Through his signature big jet-black sunglasses, head coach Toshiaki Abe looks at the gridiron contemplating on which players he may have to call upon this coming summer.

News photoToshiaki Abe, the sunglasses-wearing Japan national team coach, checks out Saturday's American football training camp at Nihon University's Shimo-Takaido campus in Tokyo. KAZ NAGATSUKA PHOTO

One hundred and forty three players have been assembled for the ongoing first stage of the Japanese national team's training camp for the 3rd IFAF World Championships (American football World Cup), which will be hosted in Kawasaki from July 7-15.