Japan women's national ice hockey team

Japan
Nickname	Smile Japan; スマイルジャパン
Association	Japan Ice Hockey Federation
Head coach	Yuji Iizuka
Assistants	Kanae Aoki; Yujiro Nakajimaya;
Captain	Shiori Koike
Most games	Shiori Koike (129)
Top scorer	Hanae Kubo (65)
Most points	Hanae Kubo (130)
IIHF code	JPN
Ranking
Current IIHF	8 1 (21 April 2025)
Highest IIHF	6 (first in 2019)
Lowest IIHF	11 (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)
Olympics
Appearances	5 (first in 1998)
World Championships
Appearances	21 (first in 1990)
Best result	5th (2022)
Asian Winter Games
Appearances	6 (first in 1996)
Best result	‹See Tfd› Gold (2017)
Challenge Cup of Asia
Appearances	3 (first in 2010)
Best result	‹See Tfd› Gold (2011, 2012)
International record (W–L–T)
	169–156–6

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
2026 – Finished in 9th 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
2024 – Finished in 8th place
2025 – Finished in 7th place

Asian Games

1996 – Finished in 2nd place ‹See Tfd›
1999 – Finished in 2nd place ‹See Tfd›
2003 – Finished in 2nd place ‹See Tfd›
2007 – Finished in 2nd place ‹See Tfd›
2011 – Finished in 2nd place ‹See Tfd›
2017 – Finished in 1st place ‹See Tfd›
2025 – Finished in 1st place ‹See Tfd›

IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia

2010 – Finished in 2nd place ‹See Tfd›
2011 – Finished in 1st place ‹See Tfd›
2012 – Finished in 1st place ‹See Tfd›

IIHF Asia Championship

2025 – Finished in 1st place ‹See Tfd›
2026 – Finished in 1st place ‹See Tfd›

Pacific Rim Championship

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

Team

2026 Olympics roster

The roster was announced on 25 December 2025.^[12]

Head coach: Yuji Iizuka^[13]

No.	Pos.	Name	Height	Weight	Birthdate	Team
2	D	Shiori Koike – C	1.59 m (5 ft 3 in)	56 kg (123 lb)	(1993-03-21)21 March 1993 (aged 32)	DK Perigrine
3	D	Aoi Shiga	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)	61 kg (134 lb)	(1999-07-04)4 July 1999 (aged 26)	Modo Hockey
4	D	Ayaka Hitosato – A	1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)	60 kg (130 lb)	(1994-08-22)22 August 1994 (aged 31)	Linköping HC
5	D	Shiori Yamashita	1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)	53 kg (117 lb)	(2002-04-28)28 April 2002 (aged 23)	Seibu Princess Rabbits
6	D	Kohane Sato	1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)	63 kg (139 lb)	(2006-03-16)16 March 2006 (aged 19)	Daishin IHC
7	D	Kanami Seki	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)	66 kg (146 lb)	(2000-06-23)23 June 2000 (aged 25)	Seibu Princess Rabbits
8	D	Akane Hosoyamada – A	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)	62 kg (137 lb)	(1992-03-09)9 March 1992 (aged 33)	DK Perigrine
9	D	Nana Akimoto	1.59 m (5 ft 3 in)	50 kg (110 lb)	(2009-04-08)8 April 2009 (aged 16)	DK Perigrine
11	F	Akane Shiga	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)	63 kg (139 lb)	(2001-03-03)3 March 2001 (aged 24)	Luleå HF
13	F	Yumeka Wajima	1.56 m (5 ft 1 in)	50 kg (110 lb)	(2002-10-19)19 October 2002 (aged 23)	DK Perigrine
14	F	Haruka Toko	1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)	64 kg (141 lb)	(1997-03-16)16 March 1997 (aged 28)	Linköping HC
15	F	Rui Ukita	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)	71 kg (157 lb)	(1996-06-06)6 June 1996 (aged 29)	Daishin IHC
17	F	Ai Tada	1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)	60 kg (130 lb)	(2006-04-04)4 April 2006 (aged 19)	Daishin IHC
18	F	Suzuka Maeda	1.61 m (5 ft 3 in)	54 kg (119 lb)	(1996-10-16)16 October 1996 (aged 29)	DK Perigrine
19	F	Makoto Ito	1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)	73 kg (161 lb)	(2004-05-02)2 May 2004 (aged 21)	Toyota Cygnus
20	G	Miyuu Masuhara	1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)	53 kg (117 lb)	(2001-10-04)4 October 2001 (aged 24)	DK Perigrine
24	F	Mei Miura	1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)	65 kg (143 lb)	(1998-11-16)16 November 1998 (aged 27)	Toyota Cygnus
27	F	Remi Koyama	1.47 m (4 ft 10 in)	54 kg (119 lb)	(2000-07-17)17 July 2000 (aged 25)	Seibu Princess Rabbits
30	G	Rei Halloran	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)	65 kg (143 lb)	(2001-03-22)22 March 2001 (aged 24)	Järnbrotts HK
31	G	Riko Kawaguchi	1.66 m (5 ft 5 in)	71 kg (157 lb)	(2004-09-19)19 September 2004 (aged 21)	Daishin IHC
40	F	Rio Noro	1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)	59 kg (130 lb)	(2004-05-15)15 May 2004 (aged 21)	Daishin IHC
41	F	Riri Noro	1.61 m (5 ft 3 in)	59 kg (130 lb)	(2004-05-15)15 May 2004 (aged 21)	Daishin IHC
91	F	Umeka Odaira	1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)	55 kg (121 lb)	(2008-12-12)12 December 2008 (aged 17)	Daishin IHC

Notable former players

Coaches

1990 World Championship – Noriko Fukuda
1995 to 1998 – Wally Kozak (coach-mentor)^[14]^[15]
1998 Winter Olympics – Toru Itabashi (head coach), Tsutomu Kawabuchi^[16]^[17]
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)^[16]^[17]
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^[18]

All-time record against other nations

Last match update: 10 March 2022^[19]

Key
	Positive balance (more Wins)
	Neutral balance (Wins = Losses)
	Negative balance (more Losses)

Team	GP	W	T	L	GF	GA
Czech Republic	27	22	0	5	79	46
France	19	17	1	1	72	20
South Korea	11	11	0	0	139	2
Denmark	12	11	0	1	48	13
Austria	10	10	0	0	42	9
Norway	9	7	0	2	31	17
North Korea	7	6	0	1	35	12
Latvia	6	5	0	1	27	7
Hungary	5	4	0	1	15	8
Slovakia	6	4	0	2	23	11
Kazakhstan	11	6	0	5	31	20
Hong Kong	1	1	0	0	46	0
Thailand	1	1	0	0	37	0
Germany	33	15	2	16	68	68
China	38	18	0	20	96	122
Canada	6	0	0	6	0	82
United States	10	0	0	10	2	110
Sweden	18	4	0	14	24	82
Switzerland	28	6	3	19	47	70
Finland	16	1	0	15	13	67
Russia	21	2	0	19	31	71
Total	295	151	6	138	906	837

References

↑ "World Ranking". IIHF.com. International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
↑ "Women's ice hockey team "Smile Japan" chase Olympic dream". International Olympic Committee. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
↑ Kalaf, Samer (18 December 2013). "Japan's Women's Hockey Team Is The Lovable Underdog of the Olympics". Deadspin. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
↑ 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.
↑ Watanabe, Tadashi (26 August 2013). "Women's ice hockey team banking on Sochi". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
↑ "Japan's ice hockey women chase Olympic dream". Al Jazeera. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
↑ IIHF profile
↑ "IIHF Member National Association: Japan". International Ice Hockey Federation. 24 April 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
↑ "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.
↑ Peter, Bruce (29 March 2011). "Japanese National Teams Withdraw from World Championships". Puck Worlds. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
↑ 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.
↑ "ミラノ・コルティナ2026冬季オリンピック女子日本代表候補メンバー発表". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 25 December 2025. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
↑ "Team roster: Japan". iihf.com. 5 February 2026. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
↑ Murray, Robert (15 March 2018). "WHL Alumni set to be inducted to Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame". Western Hockey League. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
↑ Hersh, Philip (2 February 1998). "Japan Getting (Stick) Handle on Women's Hockey". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
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.
1 2 "Staff Profile: Tsutomu Kawabuchi". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
↑ Podnieks, Andrew; Nordmark, Birger, eds. (2019). IIHF Guide & Record Book 2020. Toronto: Moydart. pp. 112–113. ISBN 9780986796470.
↑ "Japan Women All Time Results" (PDF). National Teams of Ice Hockey. Retrieved 10 March 2022.

External links

[1] "World Ranking". IIHF.com. International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 24 May 2025.

[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. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. 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] "ミラノ・コルティナ2026冬季オリンピック女子日本代表候補メンバー発表". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 25 December 2025. Retrieved 25 December 2025.

[13] "Team roster: Japan". iihf.com. 5 February 2026. Retrieved 5 February 2026.

[14] Murray, Robert (15 March 2018). "WHL Alumni set to be inducted to Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame". Western Hockey League. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

[15] Hersh, Philip (2 February 1998). "Japan Getting (Stick) Handle on Women's Hockey". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

[:0-16] 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.

[:1-17] 1 2 "Staff Profile: Tsutomu Kawabuchi". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 5 March 2019.

[18] Podnieks, Andrew; Nordmark, Birger, eds. (2019). IIHF Guide & Record Book 2020. Toronto: Moydart. pp. 112–113. ISBN 9780986796470.

[results-19] "Japan Women All Time Results" (PDF). National Teams of Ice Hockey. Retrieved 10 March 2022.

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