Basketball - Team Japan

General
Japan qualified automatically as hosts for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where they will be making their fifth Olympic appearance. The 2020 Games also mark the first time Japan's women have competed at consecutive Olympic tournaments. At the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, three group phase wins over Belarus, Brazil and France and two defeats to Australia and Turkey set up a quarterfinal match against the United States of America. Although they were only 10 points down at the end of the second period [56-46], they were eventually beaten 110-64 by a US team that went on to win gold at the tournament. Japan's fifth place at the 1976 Games remains their best Olympic finish.

The Japanese team have competed at four editions of the World Cup this century, but did not reach the quarterfinals in any of those tournaments. A silver medal in 1975, when the competition was still known as the world championship, remains their only medal at the tournament in 13 appearances dating back to 1964.

At continental level Japan secured the title at four consecutive Asia Cups between 2013 and 2019. They beat the People's Republic of China twice in the final during this period, as well as Australia and the Republic of Korea on one occasion each. Japan also won four consecutive bronze medals at the Asian Games between 2006 and 2018.