Here we take a look at Japan's World Cup squad and the other things it will be handy to know about the Group H challengers.
Japan's World Cup squad - 23-man
Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Metz), Masaaki Higashiguchi (Gamba Osaka), Kosuke Nakamura (Kashiwa Reysol).
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (Galatasaray), Tomoaki Makino (Urawa Reds), Wataru Endo (Urawa Reds), Maya Yoshida (Southampton), Hiroki Sakai (Marseille), Gotoku Sakai (Hamburg), Gen Shoji (Kashima Antlers), Naomichi Ueda (Kashima Antlers).
Midfielders: Makoto Hasebe (Eintracht Frankfurt), Keisuke Honda (Pachuca), Takashi Inui (Eibar), Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund), Hotaru Yamaguchi (Cerezo Osaka), Genki Haraguchi (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Takashi Usami (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Gaku Shibasaki (Getafe), Ryota Oshima (Kawasaki Frontale).
Forwards: Shinji Okazaki (Leicester), Yuya Osako (Werder Bremen), Yoshinori Muto (Mainz).
What odds are Japan to win the World Cup?
200/1
Who's the coach?
Akira Nishino, the former Japan technical director, was parachuted into the job after the abrupt sacking of Vahid Halilhodzic in April. An unknown quantity.
Who's the star?
Keisuke Honda is still the talisman, and should be happier now Halilhodzic - with whom he had a rocky relationship - is out of the picture.
Best thing about them
Should have noisy and loyal support, and will defend stoutly enough. They will have to.
Worst thing about them
Compared to recent Japan teams, this is a desperately limited squad - one that needed an injury-time equaliser to draw with Haiti last October.
You may recognise…
The two Shinjis - Kagawa and Okazaki - are both familiar faces for Premier League supporters, and the side’s best players.
Cameramen will be picking out…
Shots of improbably large groups of fans watching giant screens back home.
Fans' favourite chant
‘Vamos Nippon’ is a terrace standard, accompanied by manic bouncing and flag-waving.
On-field prediction
An early exit, leading to shame-faced public apologies from the Japanese equivalents of Martin Glenn and Dan Ashworth.
Off-field prediction
The team wins the much-coveted ‘Best Bleached Hair’ award.