National team manager Takeshi Okada has warned his players they will be fighting for their World Cup lives at the East Asian Football Championship over the coming week.
Japan plays China on Saturday before facing Hong Kong and South Korea next week in a tournament that has increased in significance just four months before Okada's side heads to South Africa.
The manager intends to take a good look at each of his 23 squad members over the three games in Tokyo, and insists the battle for the right back slot between Atsuto Uchida and Yuhei Tokunaga is not the only position up for grabs.