If successful, this would continue an era of sport which is already set to include the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the Olympic and Paralympic Games the following year.

The Japanese Football Association (JFA( was originally planning to campaign for the 2019 tournament - with FIFA President Sepp Blatter having even granted his "blessing" last year for such a bid.

But, considering the other events it was decided that it would make more sense for Japan to wait four more years and bid instead for the 2023 version - which would allow them to make full use of the facilities that will have been renovated for the Olympics.

A 2023 World Cup bid would make use of the new National Stadium to be built for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games ©Zaha Hadid Associates 


The bid would include the new Zaha Hadid-designed  National Stadium, something confirmed by JFA vice president Kozo Tashima when he announced the plans.

He admitted that "the new National Stadium will be available for us to use, and we can hold a much better tournament then."

Like the men's event the Women's World Cup is held on a quadrennial basis.

The 2015 version has already been awarded to Canada, while the likes of Australia, South Africa, Poland, Sweden and Brazil have been touted as bidders for the 2019 and potentially the 2023 events.