The Japan squad to play in the FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup in Costa Rica was announced on Tuesday.
　Japan will play Spain on March 16, Paraguay on March 19 and New Zealand on March 23 in the group stage.
　The top two teams from the group stage will move on to the quarterfinals on March 27. The semifinals will be held on March 31, while the final and the third-place playoff will take place on April 4.
　Japan’s 21-member squad features midfielders Hasegawa Yui and Sugita Hina, who both played in the 2012 edition. 
　Japan coach Takakura Asako said, “We are aiming to do better than in the previous tournament – where we made it to the last eight – and win the tournament. For myself and many of our players, this is our first world championship, but we will approach it positively and aim to achieve our big objective.”
　Japan were runners-up in the 2010 tournament and reached the quarterfinals in 2008 and 2012.

Squad:
Goalkeepers—MORITA Yukari (Osaka Toin High School), ASANO Natsumi (JFA Academy Fukushima), MATSUMOTO Mamiko (Urawa Reds Ladies youth)
Defenders—KITAGAWA Hikaru (JFA Academy Fukushima), MATSUBARA Shiho (Cerezo Osaka Sakai Ladies), ICHISE Nana (Tokiwagi Gakuen High School), HASHINUMA Maho (JFA Academy Fukushima), ENDO Yu (Urawa Reds Ladies youth), MIYAGAWA Asato (NTV Menina), MINAMI Moeka (Urawa Reds Ladies youth)
Midfielders—HASEGAWA Yui (NTV Beleza), SUGITA Hina (Fujieda Junshin High School), NISHIDA Meika (Cerezo Osaka Sakai Ladies), HIRATSUKA Maki (Seinan FC U-15), SATO Mizuka (JEF United Ichihara-Chiba Ladies U-18), NAGANO Fuka (Urawa Reds Ladies youth)
Forwards—KOBAYASHI Rikako (Tokiwagi Gakuen High School), KAMOGAWA Miho (JEF United Ichihara-Chiba Ladies U-18), SAIHARA Mizuki (Angeviolet Hiroshima), KONO Fuka (Fujieda Junshin High School), OKUMA Rana (JFA Academy Fukushima)
Coach—TAKAKURA Asako (Japan)