Nadeshiko Japan departed Monday from Tokyo's Haneda airport for the Women's World Cup in France, on the hunt to capture the winner's trophy for a second time.
Eight years after Japan won the World Cup in Germany, a new generation of players are aiming to write their names in the history books, according to head coach Asako Takakura.
The 51-year-old manager leads a youthful squad facing the tough task of escaping from a group containing Argentina, England and Scotland at the June 7 to July 7 tournament.