NEWS

The Japan squad started a weeklong training camp on Monday in Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture. The 26 players trained for around 90 minutes.

“We have had a good start today and had a good session,” said Japan coach Takeshi Okada. “Everyone looked bright and showed a very positive approach.”
FC Tokyo midfielder Naohiro Ishikawa, who has been recovering from an injury, is expected to arrive on Tuesday after checking his condition at his club.
The squad, formed around Japan-based players, includes Gamba Osaka midfielder Yasuhito Endo, Shimizu S-Pulse striker Shinji Okazaki, who scored 15 times for Japan last season, and Kashima Antlers midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara, back for the first time since the 2006 World Cup. The Europe-based players were excluded due to their club duties.
Okada said he called for hard work and good focus in the training sessions.
“I told our players, ‘We have 51 days to go to the World Cup, and 21 days of them will be used here for this training camp. I want you to understand the significance of our sessions here,’ ” Okada said.
“We are not doing anything special because this is a World Cup year. We should improve the accuracy of what we do and the standard of our game; that will lead us to play in our own way.”
Following the camp, Japan will play against Venezuela in a Kirin Challenge Cup friendly on February 2 in Oita before moving on to the East Asian Championship in Tokyo from February 6 to 14.