With national team manager Takeshi Okada set to name his World Cup squad on May 10, Soccer Scene takes a look at the candidates. Names in bold are those predicted to make the final 23-man roster:
Seigo Narazaki is Okada's No. 1 goalkeeper and is certain of making it to his fourth World Cup. Eiji Kawashima is his established deputy, while Sanfrecce Hiroshima's Shusaku Nishikawa should edge out Shuichi Gonda for the third spot.
Okada's back four was practically set in stone throughout the qualifiers, so captain Yuji Nakazawa, Marcus Tulio Tanaka, Atsuto Uchida and Yuto Nagatomo are all on the plane.