In order to qualify for the Madrid Olympic Games (for players under 23 years of age), Japan had to compete in the Asian Qualifiers. This qualifying tournament consisted of:
- A preliminary round, that Japan did not have to play due to its seeding.
- A first group stage (12 groups), with the winners of each group advancing to the second stage.
- A second group stage (3 groups), with the winners of each group advancing to the Olympic Games. Japan, China and South Korea were the teams that earned the ticket to Madrid.
RESULTS AND STANDINGS:
In the first group stage Japan won easily every single game, both at home and away:
Matches - Stage 1
Standings - Stage 1
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Japan (U23) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 24 | 18 |
| 2 |  Thailand (U23) | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 10 |
| 3 |  Bahrain (U23) | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8 | -8 | 5 |
| 4 |  Malaysia (U23) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 11 | -11 | 1 |
Legend: P – Games Played, W – Games Won, D – Games Drawn, L – Games Lost, F – Goals For (scored), A – Goals Against (received), GD – Goal Difference, Pts – Points (3 per win, 1 per draw).
For the second group stage, Japan, after losing in Australia and drawing in Saudi Arabia, had to beat Australia at home by three or more goals in order to qualify for the Olympics:
Matches - Stage 2
Standings - Stage 2
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan (U23) | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 13 |
| 2 |  Australia (U23) | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 13 |
| 3 |  Saudi Arabia (U23) | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 5 |
| 4 |  Vietnam (U23) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 13 | -13 | 0 |
PLAYERS DATA:
Top Scorer: Shun Nitta (Japan), at least four goals.
Top Assister: Taro Misaki (Japan), at least five assists.
Best Goalkeeper: Genzo Wakabayashi (Japan).
Top Scorers
| Rank | Player | Team | Position | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |   Nitta | Japan (U23) | FW | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 2 |   Duviga | Australia (U23) | FW | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 3 |  Misaki | Japan (U23) | AM | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| 4 |  Wakashimazu | Japan (U23) | FW | 5 | 2 | 1 |
Top Assisters
| Rank | Player | Team | Position | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Misaki | Japan (U23) | AM | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | Wakashimazu | Japan (U23) | FW | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | Duviga | Australia (U23) | FW | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 4 |  Konwell | Australia (U23) | AM | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Top Goalkeepers
| Rank | Player | Team | Position | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Wakabayashi | Japan (U23) | GK | 0.33 | 3 |
| 2 | Wakashimazu | Japan (U23) | FW, GK | 0.80 | 5 |
In this link you have access to the stats of every player that participated in this the Asian Qualification Tournament for the Olympic Games.