Japan to Face Wales in Third Test Match of 2025
Having shared the spoils with one-win-a-piece during Wales’ two-test tour of Japan in the summer, this weekend’s match at Principality Stadium in Cardiff will be a final of sorts, with both teams desperate to get the win. Aside from claiming bragging rights for the 2025 season, the side that wins on Saturday will add a welcome ‘W’ to their win-loss ratio in what has been a tough year for both teams.
Kicking off at 17:40 local time on Saturday, November 15 (02:40 JST on Sunday, November 16) the match will be the 17th meeting between the two sides. Wales hold the historic ascendency with 14 wins for just two losses, including their 22-31 win over Japan in their last meeting in Kobe back in July.
Japan Head Coach Eddie Jones has named a side closely resembling the team that fell to Ireland last weekend in Dublin yet also sees a few big changes. Captained by lock Warner Dearns, the Brave Blossoms welcome six new players onto the reserves bench, including three test match debutants who, if they take to the field, will earn their first Japan caps.
With Michael Leitch and Ben Gunter both unavailable for selection, Jack Cornelsen moves from the second row cover on the bench to the starting blindside flank. This makes way for Suntory Sungoliath stalwart, Harry Hockings to make his debut for Japan as the reserve lock.
Prop Sho Furuhata from the Panasonic Wild Knights also comes into the side for his first cap from the reserves bench. He is joined by Japan Olympic Sevens flyer, Kazuma Ueda from the Kobe Steelers, as the backrow reserve.
Commenting ahead of the match, Brave Blossoms Head Coach Eddie Jones said:
“This is our fourth game of the November series, and I think each week we’re getting a little bit better. Certainly our training quality has improved, and I think we’re in a really good spot to play against Wales. It’s our third time to play them this year so both teams know each other pretty well. They’ve had some personnel changes and a change in coach, but we’re looking forward to play them this weekend at Principality Stadium.
“For our young team we’re looking forward to experience that environment and experience the hostility of the crowd. They’re the games you want to play in as a young player. You want to learn to cope in those situations and learn to win in those situations.”
The match will be broadcast live in Japan on Sunday, November 16 on WOWWOW Prime from 02:15 JST. It will also be available for live streaming and via catch-up on WOWWOW On Demand from the same time.
| No. | Name | Club Team | Graduate | Height cm | Weight kg | DOB | Cap |
| 1 | Kenta KOBAYASHI | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH | Waseda Univ. | 181 | 113 | 1999/6/2 | 7 |
| 2 | Kenji SATO | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Waseda Univ. | 177 | 108 | 2003/1/4 | 7 |
| 3 | Keijiro TAMEFUSA | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Meiji Univ. | 180 | 108 | 2001/9/3 | 18 |
| 4 | Epineri ULUIVITI | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars | Ratu Kadavulevu School | 196 | 122 | 1996/7/7 | 9 |
| 5 | Warner DEARNS (C) | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO | Ryutsu Keizai Univ. KASHIWA HS. | 201 | 117 | 2002/4/11 | 30 |
| 6 | Jack CORNELSEN | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Univ. of Queensland | 195 | 110 | 1994/10/13 | 27 |
| 7 | Kanji SHIMOKAWA | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH | Waseda Univ. | 188 | 105 | 1999/1/17 | 21 |
| 8 | Faulua MAKISI | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Tenri Univ. | 187 | 112 | 1997/1/20 | 22 |
| 9 | Naoto SAITO | Stade Toulousain | Waseda Univ. | 165 | 73 | 1997/8/26 | 26 |
| 10 | Seungsin LEE (VC) | KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS | Osaka Korean HS. | 176 | 86 | 2001/1/13 | 27 |
| 11 | Tomoki OSADA | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Waseda Univ. | 179 | 90 | 1999/11/25 | 24 |
| 12 | Charlie LAWRENCE | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars | Hamilton Boys’HS. | 170 | 89 | 1998/5/27 | 7 |
| 13 | Dylan RILEY (VC) | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Bond Univ. | 187 | 102 | 1997/5/2 | 36 |
| 14 | Kippei ISHIDA | YOKOHAMA CANON EAGLES | Meiji Univ. | 167 | 75 | 2000/4/28 | 8 |
| 15 | Yoshitaka YAZAKI | Waseda Univ. | Toin Gakuen HS. | 180 | 86 | 2004/5/12 | 8 |
| 16 | Shodai HIRAO | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH | Kwansei Gakuin Univ. | 174 | 103 | 2002/10/11 | 2 |
| 17 | Sho FURUHATA | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Daito Bunka Univ. | 185 | 118 | 1996/12/10 | 0 |
| 18 | Shuhei TAKEUCHI | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH | Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ. | 183 | 115 | 1997/12/9 | 22 |
| 19 | Harry HOCKINGS | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH | Univ. of Queensland | 208 | 124 | 1998/7/28 | 0 |
| 20 | Tyler PAUL | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Nelson Mandela Univ. | 195 | 111 | 1995/1/20 | 2 |
| 21 | Kenta FUKUDA | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH | Meiji Univ. | 173 | 83 | 1996/12/19 | 7 |
| 22 | Shinya KOMURA | TOYOTA VERBLITZ | Teikyo Univ. | 180 | 92 | 2002/5/28 | 1 |
| 23 | Kazuma UEDA | KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS | Kindai Univ. | 177 | 87 | 2002/12/4 | 0 |
*(C) Captain
*(VC) Vice Captain
Japan National Team Autumn Match Schedule
Saturday 18 October
JAPAN XV vs Australia A (Uncapped)
7-71 (L)
Asahi Super Dry CHALLENGE MATCH 2025
YODOKO Sakura Stadium, Osaka
Friday 24 October
Hong Kong China vs JAPAN XV (Uncapped)
14-59 (W)
Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong
Saturday 25 October
Japan vs Australia
15-19 (L)
Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2025
National Stadium, Tokyo
Saturday 1 November
Japan vs South Africa
7-61 (L)
Lipovitan D Tour 2025
Wembley Stadium, London
Saturday 8 November
Ireland vs Japan
41-10 (L)
Lipovitan D Tour 2025
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Saturday 15 November
Kick-off 17:40 local time (02:40 JST – Sunday, November 16)
Wales vs Japan
Lipovitan D Tour 2025
Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Saturday 22 November
Kick-off 16:00 local time (21:00 JST)
Georgia vs Japan
Lipovitan D Tour 2025
Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi