Explained: Japan’s ‘Samurai Blue’ National Team colours & Nickname
Have you ever wondered why Japan play in blue instead of white and red?
Football in Japan has expanded greatly over the last quarter century, with the beautiful game becoming increasingly popular among the Japanese people.
Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa have all worn this blue jersey to represent their countries on the world stage for the past 30 years. Samurai Blue is best known for co-hosting the 2002 World Cup with South Korea, making it to the tournament for the second time.
But where did her nickname “Samurai Blue” come from? And why are they wearing the color blue? GOAL provides answers to these questions and more.
Why is Japan called Samurai Blue?
The Japanese nickname “Samurai Blue” (also known as “Blue Samurai”) is partly due to the blue color of their playing attire, which has been blue since the 1930s. The second half of the name is inspired by Japan’s ancient samurai warriors and samurai warriors, who are widely recognized as part of Japan’s international identity.
This nickname was given by the Japan Football Association (JFA) for over 15 years. been defended for a long time. Before the 2006 World Cup, the JFA added “Samurai Blue” as one of the options he had to become a recognized national team nickname. It proved the overwhelming attachment of Japanese fans this year.
But “samurai blue” was colloquially used for decades before that. The name is synonymous with pride, a sense of fair play, and a strong will to win.
Why does Japan wear blue?
The Japanese flag, called the Hinomaru, is instantly recognizable and not blue. The Japanese flag symbolizes the disk of the sun, representing purity and sincerity. The red gradient represents sincerity, lightness and warmth.
There are several reports as to why they wear blue instead of red. Won the soccer title.
Some say that when she participated in the 195 World Cup qualifiers, the Tokyo Imperial University team made up most of the squad and wore blue when playing domestically.
Another belief is that the colors represent the blue sky and sea, symbolizing the land of Japan.The truth seems a little elusive, but there seems to be an element of superstition in every story.
In recent years, blue has become the main color of Japanese football, although other color variations are also worn. She wore a striped kit with red diamonds.
What does Japan’s crest look like?
The Japanese team’s crest features the Yatagarasu, a three-legged crow from Japanese mythology who is a symbol of the sun. Yatagarasu has a bright red ball that resembles the red dot (sun) of the national flag.
Below the crow is the initials of the Japan Football Association, “JFA”, and above that is “Japan”.
All these details are placed on a white background with red vertical stripes