Four-time champion Japan was drawn on Friday with Uzbekistan, Oman and Turkmenistan in Group F for next year's Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
The Jan. 5-Feb. 1 tournament will be contested by 24 teams, expanding from the 16-team format at previous editions.
Japan's four Asian Cup titles — won in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011 — are the most in tournament history. In the team's eight appearances, the Samurai Blue have a 24-win, 12-draw, five-loss record.
Japan made a quarterfinal exit in the previous tournament played in Australia in 2015.