🇯🇵 JAPAN (JPN) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1930-)
1 win, 1 reign, 1 game with IHLC – ranked 21st
IHLC last held 01 November 1997

Japan first burst on to the international scene in 1930, quite an anomaly for an Asian squad in the largely European / North American dominated hockey scene. Japan competed for their first IHLC in 1957, and made a number of World Championship appearances thanks to the IIHF allowing a “Far East” competitor to play in tournaments they otherwise wouldn’t have qualified for, before winning their first and only IHLC forty years later from Canada. While Japan has not played for the IHLC since, they have stayed a mainstay of Division IA, looking to reach the World Championship’s top pool once again.

IHLC GAMES
Total IHLC Games Played: 14
First IHLC Game: 16-0 loss vs. 🇷🇺 URS, 24 Feb 1957
Only IHLC Win: 5-3 win vs. 🇨🇦 CAN, 11 Oct 1997
Latest IHLC Game: 2-2 tie vs. 🇳🇴 NOR, 04 Nov 1997
Largest IHLC Defeat: 16-0 (2 times, latest vs. 🇷🇺 URS, 12 Feb 1980)
Longest IHLC Winless Streak: 10 games (24 Feb 1957 – 10 Oct 1997)

IHLC HOSTING
IHLC Games Hosted: 17
First Game Hosted: 🇷🇺 URS 3-3 TCH 🇨🇿, 24 May 1989 (Tokyo)
Latest Game Hosted: 🇨🇿 CZE 1-0 RUS 🇷🇺, 22 Feb 1998 (Nagano)
Major Tournaments Hosted: Olympic Games (2: 1972, 1998)

MAJOR TOURNAMENT RECORDS
Best IIHF World Championship Result: 8th (3: 1930, 1957, 1960)
Best Olympic Games Result: 8th (1: 1960)
Best Canada / World Cup Result: n/a

COMPETITIVE IHLC RECORDS
🇨🇦 CANADA: 1 win, 1 loss, 1 tie
🇫🇮 FINLAND: 0 wins, 1 loss
🇳🇴 NORWAY: 0 wins, 1 loss, 2 ties
🇸🇰 SLOVAKIA: 0 wins, 1 loss
🇷🇺 SOVIET UNION: 0 wins, 6 losses

COMPLETE IHLC HISTORY
01. 🇷🇺 URS 16-0 JPN 🇯🇵 – 24 Feb 1957 – WC – Moscow 🇷🇺
02. 🇫🇮 FIN 11-2 JPN 🇯🇵 – 03 Feb 1976 – OG – Innsbruck 🇦🇹
03. 🇷🇺 URS 16-0 JPN 🇯🇵 – 12 Feb 1980 – OG – Lake Placid 🇺🇸
04. 🇷🇺 URS 10-1 JPN 🇯🇵 – 25 May 1989 – JC – Tokyo 🇯🇵
05. 🇷🇺 URS 10-6 JPN 🇯🇵 – 28 May 1989 – JC – Tokyo 🇯🇵
06. 🇷🇺 URS 17-3 JPN 🇯🇵 – 13 May 1990 – JC – Tokyo 🇯🇵
07. 🇷🇺 URS 10-2 JPN 🇯🇵 – 16 May 1990 – JC – Tokyo 🇯🇵
08. 🇸🇰 SVK 7-2 JPN 🇯🇵 – 29 Aug 1993 – OQ – Sheffield 🇬🇧
09. 🇨🇦 CAN 4-1 JPN 🇯🇵 – 07 Oct 1997 – EX – Calgary 🇨🇦
10. 🇨🇦 CAN 3-3 JPN 🇯🇵 – 10 Oct 1997 – EX – Olds 🇨🇦
11. 🇯🇵 JPN 5-3 CAN 🇨🇦 – 11 Oct 1997 – EX – Drumheller 🇨🇦
12. 🇳🇴 NOR 5-3 JPN 🇯🇵 – 01 Nov 1997 – EX – Sarpsborg 🇳🇴
13. 🇳🇴 NOR 3-3 JPN 🇯🇵 – 03 Nov 1997 – EX – Hamar 🇳🇴
14. 🇳🇴 NOR 2-2 JPN 🇯🇵 – 04 Nov 1997 – EX – Oslo 🇳🇴

Photo Credit: WMIA 2014 – IIHF – HHOF – IOC