, Korea and the Dominican Republic.[10] Japan's opening match was on 25 July 2021 in Tokyo against Kenya.[11] They beat Kenya in their first match in straight sets[12] and lost against Serbia, Brazil, Korea and the Dominican Republic which caused them to miss the qualification for the quarterfinals.[13]
Winner of 6 major world titles #, & – Twice 3 Straight Major titles in 1960s and 1970s
(World Women's Volleyball Championship, World Cup, Olympic Games)
Results
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 – 8th place 2008 – 7th place 2012 – Bronze Medal 2016 – 8th place 2020 – 10th place 2024 – 9th place
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 2022 – 5th place 2025 – Qualified
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
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 2021 – 4th place 2022 – 7th place 2023 – 7th place 2024 – Silver Medal
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 2022 – Silver Medal
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 2021 – Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 2023 – Bronze Medal
Asian Cup 2008 — 4th place 2010 — 4th place 2012 — 5th place 2014 — 4th place 2016 — 4th place 2018 — Silver Medal 2022 — Gold Medal
Head-to-head record This page shows Japan women's national volleyball team's Head-to-head record at the Volleyball at the Summer Olympics , FIVB Women's Volleyball Nations League .
Team
Current squad The following is the Japan roster in the 2024 Summer Olympics [14]
Head coach: Masayoshi Manabe
Former squads Head coach: Tadayoshi Yokota
1996 Olympic Games — 9th place (tied) 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 (qualified) 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 (tied) 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 (qualified) 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 (tied) 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 (c), 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 (c), 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 (c), 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 (c), 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 .2020 Summer Olympics — 10th Place Erika Araki (c), Ai Kurogo , Sarina Koga , Kanami Tashiro , Mayu Ishikawa , Haruyo Shimamura , Mako Kobata, Yuki Ishii , Mai Okumura , Aki Momii , Kotona Hayashi and Nichika Yamada , Head coach : Kumi Nakada 2022 World Championship — 5th Place Sarina Koga (c), Mami Uchiseto , Mayu Ishikawa , Haruyo Shimamura , Arisa Inoue , Aki Momii , Kotona Hayashi , Nichika Yamada , Satomi Fukudome, Mami Yokota, Airi Miyabe , Nanami Seki , Ameze Miyabe and Yoshino Sato, Head coach : Masayoshi Manabe .2024 Summer Olympics — 9th Place Sarina Koga (c), Koyomi Iwasaki , Kotona Hayashi , Mayu Ishikawa , Nanami Seki , Manami Kojima, Arisa Inoue , Nichika Yamada , Satomi Fukudome, Airi Miyabe , Ayaka Araki and Yukiko Wada, Head coach : Masayoshi Manabe
Coaches history
Gallery 1964 Tokyo Olympics Women's Volleyball
Sata Isobe spiking ball against Soviet Union National Team, 1964 Tokyo Olympics Women's Volleyball
Emiko Miyamoto at the 1964 Olympics
Yuriko Handa at the 1964 Olympics
Masae Kasai standing in the center of podium as the team leader, 1964 Tokyo Olympics Women's Volleyball
See also
References ^ "Nickname:HINOTORI NIPPON". jva.or.jp. ^ "JVA". ^ "AVC". ^ "FIVB Senior World Ranking - Women". The FIVB . FIVB. Retrieved 14 December 2018 . ^ Remembering Volleyball's 'Oriental Witches' - The New York Times ^ "LONDON 2012 VOLLEYBALL, VOLLEYBALL WOMEN". olympic.org. August 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2015 . ^ "Brazil, Japan reach semifinals". ESPN.com . 8 August 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2015 . ^ "Japan humbled by Brazil in women's volleyball semifinals, to play S. Korea for bronze". The Japan Times. 10 August 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2015 . ^ "Japan beats South Korea for historic volleyball bronze". The Japan Times. 12 August 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2015 . ^ "Kenya Unveil Roster For The Tokyo Olympics". fivb.com . 26 June 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021 . ^ "Kenya Unveil Roster For The Tokyo Olympics". This is Volleyball . 26 June 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021 . ^ "Malkia Strikers go down to Japan in Olympics opener". Citizentv.co.ke . Retrieved 25 July 2021 . ^ NEWS, KYODO. "Olympics: Dominican Republic ends Japan women's volleyball quest". Kyodo News+ . Retrieved 26 August 2021 . ^ バレーボール女子日本代表チーム 第33回オリンピック競技大会(2024/パリ)出場内定選手12人および交替選手1人決定 [Japan Women's Volleyball National Team announces 12 players and 1 substitute for the 33rd Olympic Games (Paris 2024)] (in Japanese). Japan Volleyball Association . 1 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024 . ^ "New women's volleyball coach Nakada ready for challenge". japantimes.co.jp. Retrieved 27 August 2021 . ^ "女子バレー 中田久美監督が退任「不本意な結果、大変申し訳ない」後任は未定" (in Japanese). yahoo.co.jp. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021 .
External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Japan women's national volleyball team.
Official website FIVB profile Video of the moments of victory and of awarding gold medal in 1964 Tokyo Olympics