Japan
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Smile Japan
スマイルジャパン
AssociationJapan Ice Hockey Federation
Head coachYuji Iizuka
AssistantsKanae Aoki
Masahito Haruna
Yujiro Nakajimaya
CaptainShiori Koike
Most gamesHaruna Yoneyama (126)
Top scorerHanae Kubo (65)
Most pointsHanae Kubo (130)
IIHF codeJPN
Ranking
Current IIHF7 Steady (28 August 2023)[1]
Highest IIHF6 (first in 2019)
Lowest IIHF11 (first in 2011)
First international
Japan  5–2  Netherlands
(North York or Mississauga, Canada; 21 April 1987)
Biggest win
Japan  46–0  Hong Kong
(Sapporo, Japan; 21 February 2017)
Biggest defeat
Canada  18–0  Japan
(Ottawa, Canada; 22 March 1990)
Canada  18–0  Japan
(Richmond, Canada; 5 April 1996)
World Championships
Appearances19 (first in 1990)
Best result5th (2022)
Asian Winter Games
Appearances6 (first in 1996)
Best resultGold Gold (2017)
Challenge Cup of Asia
Appearances3 (first in 2010)
Best resultGold Gold (2011, 2012)
Olympics
Appearances4 (first in 1998)
International record (W–L–T)
162–151–6

The Japanese women's national ice hockey team (Japanese: アイスホッケー女子日本代表, Hepburn: Aisuhokkē Joshi Nippon Daihyō) represents Japan at the International Ice Hockey Federation's Women's World Championships, the Winter Olympics, and at other international ice hockey tournaments. The women's national team is governed by the Japan Ice Hockey Federation.[2][3][4][5][6] Japan had 2,587 registered female players in 2017 and 1,439 as of 2020.[7][8]

The nickname of Japan women's team is "Smile Japan" (Japanese: スマイルジャパン, Hepburn: Sumairu Japan).[9]

Tournament record

Olympic Games

  • 1998 – Finished in 6th place
  • 2014 – Finished in 7th place
  • 2018 – Finished in 6th place
  • 2022 – Finished in 6th place

World Championship

  • 1990 – Finished in 8th place
  • 1999 – Finished in 9th place (1st in Group B, Promoted to Top Division)
  • 2000 – Finished in 8th place (Relegated to Division I).
  • 2001 – Finished in 10th place (2nd in Division I).
  • 2003 – Finished in 9th place (1st in Group B, Promoted to Top Division)
  • 2004 – Finished in 9th place (Relegated to Division I)
  • 2005 – Finished in 10th place (2nd in Division I)
  • 2007 – Finished in 10th place (1st in Group B, Promoted to Top Division)
  • 2008 – Finished in 7th place
  • 2009 – Finished in 8th place (Relegated to Division I)
  • 2011 – Withdrew from the tournament due to an earthquake[10]
  • 2012 – Finished in 11th place (3rd in Division IA)
  • 2013 – Finished in 9th place (1st in Division IA, Promoted to Top Division)
  • 2015 – Finished in 7th place
  • 2016 – Finished in 8th place (Relegated to Division I)
  • 2017 – Finished in 9th place (1st in Division IA, Promoted to Top Division)
  • 2019 – Finished in 8th place
  • 2020 – Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[11]
  • 2021 – Finished in 6th place
  • 2022 – Finished in 5th place
  • 2023 – Finished in 7th place

Asian Games

  • 1996 – Finished in 2nd place Silver
  • 1999 – Finished in 2nd place Silver
  • 2003 – Finished in 2nd place Silver
  • 2007 – Finished in 2nd place Silver
  • 2011 – Finished in 2nd place Silver
  • 2017 – Finished in 1st place Gold

IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia

  • 2010 – Finished in 2nd place Silver
  • 2011 – Finished in 1st place Gold
  • 2012 – Finished in 1st place Gold

Pacific Rim Championship

  • 1995 – Finished in 4th place
  • 1996 – Finished in 4th place

Team

Current roster

Roster for the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship.[12][13][14]

Head coach: Yuji Iizuka

No. Pos. Name Height Weight Birthdate Team
2DShiori Koike – C1.59 m (5 ft 3 in)53 kg (117 lb)21 March 1993Japan DK Peregrine
3DAoi Shiga1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)63 kg (139 lb)4 July 1999Japan Toyota Cygnus
4DAyaka Hitosato – A1.61 m (5 ft 3 in)58 kg (128 lb)22 August 1994Sweden Linköping HC
5DShiori Yamashita1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)52 kg (115 lb)28 April 2002Japan Seibu Princess Rabbits
6DKohane Sato1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)60 kg (130 lb)16 March 2006Japan Daishin
7DKanami Seki1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)70 kg (150 lb)23 June 2000Japan Seibu Princess Rabbits
8DAkane Hosoyamada – A1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)59 kg (130 lb)9 March 1992Japan DK Peregrine
10FHikaru Yamashita1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)54 kg (119 lb)23 September 2000Japan Seibu Princess Rabbits
11FAkane Shiga1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)61 kg (134 lb)3 March 2001Japan Toyota Cygnus
13FChisato Miyazaki1.51 m (4 ft 11 in)51 kg (112 lb)8 August 1997Japan Seibu Princess Rabbits
14FHaruka Toko1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)65 kg (143 lb)16 March 1997Sweden Linköping HC
15FRui Ukita1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)72 kg (159 lb)6 June 1996Japan Daishin
16FYoshino Enomoto1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)57 kg (126 lb)22 September 1998Japan Seibu Princess Rabbits
19FMakoto Ito1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)67 kg (148 lb)2 May 2004Japan Daishin
20GMiyuu Masuhara1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)50 kg (110 lb)4 October 2001Japan DK Peregrine
23FChihiro Suzuki1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)62 kg (137 lb)4 May 2002Canada Guelph Gryphons
24FMei Miura1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)63 kg (139 lb)16 November 1998Japan Toyota Cygnus
27FRemi Koyama1.47 m (4 ft 10 in)52 kg (115 lb)17 July 2000Japan Seibu Princess Rabbits
30GKiku Kobayashi1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)59 kg (130 lb)7 July 2002Japan Seibu Princess Rabbits
31GRiko Kawaguchi1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)70 kg (150 lb)19 September 2004Japan Daishin
40FRio Noro1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)62 kg (137 lb)15 May 2004Japan Daishin
41FRiri Noro1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)55 kg (121 lb)15 May 2004Japan Daishin
61FYumeka Wajima1.56 m (5 ft 1 in)48 kg (106 lb)19 October 2002Japan DK Peregrine

Notable former players

Coaches

  • 1990 World Championship – Noriko Fukuda
  • 1995 to 1998 – Wally Kozak (coach-mentor)[15][16]
  • 1998 Winter Olympics – Toru Itabashi (head coach), Tsutomu Kawabuchi[17][18]
  • 1999 World Championship B – Takayuki Hatanda
  • 2000 World Championship – Takayuki Hatanda
  • 2001 World Championship D1 – Takayuki Hatanda
  • 2003 World Championship D1 – Masayuki Takahashi
  • 2004 World Championship – Kenji Nobuta (head coach), Tsutomu Kawabuchi (assistant coach, team manager)[17][18]
  • 2005 World Championship D1 – Kenji Nobuta
  • 2007 World Championship D1 – Kohichi Satoh
  • 2008 World Championship – Yuji Iizuka
  • 2009 World Championship – Yuji Iizuka
  • 2012 World Championship D1A – Yuji Iizuka
  • 2013 World Championship D1A – Yuji Iizuka
  • 2014 Winter Olympics – Yuji Iizuka
  • 2015 World Championship – Yoshifumi Fujisawa
  • 2016 World Championship – Yoshifumi Fujisawa
  • 2017 World Championship D1A – Takeshi Yamanaka
  • 2018 Winter Olympics – Takeshi Yamanaka
  • 2019 World Championship – Yuji Iizuka
  • 2021 World Championship – Yuji Iizuka
  • 2022 Winter Olympics – Yuji Iizuka
  • 2022 World Championship – Yuji Iizuka
  • 2023 World Championship – Yuji Iizuka

Source: IIHF Guide & Record Book 2020[19]

All-time record against other nations

Last match update: 10 March 2022[20]

Key
    Positive balance (more Wins)
    Neutral balance (Wins = Losses)
    Negative balance (more Losses)
Team GP W T L GF GA
 Czech Republic2722057946
 France1917117220
 South Korea1111001392
 Denmark1211014813
 Austria101000429
 Norway97023117
 North Korea76013512
 Latvia6501277
 Hungary5401158
 Slovakia64022311
 Kazakhstan116053120
 Hong Kong1100460
 Thailand1100370
 Germany33152166868
 China381802096122
 Canada6006082
 United States1000102110
 Sweden1840142482
  Switzerland2863194770
 Finland1610151367
 Russia2120193171
Total2951516138906837

See also

References

  1. ↑ "IIHF Women's World Ranking". IIHF. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  2. ↑ "Women's ice hockey team "Smile Japan" chase Olympic dream". International Olympic Committee. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  3. ↑ Kalaf, Samer (18 December 2013). "Japan's Women's Hockey Team Is The Lovable Underdog of the Olympics". Deadspin. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  4. ↑ Meadows, Mark (1 April 2009). "Ice hockey-Japan's 'Bunnies' boiled by economic crisis". Reuters.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  5. ↑ Watanabe, Tadashi (26 August 2013). "Women's ice hockey team banking on Sochi". The Japan Times. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  6. ↑ "Japan's ice hockey women chase Olympic dream". Al Jazeera. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  7. ↑ IIHF profile
  8. ↑ "IIHF Member National Association: Japan". International Ice Hockey Federation. 24 April 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  9. ↑ "愛称は「スマイルジャパン」 アイスホッケー女子代表" [National Women's Ice Hockey Team Nicknamed "Smile Japan"]. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 28 March 2013. Archived from the original on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  10. ↑ Peter, Bruce (29 March 2011). "Japanese National Teams Withdraw from World Championships". Puck Worlds. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  11. ↑ Steiss, Adam (7 March 2020). "Women's Worlds cancelled". International Ice Hockey Federation. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  12. ↑ "女子世界選手権事前合宿". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 24 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  13. ↑ "2023 IIHF女子世界選手権 メンバーリスト" (PDF). Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 24 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  14. ↑ "Team Roster: Japan" (PDF). iihf.com. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  15. ↑ Murray, Robert (15 March 2018). "WHL Alumni set to be inducted to Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame". Western Hockey League. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  16. ↑ Hersh, Philip (2 February 1998). "Japan Getting (Stick) Handle on Women's Hockey". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  17. 1 2 "Death Note–Advisor Kawabuchi". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 20 January 2014. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  18. 1 2 "Staff Profile: Tsutomu Kawabuchi". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  19. ↑ Podnieks, Andrew; Nordmark, Birger, eds. (2019). IIHF Guide & Record Book 2020. Toronto: Moydart. pp. 112–113. ISBN 9780986796470.
  20. ↑ "Japan Women All Time Results" (PDF). National Teams of Ice Hockey. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
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