Five days before the start of the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018, teams have started to arrive in Brittany, with Japan being the first team to land in the region on Tuesday. The Young Nadeshiko were followed by the arrival of tournament hosts France, with England arriving soon after.

"We came from Amsterdam, where we played our last friendly match against the Netherlands,” said Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda. “We had a good trip to France. We are glad to arrive in Brittany and we look forward to the start of the competition.”​

The East Asians then proceeded to their team base in Benodet and preparations for their opening Group C match versus USA in nearby Concarneau on Monday. Japan defeated USA to finish third at Papua New Guinea 2016.

Though it will be a highly-anticipated clash between two of women’s football’s traditional powerhouses, Ikeda sees the game as a step towards their ultimate ambition. “Our main goal is to go to the final," he said.