Japan have the Rugby World Cup squad that just keeps on giving.
After their landmark 34-32 win against South Africa in 2015, the Brave Blossoms went on to produce even more incredible victories on home soil by beating Ireland and Scotland in 2019. They went through to the knockouts for the first time in their history.
This time out they face 2019 finalists England, and a feisty Argentina in their pool. Will they be able to produce more thrilling performances?
Coach Jamie Joseph – who is leaving Japan to return to the Highlanders next season – has named an initial 30-man squad ahead of the official 33-man squad deadline of 28 August.
Check out who made the cut in the Japan Rugby World Cup squad below – and see the full list of Rugby World Cup fixtures here.
Japan Rugby World Cup squad 2023
Props
Keita Inagaki (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
Craig Millar (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
Sione Halasili (Yokohama Canon Eagles)
Ji-won Koo (Kobelco Kobe Steelers)
Shinnosuke Kakinaga (Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath)
Asaeli Ai Valu (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
Hookers
Shota Horie (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
Atsushi Sakate (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
Kosuke Horikoshi (Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath)
Locks
James Moore (Urayasu D-Rocks)
Jack Cornelsen (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
Flankers/back row
Shota Fukui (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
Ben Gunter (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
Kazuki Himeno (Toyota Verblitz)
Michael Leitch (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo)
Scrum-halves
Naoto Saito (Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath)
Yutaka Nagare (Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath)
Kenta Fukuda (Toyota Verblitz)
Fly-halves
Seungsin Lee (Kobelco Kobe Steelers)
Rikiya Matsuda (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
Centres
Ryoto Nakamura (Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath)
Tomoki Osada (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
Shogo Nakano (Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath)
Dylan Riley (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
Wings
Siosaia Fifita (Hanazono Kintetsu Liners)
Semisi Masirewa (Hanazono Kintetsu Liners)
Jone Naikabula (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo)
Lomano Lava Lemeki (NEC Green Rockets)
Full-backs
Kotaro Matsushima (Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath)
Jumpei Ogura (Yokohama Canon Eagles)