The Japan Basketball Association (JBA) have formally announced the 24-player preliminary roster for Japan for the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup 2022. The list is headlined by the return of Yuta Watanabe. The forward who plays for the Toronto Raptors in the NBA was a key part of the national teams that competed in the recent Tokyo Olympics and FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China. At the Olympics, Watanabe averaged 17.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.