【Who Represents Your Hometown?】World Cup 2026 Japan Squad Prefecture Map | Two Players Each from Saijo and Kawasaki, Zero from Tohoku and Hokkaido
A 'Who represents your hometown?' guide mapping all 26 members of the Japan squad for World Cup 2026 by prefecture. Includes fun facts such as: 11 players from the Kanto region, 8 from Kanagawa Prefecture alone, 3 from Yokohama; Kamada and Nagatomo both hailing from Saijo, Tanaka and Kubo both from Kawasaki, Ito and Goto both from Hamamatsu, and zero players from Tohoku or Hokkaido. Part of the Pillar 2 'Prefecture Map' series.
Does your hometown include the birthplace of any players heading to WC 2026? Mapping all 26 members of Moriyasu Japan by prefecture reveals a trove of trivia perfect for tomorrow's conversation: "11 players from the Kantō region," "3 players from Yokohama," "4 cities that produced 2 or more teammates," and "zero players from Tōhoku or Hokkaidō."
info Birthplace Map | Full List of 26 Players
GK — 3 Players
| Player | Prefecture / City of Origin |
|---|---|
| Suzuki Zion | Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Osako Keisuke | Izumi City, Kagoshima Prefecture |
| Hayakawa Tomoki | Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture |
DF — 9 Players
| Player | Prefecture / City of Origin |
|---|---|
| Itakura Ko | Aoba Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Tomiyasu Takehiro | Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Taniguchi Shogo | Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture |
| Sugawara Yukinari | Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture |
| Ito Hiroki | Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Seko Ayumu | Izumisano City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Nagatomo Yuto | Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture |
| Suzuki Jyunnosuke | Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Watanabe Go | Machida City, Tokyo |
MF — 9 Players
| Player | Prefecture / City of Origin |
|---|---|
| Endo Wataru | Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Ito Junya | Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Doan Ritsu | Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Tanaka Ao | Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Kamada Daichi | Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture |
| Nakamura Keito | Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Sano Kaishu | Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Kubo Takefusa | Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Suzuki Yuito | Hayama Town, Miura District, Kanagawa Prefecture |
FW — 5 Players
| Player | Prefecture / City of Origin |
|---|---|
| Ueda Ayase | Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Maeda Daizen | Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Ogawa Koki | Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Shiobae Kento | Tsukishima, Chuo Ward, Tokyo |
| Goto Keisuke | Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
info Sources: Wikipedia, JFA Official, respective club youth academy official sites, Gekisaka (information verified as of May 2026)
star Regional Breakdown — 11 Players from Kantō, Nearly 40% of the Squad
| Region | Count | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Kantō (Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Kanagawa) | 11 | Suzuki Zion, Ueda, Watanabe, Shiobae, Itakura, Ito Junya, Suzuki Jyunnosuke, Suzuki Yuito, Endo, Tanaka, Kubo, Hayakawa |
| Chubu (Shizuoka, Aichi, Shiga) | 5 | Ito Hiroki, Sugawara, Ogawa, Goto, Nakamura Keito |
| Kansai (Osaka, Hyogo) | 3 | Doan, Seko, Maeda |
| Chugoku / Shikoku (Okayama, Ehime) | 3 | Sano, Nagatomo, Kamada |
| Kyushu (Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Kagoshima) | 3 | Tomiyasu, Taniguchi, Osako |
| Tōhoku / Hokkaidō / Okinawa | 0 | — |
info Players from Kantō account for approximately 42% of the squad. Shizuoka (Chubu) contributes 3 players and Ehime 2, revealing notable geographic concentration within certain cities.
local_fire_department Hometown Connections — 4 Cities That Produced 2 or More Players
sports_soccer Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture | Kamada Daichi & Nagatomo Yuto
From a city of roughly 100,000 people, Kamada Daichi (29), a central figure in Japan's modern attack, and Nagatomo Yuto (39), a legend making his fifth World Cup appearance, share the same hometown. Two players from completely different generations, born in the same city.
sports_soccer Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture | Tanaka Ao & Kubo Takefusa
Both from Kawasaki City, the two players are friends of the same generation who came through Kawasaki Frontale's youth academy. It is well known that Kubo spent time developing at Barcelona, but he was born in Kawasaki City.
sports_soccer Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture | Ito Hiroki & Goto Keisuke
At WC 2026 they play different positions — left wing-back and forward — but both hail from Hamamatsu City. Including Ogawa Koki (Iwata City), the neighboring Hamamatsu–Iwata area contributes 3 players to the 26-man squad.
sports_soccer Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture | Hayakawa Tomoki, Endo Wataru & Itakura Ko — 3 Players
An exceptional feat: not just a pair, but three players from the same city. Third-choice GK Hayakawa Tomoki, captain Endo Wataru, and Itakura Ko (Aoba Ward, Yokohama) — a remarkable concentration from one city.
-
star 8 Players from Kanagawa Alone — The "Development Hub" of Japanese Football
Beyond the three from Yokohama, add 2 from Kawasaki City (Tanaka Ao, Kubo Takefusa), 1 from Yokosuka City (Ito Junya), 1 from Hayama Town (Suzuki Yuito), and Suzuki Jyunnosuke, and Kanagawa Prefecture alone accounts for 8 players in the 26-man squad. The pathway from junior youth football through to the top level and onto the national team clearly runs through Kanagawa in modern Japanese football.
favorite A Notable Point | Zero Players from Tōhoku or Hokkaidō
The 2022 Qatar World Cup squad included players from multiple regions, but in this 26-man roster, there are zero players from the six Tōhoku prefectures or Hokkaidō. This appears to reflect the concentration of youth academy infrastructure and the pipeline routes from youth football into European leagues and the J.League. Whether graduates of Vegalta Sendai or Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo's youth academies will emerge as key figures for the next World Cup is one to watch.
info Which Players Come from Your Region?
| Prefecture | Players from the Area |
|---|---|
| Saitama | Suzuki Zion |
| Tokyo | Watanabe Go, Shiobae Kento |
| Kanagawa | Itakura Ko, Ito Junya, Suzuki Jyunnosuke, Suzuki Yuito, Endo Wataru, Tanaka Ao, Kubo Takefusa, Hayakawa Tomoki |
| Ibaraki | Ueda Ayase |
| Shizuoka | Ito Hiroki, Ogawa Koki, Goto Keisuke |
| Aichi | Sugawara Yukinari |
| Shiga | Nakamura Keito |
| Osaka | Seko Ayumu, Maeda Daizen |
| Hyogo | Doan Ritsu |
| Okayama | Sano Kaishu |
| Ehime | Nagatomo Yuto, Kamada Daichi |
| Fukuoka | Tomiyasu Takehiro |
| Kumamoto | Taniguchi Shogo |
| Kagoshima | Osako Keisuke |
info Prefectures not listed have no players in this 26-man squad. The hope that the next World Cup will feature someone from your hometown starts right here.
info Talking Points for Tomorrow
- "8 players from Kanagawa Prefecture alone — 3 from Yokohama City, 2 from Kawasaki City. Kanagawa is the development hub of the national team."
- "Kamada Daichi and Nagatomo Yuto both come from Saijo City, Ehime — producing 2 national team players from a city of 100,000 is an exceptional rate."
- "Zero players from Tōhoku or Hokkaidō — a sign of just how strongly the development structure is concentrated in urban areas."
info Related Links
- article Japan National Team WC 2026 — Full 26-Player Squad List
- article 【Breaking News】Japan National Team WC 2026 — Official 26-Man Squad Announced
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