TOKYO (2016 Rio Olympics) - Japan head coach Tomohide Utsumi is ambitious. He has steered his squad to back-to-back FIBA Asia Women's Championship titles, the last of which punched the country's ticket to an Olympic Games for the first time since 2004.

The Rio de Janeiro Games is going to be a terrific experience for Utsumi and his charges. His aim is not just to take part, though, but to do something special. He wants his Japanese squad to reach the podium.

Under our team slogan 'Challenge for the medal!' is 'Strength to compete', 'Strength to overcome' and 'Pride and responsibility of carrying Hinomaru (the national flag)'. All players and staff will be determined and take aim at winning a medal and unite towards the challenge. - Utsumi

The coach has announced the 18 finalists for this summer's Olympic team. All of those that reached the top of the podium at the 2015 FIBA Asia Women's Championship are among those in contention. 

Japan clinched their Olympic place by playing up-tempo and with plenty of panache in Wuhan, China last year. They were undefeated in the tournament and beat their biggest title rivals, the host nation, twice.

Among the 18 are Ramu Tokashiki, Yuka Mamiya, Asami Yoshida and Maki Takada. Tokashiki won her second straight MVP honor at the 2015 continental championship and Yoshida - who bounced back from the knee injury that kept her out of the 2014 FIBA Women's World Championship - was voted to the All-Star Five.

Shooting guard Sanae Motokawa, who led the team in scoring in Wuhan with almost 14 points per contest, is also among the 18.

Sanae Motokawa (JPN) led Japan in scoring in Wuhan

Utsumi's team will launch its preparations next month at the Ajinomoto National Training Center. He is looking forward to the start of the build-up.

"We are starting camps from 9 April to prepare for the Rio Olympic Games," he said. "Until Rio, we are planning to organize six (training) camps. It will be important for us to develop our team through practical training. We are expecting 20 to 22 (warm-up) games."

As part of their Olympic preparations, Japan will travel to Europe. They will visit France, Belarus and the Czech Republic for training camps and friendlies against opponents that are getting ready for the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT) or the Rio Games. 

Japan featured at the WOQT in Ankara, Turkey four years ago but lost a do-or-die game for an Olympic berth at the end of the event to Canada. Tokashiki's star was just starting to take off but injury prevented her from taking part in that tournament.

The 24-year-old, meanwhile, is to play for the WNBA's Seattle Storm for the second straight year in 2016 after signing a new contract. She will leave Japan for the Storm's pre-season and will not link up with her national team until 23 July, when they are in Buenos Aires.

The Olympic Women's Basketball Tournament will run from 6-20 August in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Rio will be a culmination of what I have been aiming for all these years. This will lead to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. - Utsumi

"We will always need to play with consistency and have a strong will and spirit to challenge for the medal..." Utsumi said.

Japan preliminary squad for Rio 2016 Olympic Games: Ai Mitani, Asami Yoshida, Asako O, Mika Kurihara, Maki Takada, Yuka Mamiya, Ramu Tokashiki, Chinatsu Yamamoto, Mio Shinozaki, Kaede Kondo, Sanae Motokawa, Rui Machida, Yuki Miyazawa, Naho Miyoshi, Moeko Nagaoka, Manami Fujioka, Evelyn Mawuli and Sakura Akaho.

FIBA