The long road toward the 2010 World Cup begins for Japan on Wednesday night with a first qualification match against Thailand at Saitama Stadium 2002.
But to assume the path is clear for a fourth consecutive appearance at soccer's top table is to ignore the pitfalls that lie ahead in an Asian soccer landscape that has changed since Germany 2006.
Takeshi Okada leads his side against the Thais in his first competitive match since returning as national coach, after stepping into the breach when predecessor Ivica Osim suffered a serious stroke in November.