SYDNEY, Australia -- Fresh off his nation's triumph in the final of the Women's Asian Cup, Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto has flagged elevating the level of support for women's football in the country to a level that reflects Nadeshiko's standing as a global footballing power.
Taking a first-half lead through a sublime effort from Maika Hamano, Nils Nielsen's side weathered a late onslaught from the Matildas to secure a 1-0 win in Saturday's decider, making it three continental crowns in their last four tournaments.
Also the 2011 Women's World Cup champions, Japan, in addition to their on-field prowess, have become one of Asia's leading exporters of talent to Europe and North America in recent years, and established the fully professional WE League in 2021.
And speaking to the media in the aftermath of Saturday's final, in which 74,397 fans filled Stadium Australia, but in which the strong support Japanese men's sides bring abroad was notably absent, Miyamoto said raising the domestic profile and support for Japan's women was a priority.
"We have to increase the fan base of Japanese women's football," he told media. "Players are now getting better and better, so we have to see the balance between development and promotion."
Part of this push, he said, would be attempting to secure hosting rights for the Women's World Cup.
The profile of the Matildas was significantly boosted by Australia, alongside New Zealand, hosting the 2023 Women's World Cup, while Japan, alongside South Korea, hosted the 2002 men's World Cup.
"In 2039, we'd like to have the Women's FIFA World Cup," said the JFA president. "It's a long way to go still, but our aim is to have a Women's World Cup in Japan."
In the near term, with Japan's strong showing at the Asian Cup bringing them into focus as strong contenders in 2027, Miyamoto also praised the work of Nielsen, the first foreign coach ever put in charge of Nadeshiko.
While the move to bring in an international coach may have presented a symbolically significant step, the president said the move to appoint the Greenlander wasn't a difficult one for him, with Saturday evening exemplifying why he'd felt that way.
"We needed to change the attitude, atmosphere," Miyamoto said.
"A lot of things needed to be changed.
"Because [Japanese] players are playing in Europe or the States. So they have European or American culture, so they used to play with English, so it's very normal for them."
Japan's women will return to action next month, when they travel to face the United States in a trio of friendlies.
