Best finish
They have taken part in every tournament to date but only ever won one game - against Zimbabwe in 1991.
Last time
They lost their first three pool games to France, New Zealand and Tonga, but bowed out of the competition on a relative high with a draw against Canada.
Coach
Vastly experienced former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has been in charge since the start of 2012, and is a wily campaigner who enjoys winding up opponents as well as getting the best out of his own squad.
Key player
Hendrik Tui, the Auckland-born back-row forward, has a big role to play in ensuring his pack retains a foothold in their matches.
Strengths
Having Jones at the helm guarantees them a lot of tactical nous, and they can always be relied upon to come up with some unusual plays.
Weaknesses
Despite the inclusion in their squad of some players of south Pacific origin, Japan can still be overwhelmed physically by many of their opponents.
Prospects
They have a demanding start against South Africa - a game that Scotland coach Vern Cotter thinks they may throw away in order to put everything into the match against his own team that follows four days later. They then have ten days to recover before meeting Samoa in Milton Keynes, and end by playing the USA. Had that last match been Japan’s first, they would have had a better chance of winning it, but given the schedule it is hard to see where another draw - never mind a victory - is coming from.
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