JAPAN
WORLD RANKING: 21st
LAST YEAR: 6th in IIHF World Championship Division 1 Group A
COACH: Takahito Suzuki
As the countdown to the historic World Championship Division 1 Group B in Belfast continues, we take a look at the six teams who will play in the first men’s World Championship in the UK for 25 years. Lets find out more about Japan…
Japan arrive in Belfast as the number one seeds in the tournament having been relegated from Division 1 Group A last season.
Coach Suzuki has moved up from assistant coach last year and succeeds Greg Thomson as head coach, who went 0&5 in Katowice last year.
Two years ago they were bronze medallists in D1A and appear to have retained the core of that squad coming into Belfast.
The last meeting between GB and Japan was in D1A in Hungary in 2013, Britain’s last appearance in Division 1A. Japan were 4-1 winners, Robert Farmer scored the GB goal.
Japan will be Great Britain’s final opponent next Saturday, 29 April (7.30pm).