Who is the head coach of Japan?

The head coach of Japan is Masaru Seino.

Who is the captain of Japan?

The captain of Japan is Toshiyuki Sakai.

Japan

WC D1A

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1997-1998

1997-1998 Season

Japan were 0-3 in the 1997-98 WC season with 0 points, 14th overall.

Embed Rosters

1997-1998 Japan Roster

Japan — 1997-1998 Roster
	#	Player	A	Born	Birthplace	HT	WT	S	League
GOALTENDERS
	#70	Dusty Imoo (G)	56	1970	New Westminster, BC, CAN	5'8"	150	L	JIHL
	#1	Shinichi Iwasaki (G)	58	1968	Kuriyama, JPN	5'10"	187	L	JIHL
	#27	Jiro Nihei (G)	55	1971	Stockholm, SWE	5'8"	165	L	JIHL
DEFENSEMEN
	#28	Daniel Daikawa (D)	55	1971	Apple Valley, MN, USA	5'10"	194	R	JIHL
	#11	Yutaka Kawaguchi (D)	53	1973	Kisarazy, JPN	5'9"	172	R	JIHL
	#7	Takayuki Kobori (D)	57	1969	Tomakomai, JPN	6'1"	216	L	JIHL
	#39	Hiroyuki Miura (D)	52	1973	Kushiro, JPN	6'3"	192	R	JIHL
	#36	Takayuki Miura (D)	59	1967	Hachinohe, JPN	6'0"	181	L	JIHL
	#5	Fumitaka Miyauchi (D)	54	1972	Sapporo, JPN	5'11"	185	L	JIHL
	#6	Takeshi Yamanaka (D)	55	1971		5'10"	183	R	JIHL
FORWARDS
	#40	Ryan Fujita (C)	54	1972	Lethbridge, AB, CAN	5'7"	163	R	JIHL
	#22	Yasunori Iwata (C)	53	1972	Sakai, JPN	5'11"	168	R	JIHL
	#47	Matt Kabayama (C)	60	1965	Foremost, AB, CAN	5'6"	172	R	JIHL
	#71	Ryan Kuwabara (RW)	54	1972	Hamilton, ON, CAN	6'0"	209	R	JIHL
	#30	Shin Larsson (C)	52	1974	Stockholm, SWE	5'11"	176	L	JIHL
	#31	Hiroshi Matsuura (LW)	58	1968		6'0"	154	L	JIHL
	#15	Tsutsumi Otomo (LW)	51	1975	Kushiro, JPN	5'7"	176	R	JIHL
	#16	Toshiyuki Sakai (RW)"C"	62	1964	Tomakomai, JPN	6'0"	187	R	JIHL
	#23	Junji Sakata (F)	52	1974	Hokkaido, JPN	5'11"	176	R	JIHL
	#19	Masaki Shirono (F)	55	1970		5'10"	174	R	JIHL
	#13	Akihito Sugisawa (RW)	59	1967		5'7"	141	R	JIHL
	#24	Hideji Tsuchida (C/RW)	53	1973	Hokkaido, JPN	6'0"	187	L	JIHL
Position: G: 3, D: 7, F: 12Av Age: 27.32 yearsAv Ht: 5'10"Av Wt: 176 lbsCompare with other teams »

1997-1998 Japan Staff

Head CoachMasaru Seino
Asst. CoachYoshitaka Kano

Team Staff History

1997-1998 Japan Captains

"C"

Toshiyuki Sakai

Team Captaincy History

Stories

Insights and analysis from EP Editorial team

2021-12-10, 14:00

The Game is Global, Part 2: The state of play for Ukraine, Estonia, Japan, and Romania

All Articles

1997-1998 Japan Demographics

Japan Facts

Plays in: World Championship Division I Group A
2027: WC D1B -
2026: WC D1A Relegated
2025: WC D1A -
2024: WC D1A -

1997-1998 Japan Roster Facts

Nationalities

17 players
4 players
1 player

Experience

Japan: 369 GP
WC: 60 GP
OG: 53 GP
SHL: 8 GP
AHL: 54 GP

Affiliated Team(s)

Japan Games

Japan — 1997-1998 Games
date	home	visiting	score	league
05/08/2026 04:00 PM GMT+2	Ukraine	Japan	3 - 1	WC D1A
05/07/2026 07:30 PM GMT+2	Japan	Poland	2 - 4	WC D1A
05/05/2026 12:30 PM GMT+2	Lithuania	Japan	2 - 3 (OT 60:35)	WC D1A
05/03/2026 12:30 PM GMT+2	Kazakhstan	Japan	6 - 0	WC D1A
05/02/2026 12:30 PM GMT+2	Japan	France	3 - 4	WC D1A

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Japan History and Standings

Japan — Season History
season	league	GP	W	OTW	T	OTL	L	TP	GF	GA	P/GP	rank	postseason
2026-2027	WC D1B	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2025-2026	WC D1A	5	0	1	-	0	4	2	9	19	0.4	6	Relegated
2024-2025	WC D1A	5	2	0	-	1	2	7	14	16	1.4	4	-
2023-2024	WC D1A	5	1	0	-	1	3	4	11	17	0.8	5	-
2022-2023	WC D1B	5	5	0	-	0	0	15	29	10	3		Promoted
2021-2022	WC D1B	4	3	0	-	0	1	9	23	9	2.25		-
2020-2021	WC D1B	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Tournament Cancelled
2019-2020	WC D1B	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Tournament Cancelled
2018-2019	WC D1B	5	2	0	-	0	3	6	16	17	1.2		-
2017-2018	WC D1B	5	2	2	-	0	1	10	17	13	2		-
2016-2017	WC D1B	5	4	0	-	0	1	12	22	11	2.4		-
2015-2016	WC D1A	5	0	0	-	0	5	0	7	26	0	6	Relegated
2014-2015	WC D1A	5	2	0	-	0	3	6	10	16	1.2	4	-
2013-2014	WC D1A	5	3	0	-	1	1	10	14	14	2		-
2012-2013	WC D1A	5	2	0	-	0	3	6	13	16	1.2	4	-
2011-2012	WC D1A	5	1	1	-	1	2	6	13	14	1.2	4	-
2010-2011	WC D1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6	-
2009-2010	WC D1	5	3	0	-	0	2	9	17	7	1.8		-
2008-2009	WC D1	5	3	0	-	0	2	9	21	8	1.8		-
2007-2008	WC D1	5	3	0	-	1	1	10	19	10	2		-
2006-2007	WC D1	5	1	1	-	1	2	6	19	22	1.2		-
2005-2006	WC D1	5	3	-	0	-	2	6	18	14	1.2		-
2004-2005	WC D1	5	2	-	0	-	3	4	14	14	0.8	5	-
2003-2004	WC Q	1	1	-	0	-	0	2	4	1	2	1	Qualification
	WC	6	0	-	2	-	4	2	12	24	0.33	15	Relegated
2002-2003	WC Q	1	1	-	0	-	0	2	15	0	2	1	Qualification
	WC	6	0	-	1	-	5	1	11	34	0.17	16	Saved in relegation
2001-2002	WC Q	2	1	-	1	-	0	3	4	2	1.5	1	Qualification
	WC	6	0	-	0	-	6	0	13	34	0	16	Saved in relegation
2000-2001	WC Q	2	2	-	0	-	0	4	13	3	2	1	Qualification

Where Are They Now?

Played in the team during season

Japan — Where Are They Now
#	player	season	team	league	GP	G	A	TP	PIM
1.	Chikara Hanzawa (F)	2026-2027	KH Torun	PHL	16	12	11	23	8
2.	Sota Isogai (F)	2026-2027	Basingstoke Bison	NIHL	15	12	5	17	8
3.	Kosuke Otsu (F)	2026-2027	Nikko Icebucks	Asia League	11	4	11	15	17
4.	Teruto Nakajima (F)	2026-2027	Red Eagles Hokkaido	Asia League	13	7	6	13	22
5.	Tohi Kobayashi (F)	2026-2027	Red Eagles Hokkaido	Asia League	13	6	7	13	8
6.	Riku Ishida (D)	2026-2027	Marseille	Ligue Magnus	15	1	11	12	8
7.	Seiji Takahashi (F)	2026-2027	Red Eagles Hokkaido	Asia League	13	3	8	11	6
8.	Ryo Hashimoto (D)	2026-2027	Red Eagles Hokkaido	Asia League	13	1	10	11	14
9.	Yuki Miura (F)	2026-2027	Yokohama Grits	Asia League	12	4	6	10	8
10.	Kohei Sato (F)	2026-2027	Briançon	Ligue Magnus	14	2	7	9	28

View Complete List

Average Height, Weight, Age Per Season

Japan — Roster Demographics
Season	Roster	Height	Weight	Age
2025-2026	View Roster	5'10"	176 lbs	27.30
2024-2025	View Roster	5'10"	174 lbs	26.70
2023-2024	View Roster	5'10"	179 lbs	28.59
2022-2023	View Roster	5'10"	181 lbs	28.00
2021-2022	View Roster	5'10"	181 lbs	27.04

View 20 Latest Seasons

Regular Season

Franchise All-Time Points

Japan — Franchise All-Time Points
#	Player	GP	G	A	TP
1.	Yoshio Hoshino (F)	84	42	47	89
2.	Norio Suzuki (F)	70	37	38	75
3.	Takao Hikigi (F)	52	29	42	71
4.	Toshiyuki Sakai (F)	90	37	23	60
5.	Hideaki Kurokawa (F)	30	48	10	58

Franchise All-Time Goals

Japan — Franchise All-Time Goals
#	Player	GP	G	A	TP
1.	Hideaki Kurokawa (F)	30	48	10	58
2.	Yoshio Hoshino (F)	84	42	47	89
3.	Norio Suzuki (F)	70	37	38	75
4.	Toshiyuki Sakai (F)	90	37	23	60
5.	Takao Hikigi (F)	52	29	42	71

Franchise All-Time Assists

Japan — Franchise All-Time Assists
#	Player	GP	G	A	TP
1.	Yoshio Hoshino (F)	84	42	47	89
2.	Takao Hikigi (F)	52	29	42	71
3.	Norio Suzuki (F)	70	37	38	75
4.	Herb Wakabayashi (F)	56	28	30	58
5.	Tsutomu Hanzawa (F)	60	22	30	52

Franchise All-Time Penalty Min.

Japan — Franchise All-Time Penalty Min.
#	Player	GP	G	TP	PIM
1.	Toshiyuki Sakai (F)	90	37	60	110
2.	Takahito Suzuki (F)	77	20	44	90
3.	Tetsuya Saito (F)	46	6	19	88
4.	Ryan Fujita (F)	32	10	29	81
5.	Makoto Kawashima (D)	58	8	14	77

Franchise All-Time Games Played

Japan — Franchise All-Time Games Played
#	Player	GP	G	A	TP
1.	Toshiyuki Sakai (F)	90	37	23	60
2.	Yoshio Hoshino (F)	84	42	47	89
3.	Takahito Suzuki (F)	77	20	24	44
4.	Koji Wakasa (D)	77	6	5	11
5.	Sadaki Honma (F)	74	29	13	42

Franchise All-Time Points Per Game

Japan — Franchise All-Time Points Per Game
#	Player	GP	G	TP	P/GP
1.	Michihiro Sato (F)	4	10	14	3.50
2.	Mamoru Takashima (F)	5	12	15	3.00
3.	Isao Kawabuchi (F)	5	9	14	2.80
4.	Kazuo Matsuda (F)	4	5	11	2.75
5.	Masataka Koshigoe (F)	2	0	5	2.50

Franchise All-Time Points Per Season

Japan — Franchise All-Time Points Per Season
#	Player	Season	League	GP	G	A	TP	P/GP	PIM
1.	Isao Ono (F)	1961-1962	WC B	5	6	17	23	4.60	0
2.	Yoshio Hoshino (F)	1981-1982	WC C	7	7	15	22	3.14	4
3.	Hideaki Kurokawa (F)	1966-1967	WC C	4	13	3	16	4.00	2
4.	Takeshi Azuma (F)	1981-1982	WC C	7	11	5	16	2.29	8
5.	Herb Wakabayashi (F)	1978-1979	WC B	6	9	7	16	2.67	0

Franchise All-Time Goals Per Season

Japan — Franchise All-Time Goals Per Season
#	Player	Season	League	GP	G	A	TP	P/GP	PIM
1.	Hideaki Kurokawa (F)	1966-1967	WC C	4	13	3	16	4.00	2
2.	Norio Suzuki (F)	1986-1987	WC C	7	13	2	15	2.14	6
3.	Mamoru Takashima (F)	1961-1962	WC B	5	12	3	15	3.00	0
4.	Takeshi Azuma (F)	1981-1982	WC C	7	11	5	16	2.29	8
5.	Hideaki Kurokawa (F)	1968-1969	WC C	5	11	2	13	2.60	8

Franchise All-Time Assists Per Season

Japan — Franchise All-Time Assists Per Season
#	Player	Season	League	GP	G	A	TP	P/GP	PIM
1.	Isao Ono (F)	1961-1962	WC B	5	6	17	23	4.60	0
2.	Yoshio Hoshino (F)	1981-1982	WC C	7	7	15	22	3.14	4
3.	Yuji Iga (F)	1991-1992	WC B	7	5	9	14	2.00	12
4.	Koji Iwamoto (F)	1973-1974	WC B	7	7	8	15	2.14	2
5.	Takao Hikigi (F)	1968-1969	WC C	5	5	8	13	2.60	6

Franchise All-Time Penalty Min. Per Season

Japan — Franchise All-Time Penalty Min. Per Season
#	Player	Season	League	GP	G	A	TP	P/GP	PIM
1.	Ryan Fujita (F)	1999-2000	WC	6	1	1	2	0.33	39
2.	Makoto Kawahira (F)	2000-2001	WC	6	1	3	4	0.67	31
3.	Sadaki Honma (F)	1980-1981	WC B	7	3	1	4	0.57	30
4.	Taku Takahashi (F)	1992-1993	WC B	7	2	1	3	0.43	29
5.	Makoto Kawashima (D)	2011-2012	WC D1A	5	1	0	1	0.20	29