Adidas - Japan 2018 Home Football Shirt 'KAGAWA'

This Japan 2018 home shirt was made by adidas and features Shinji Kagawa’s #10 nameset together with the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and FIFA Living Football sleeve patches. Worn during Japan’s memorable campaign in Russia, the shirt comes from one of the strongest World Cup performances of the Samurai Blue’s modern era. 

The design features Japan’s traditional deep indigo base, known as Kachi-iro or “victory colour”, with a distinctive pattern of broken white vertical lines inspired by traditional Japanese sashiko stitching. White adidas Three Stripes run across the shoulders, while flashes of red around the collar reference the Japanese flag. The shirt also introduced a redesigned JFA crest commemorating 20 years since Japan first qualified for a World Cup.

Japan travelled to Russia in a group containing Colombia, Senegal and Poland. They opened the tournament with a historic 2–1 victory over Colombia before drawing 2–2 with Senegal and progressing to the knockout stage. Their run ended in dramatic fashion against Belgium in the Round of 16, where Japan led 2–0 before eventually losing 3–2 to a stoppage-time winner.

Kagawa was one of Japan’s key attacking players and wore the prestigious #10 throughout the tournament. He scored Japan’s opening goal of the World Cup, calmly converting a penalty against Colombia, and remained an important creative presence as Japan reached the last 16. By this stage of his career, Kagawa had already won Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund and the Premier League with Manchester United, making him one of the most internationally recognised Japanese players of his generation.

For collectors, the combination of Kagawa #10, full World Cup sleeve detailing and the distinctive sashiko-inspired adidas design makes this a particularly appealing Japan shirt. Its association with Japan’s dramatic 2018 World Cup run adds further significance to one of the Samurai Blue’s most recognisable modern designs.

Shirt condition: 8.5/10