The Japan men's national flag football team represents Japan in men's international flag football matches. The sport is governed by Japan American Football Association.
History Japan has played in the IFAF Flag Football World Championship. It debuted in 2004, in the second edition in France where the Nakano Bagus played as the Japan national flag football team. 2004 had two tournaments, in both 5-a-side and 7-a-side flag football. The latter format was dropped in the following edition.
Japan was represented by a single team in the next six iterations until the 2016 edition. The following teams represented Japan: Nakano (2004), Shigotoba Green Grass (2006), Tokyo Metropolitan University of Health Sciences (2008), Riverside Gamblers Ichikawa (2010 and 2012), Kawasaki Frontiers (2014) and the Kyoto Juveniles (2016)
Japan took took part at the IFAF Asia Flag Football Championship; the 2015 edition in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam where they lost to Thailand in the final., and the 2017 edition in Taguig, Philippines where the won the championship at the expense of Thailand.
In 2018, the Japan team's roster at the World Championship began to be selected from multipe clubs rather than a single team.
With the inclusion of flag football in the Olympics, particularly the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the code of American football has seen a growth in Japan challenging the foothold of tackle football.
At the inaugural 2023 IFAF Men's Asia-Oceania Flag Football Championship in Malaysia, Japan finished third. In the 2025 Asia-Oceania Championship in China, Japan lost to Australia in the overall final, ending up as runners-up in the combined Asia-Oceania competition ranking.
Competitive record IFAF Flag Football World Championship YearPositionGPWLPFPA 2002 Did not enter 2004 4th place (5-a-side) 3rd place (7-a-side) 2006 6th place 2008 8th place 2010 8th place 2012 7th place 2014 12th place 2016 11th place 2018 8th place 2021 11th place 6 3 3 184 152 2024 11th place 7 5 2 243 120
Olympic Games YearPositionGPWLPFPA 2028 To be determined
IFAF Asia Flag Football Championship YearPositionGPWDLPFPA 2015 2nd place 5 3 0 2 140 89 2017 1st place 5 2 1 2 175 154
IFAF Asia Oceania Flag Football Championship YearPositionGPWLPFPA 2023 3rd place 7 2 5 — — 2025 2nd place 251229154
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