# Japan national baseball team
**The Japan national baseball team**, known as **Samurai Japan** (侍ジャパン), is the team that represents Japan in international baseball competitions, fielded at the top level mainly from [Nippon Professional Baseball](https://www.edgepedia.org/nippon-professional-baseball) (NPB) and [Major League Baseball](https://www.edgepedia.org/major-league-baseball) players. It is the most successful nation in [World Baseball Classic](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-baseball-classic) history, with three titles, and won the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.[1](https://i.japan-baseball.jp/en/summary/about/) • [2](https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/world-baseball-classic-team-results-and-history.html) • [3](https://apnews.com/article/af68a816dfcd7bc4b467f9d05fb0f278)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nickname | SAMURAI JAPAN, a name created in 2011 by the Nippon Pro Baseball Association[4](https://www.for.aichi-pu.ac.jp/icotoba/publication/item/2016/05/Imagining%20Japan.pdf) |
| World Baseball Classic | Champions in 2006, 2009, and 2023; the most successful nation in the tournament's history[5](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/static.wbsc.org/assets/documents/202106_Tokyo2020_mediaguide_DEFfinal.pdf) • [2](https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/world-baseball-classic-team-results-and-history.html) |
| Olympics | First entered at Barcelona 1992; gold medal at Tokyo 2020, beating the United States 2-0 in the final[6](https://joc.or.jp/sports/baseball/index.html) • [3](https://apnews.com/article/af68a816dfcd7bc4b467f9d05fb0f278) |
| 2026 WBC | Opened with a 13-0, seven-inning win over Chinese Taipei including a record 10-run second inning; eliminated by Venezuela, failing to repeat as champion[7](https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/fl_attachment/mlb/mweosozftcy4afgvejvt.pdf) • [8](https://www.japan-baseball.jp/jp/games/wbc2026/) |
| 2026 roster | Six NPB Most Valuable Players (Kensuke Kondo, Munetaka Murakami, Shohei Ohtani, Teruaki Sato, Tomoyuki Sugano, Yoshinobu Yamamoto) and eight MLB players, the most Japan has ever brought to a WBC[9](https://www.mlb.com/amp/press-release/press-release-rosters-announced-for-the-2026-world-baseball-classic.html) • [7](https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/fl_attachment/mlb/mweosozftcy4afgvejvt.pdf) |
| Structure | A collective of national teams: top team, amateur, U-23, university, U-18, U-15, U-12, women's, and Baseball5, all under the SAMURAI JAPAN banner[1](https://i.japan-baseball.jp/en/summary/about/) |
## Name and organization
The name "SAMURAI JAPAN" was created in 2011 by the Nippon Pro Baseball Association, following the pattern of national-team nicknames built on the samurai image; Japan's soccer team, by contrast, is SAMURAI BLUE.[4](https://www.for.aichi-pu.ac.jp/icotoba/publication/item/2016/05/Imagining%20Japan.pdf) The official site describes the team's stated mission as giving power to the people, providing dreams and goals for children, and contributing to peace and growth through baseball.[1](https://i.japan-baseball.jp/en/summary/about/)
SAMURAI JAPAN is not a single squad but a collective covering professionals, amateurs, U-23, university, U-18, U-15, U-12, and women's teams, all playing in the same national uniform with the stated aim of becoming world champions. Former record-setting hitter Oh Sadaharu serves as Special Adviser.[1](https://i.japan-baseball.jp/en/summary/about/) For multi-sport events the composition differs by context: the [Asian Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/asian-games) side is a corporate-league team of 24 players drawn from company clubs such as Toyota, ENEOS, NTT, and Nippon Life, part of Japan's industrial baseball system.[10](https://japan.co.jp/e/reports/samurai-japan-asian-games-baseball-32-year-gold-2026.html)
## World Baseball Classic record
Japan won the first two editions of the World Baseball Classic, in 2006 and 2009.[5](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/static.wbsc.org/assets/documents/202106_Tokyo2020_mediaguide_DEFfinal.pdf) A third title followed at the 2023 tournament, making Japan the most successful nation in WBC history with three championships.[2](https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/world-baseball-classic-team-results-and-history.html) MLB.com has described Japan's modern international dominance as comparable to Cuba's dominance before 2006.[11](https://www.mlb.com/news/ranking-2026-world-baseball-classic-teams)
**The 2026 tournament.** The sixth WBC ran from March 5 to March 18, 2026, with games in Japan, the United States, and Puerto Rico.[12](https://www.japan-baseball.jp/jp/team/topteam/) Hirokazu Ibata managed the team, and the final roster, submitted before the February 3 deadline, included six NPB MVPs: outfielder Kensuke Kondo, infielder [Munetaka Murakami](https://www.edgepedia.org/munetaka-murakami), designated hitter [Shohei Ohtani](https://www.edgepedia.org/shohei-ohtani), infielder Teruaki Sato, and pitchers Tomoyuki Sugano and [Yoshinobu Yamamoto](https://www.edgepedia.org/yoshinobu-yamamoto).[9](https://www.mlb.com/amp/press-release/press-release-rosters-announced-for-the-2026-world-baseball-classic.html) Eight MLB players made the roster, the most the national team has ever brought to a World Baseball Classic.[7](https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/fl_attachment/mlb/mweosozftcy4afgvejvt.pdf)
Japan opened with a 13-0, seven-inning victory over [Chinese Taipei](https://www.edgepedia.org/chinese-taipei) at the [Tokyo Dome](https://www.edgepedia.org/tokyo-dome), highlighted by a 10-run second inning, the most runs ever scored in a single frame in WBC history.[7](https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/fl_attachment/mlb/mweosozftcy4afgvejvt.pdf) The team went unbeaten through the first round, beating South Korea in a slugfest and rallying past Australia 4-3 on [Masataka Yoshida](https://www.edgepedia.org/masataka-yoshida)'s seventh-inning two-run homer to clinch first place in Pool C and the first quarterfinal berth of any nation.[8](https://www.japan-baseball.jp/jp/games/wbc2026/) • [13](https://apnews.com/article/9864c675c6f6654e5a526ce6f4b46c47) In the knockout stage in Miami, Japan took a lead over Venezuela on Shota Morishita's home run but lost, ending its bid for a second consecutive title.[8](https://www.japan-baseball.jp/jp/games/wbc2026/)
The tournament was played under MLB's official rules with modifications, including the enlarged bases adopted by MLB in 2023, each side about 8 centimeters larger than before.[14](https://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/samurai/wbc2026/rule/)
## Olympic baseball
Japan first competed in Olympic baseball at Barcelona 1992.[6](https://joc.or.jp/sports/baseball/index.html) Its best result came at the Tokyo 2020 Games, where NPB interrupted its season and Japan beat the United States 2-0 in the gold medal game; MLB did not allow players on 40-man rosters at that tournament.[3](https://apnews.com/article/af68a816dfcd7bc4b467f9d05fb0f278) Baseball returned to the program for Los Angeles 2028, and Japan is among the teams that have already qualified for the six-team Olympic field.[15](https://www.mlb.com/news/premier12-barcelona-qualifier-preview-what-you-need-to-know-teams-dates)
## Background: baseball in Japan
Baseball was introduced into Japan in 1872 by an American professor. The sport took root quickly; in an 1896 game between Japanese and American teams, Japan won 29-4, a front-page result credited with giving the country confidence as it modernized.[16](https://apnews.com/article/d7314fc960f9c2a8408e303183001c89) International exhibition tours followed, including a 1934 visit by [Babe Ruth](https://www.edgepedia.org/babe-ruth), Lou Gehrig, and [Jimmie Foxx](https://www.edgepedia.org/jimmie-foxx) leading an American all-star team against the All-Nippon team.[17](https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/japan-baseball-history)
The national team's talent pool is anchored by NPB, whose stars have increasingly moved to MLB: about 70 Japanese players have appeared in the majors since Masanori Murakami's brief stint with the [San Francisco Giants](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-francisco-giants) in 1964-65, including [Hideo Nomo](https://www.edgepedia.org/hideo-nomo), Ichiro Suzuki, and Shohei Ohtani.[16](https://apnews.com/article/d7314fc960f9c2a8408e303183001c89) In the WBSC world ranking reported in 2022, Samurai Japan stood first, ahead of Chinese Taipei, the United States, South Korea, and Mexico.[18](https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h01556/)
## References
1. [About Japan National Baseball Team, Official Site of the Japan National Baseball Team](https://i.japan-baseball.jp/en/summary/about/)
2. [World Baseball Classic team results and history, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/world-baseball-classic-team-results-and-history.html)
3. [Rob Manfred increasingly confident major leaguers will play in 2028 LA Olympics, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/af68a816dfcd7bc4b467f9d05fb0f278)
4. [National Sports Team Names and the "Spirit" of Japan: SAMURAI BLUE / SAMURAI JAPAN, Aichi Prefectural University](https://www.for.aichi-pu.ac.jp/icotoba/publication/item/2016/05/Imagining%20Japan.pdf)
5. [Olympic Baseball, Tokyo 2020 Media Guide, WBSC](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/static.wbsc.org/assets/documents/202106_Tokyo2020_mediaguide_DEFfinal.pdf)
6. [Baseball, Japanese Olympic Committee](https://joc.or.jp/sports/baseball/index.html)
7. [2026 WBC Game Notes, March 11, MLB.com](https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/fl_attachment/mlb/mweosozftcy4afgvejvt.pdf)
8. [2026 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC special site, Samurai Japan official site](https://www.japan-baseball.jp/jp/games/wbc2026/)
9. [Rosters announced for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, MLB.com press release](https://www.mlb.com/amp/press-release/press-release-rosters-announced-for-the-2026-world-baseball-classic.html)
10. [Samurai Japan Chases a Baseball Gold It Hasn't Won in 32 Years, Japan.co.jp](https://japan.co.jp/e/reports/samurai-japan-asian-games-baseball-32-year-gold-2026.html)
11. [Ranking 2026 World Baseball Classic teams, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/news/ranking-2026-world-baseball-classic-teams)
12. [Samurai Japan Top Team, Official Site of the Japan National Baseball Team](https://www.japan-baseball.jp/jp/team/topteam/)
13. [Japan rallies late to beat Australia 4-3, clinches first place in group at World Baseball Classic, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/9864c675c6f6654e5a526ce6f4b46c47)
14. [WBC 2026 rules, Nikkan Sports](https://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/samurai/wbc2026/rule/)
15. [Premier12 Barcelona Qualifier Preview, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/news/premier12-barcelona-qualifier-preview-what-you-need-to-know-teams-dates)
16. [Ohtani and Yamamoto are unbelievable in any language, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/d7314fc960f9c2a8408e303183001c89)
17. [Japan baseball history, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/japan-baseball-history)
18. [Samurai Japan National Baseball Team Tops WBSC Global Ranking, Nippon.com](https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h01556/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Baseball and related bat sports › International baseball › National baseball teams by region*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license