Japan's rugby national team Head Coach Jamie Joseph has announced his squad for the World Cup in France, which will open on September 8.

Joseph and National Team Director Fujii Yuichiro released the list of 30 men at a news conference in Tokyo, on Tuesday.

The members include veteran players, such as Leitch Michael, who has served as the captain of the Brave Blossoms in the previous two consecutive World Cups, Himeno Kazuki, who's co-captained in test matches since July, and 37-year-old hooker Horie Shota. He is the oldest member of the squad.

Seventeen players were called up to Japan's World Cup squad for the first time. They include scrumhalf Saito Naoto, standoff half Lee Seungsin, who's the youngest on the team at 22, Osada Tomoki and Fukui Shota, both selected as members of the national team for the first time this year.

Himeno will be the captain, and scrumhalf Nagare Yutaka will be the sub-captain.

The Brave Blossoms are from various countries including Japan, New Zealand, Tonga, Australia, Fiji and Thailand.

Each team to compete in the coming World Cup is allowed to register 33 members. Joseph plans to name the remaining three after determining the physical condition of his players.

The head coach said in selecting his squad he attached importance on the ability to play multiple positions.

Joseph also said Japan gained a lot of confidence from what they achieved in 2019, referring to the World Cup Japan, where his team advanced to the quarterfinals.

He said: "We are going into the World Cup to win it."