[Handball] Women's Japan National Team: Announcement of 1st Overseas Expedition and Participating Members

The Japan Handball Association is pleased to announce the members selected for the Women's Japan National Team's first overseas expedition of 2026, which will take place in Denmark from April 5 to April 13, 2026, as detailed below.

This expedition marks the first activity of 2026 for the team, in preparation for the 20th Asian Games to be held in Aichi Prefecture in September. The expedition will include a total of 19 members: 6 players affiliated with overseas clubs, 9 players from League H, and 4 university students.

During the expedition, the team will stay in Viborg, Denmark, and plans to conduct joint training sessions and test matches with local clubs.

[Women's Japan National Team 1st Overseas Expedition]

Period: April 5 (Sunday) - April 13 (Monday), 2026
Location: Denmark

[Staff]

Head Coach Morten Soubak (Japan Handball Association)
Coach Shota Arai (Japan Handball Association)
Trainer Yusuke Kabayama (Japan Handball Association / Kokushikan University)
Trainer Momiji Kishii (Japan Handball Association / Nippon Sport Science University Sports Cure Center Yokohama Kenchidai Osteopathic Clinic)
Analyst Yuma Mitsuishi (Japan Handball Association)
General Manager Aiko Kinugasa (Japan Handball Association)

[Players] 19 members (Position / Height・Age / Affiliation / Hometown Prefecture)

Sakura Kameya
GK / 174cm / 39 years old / Molde Elite (Norway) / Norway
Naoko Sahara
PV / 180cm / 30 years old / Honeybee Ishikawa / Fukushima Prefecture
Claire Frances Gray
PV / 171cm / 28 years old / Kumamoto Beaust Pinz / Kanagawa Prefecture
Miyako Hatsumi
PV / 165cm / 28 years old / Mie Violet Iris / Kanagawa Prefecture
Yuki Yoshitome
LW / 164cm / 27 years old / Honeybee Ishikawa / Kagoshima Prefecture
Ayaka Omatsuzawa
BP / 175cm / 27 years old / Prestige International Aranmare Toyama / Miyagi Prefecture
Kaho Nakayama
BP / 172cm / 27 years old / BSV Sachsen Zwickau (Germany) / Okayama Prefecture
Natsuki Aizawa
BP / 160cm / 27 years old / Thuringer HC (Germany) / Ibaraki Prefecture
Aki Ueshima
GK / 176cm / 24 years old / ASUL Vaulx-en-Velin Handball (France) / Ishikawa Prefecture
Minami Matsuura
BP / 158cm / 24 years old / Kagawa Bank GiraSol Kagawa / Yamaguchi Prefecture
Sanju Yoshino
RW / 166cm / 23 years old / Kumamoto Beaust Pinz / Aichi Prefecture
Kotomi Kida
BP / 160cm / 23 years old / ZRK Bekament Bukovicka Banja (Serbia) / Osaka Prefecture
Sora Ishikawa
BP / 169cm / 23 years old / Balonmano Bera Bera (Spain) / Oita Prefecture
Saaya Okuyama
RW / 158cm / 22 years old / Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Blue Sakuya Kagoshima / Osaka Prefecture
Aimi Takarai
LW / 166cm / 22 years old / Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Blue Sakuya Kagoshima / Ishikawa Prefecture
Ayumi Rokukawa
LW / 176cm / 21 years old / University of Tsukuba / Nagano Prefecture
Hinako Tada
GK / 183cm / 20 years old / Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences / Tokyo
Ai Nakao
BP / 175cm / 20 years old / Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences / Kyoto Prefecture
Mao Kato
PV / 178cm / 19 years old / Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences / Miyagi Prefecture

*Position: BP Back Player, LW Left Wing, RW Right Wing, PV Pivot, GK Goalkeeper
*Ages are as of March 26, 2026