Japan women's national flag football team

Japan

The Japan women's national flag football team represents Japan in women's international flag football matches. The sport is governed by Japan American Football Association. In 2024, the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) ranked the team 3rd worldwide.[1] In 2025 they fell to 5th.[2]

Koji Kuwahara coached the team for the 2023 IFAF Women's Asia Oceania Flag Football Championship.[3] In 2024 the head coach was Ayumu Iwai.[4] Takuro Ikawa followed in 2025.[5] Nobuhara Norikazu was appointed head coach in October 2025.[6]

Championships

The Japanese women's team has received two medals at the IFAF Flag Football World Championship. They won silver in 2006 and bronze in 2024.[7][8] In 2006 they lost to France 46-32.[7] To win bronze in 2024 they defeated Great Britain.[9]

IFAF Asia organizes flag football continental championships every two years to fall in between the world championships. The women's team won the inaugural IFAF Asia-Oceania Flag Football Championship in 2023 by defeating Australia.[10] The final score was 47-29.[3][10] The team was undefeated the entire championship.[7]

At the 2022 World Games the team reached the playoff round and lost to Austria.[11][7]

References

  1. ^ "World Rankings". International Federation of American Football. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  2. ^ "World Rankings". IFAF. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Flag football 2023 Asia-Oceania Continental Championship report" (in Japanese). Japan American Football Association. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Japan men's and women's representatives for the Flag Football World Championships announced" (in Japanese). Japan American Football Association. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  5. ^ "New coach targets new highs for Japan". IFAF. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  6. ^ "3 questions for the coaches: Japan Women". IFAF. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  7. ^ a b c d "Flag flashback ends medal wait: Japan". International Federation of American Football. October 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  8. ^ "Men's and women's IFAF flag football rankings announced". International Federation of American Football. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  9. ^ Preston, Michael (August 30, 2024). "IFAF Flag Football WC - Mexico and Japan advance to Gold Medal Final". American Football International. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  10. ^ a b Preston, Michael (October 30, 2023). "IFAF Asia-Oceania Women's Flag Football Championship: Japan captures Gold". American Football International. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  11. ^ "Experience the key to Japan's continental championship". International Federation of American Football. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
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