Coach: Zico

Star Players: Hidetoshi Nakata, Shinji Ono, Shunsuke Nakamura

Tournament Best: Second Round 2002

Last Time: Lost in Second Round to Turkey

Qualifying: Top of Asian Group B

Top Scorer In Qualifying: Fukunishi, Ogasawara, Oguru, Suzuki 3

Japan are attending their third World Cup finals in a row having never qualified for the finals before France 1998.

After being completely overshadowed by fellow hosts South Korea in 2002, they will be looking to justify their title of Asian champions.

Their strength lies in a technically-gifted midfield, with Shinji Ono, Hidetoshi Nakata and Shunsuke Nakamura offering plenty of creativity.

Star centre-back Tsuneyasu Myamoto is the enforcer in a competent defence, but there are doubts over whether the strike partnership will be able to cut it at the highest level.

Takahara and Yanagisawa are usually first choice, but will in truth offer little against the better defences at the World Cup.

Qualifying for the second round is not beyond Japan, but they would be cannon fodder for the big sides in the knockout stages.