Almost as a tradition, Japan has been the first country to confirm its riders for the 79th edition of the Motocross of Nations on October 3 and 4 in Ernée, France.
Surprisingly, this year they will not be fielding Jo Shimoda, one of their leading international riders. Shimoda has confirmed his participation in two Australian Supercross races as well as the Paris Supercross in the 450 class. However, it appears that the Motocross of Nations has not been part of his plans for this season.
Instead, the three riders selected are Yuki Okura (Honda HRC), Kainosuke Oshiro (Yamaha), and Haruki Yokoyama (Kawasaki). Of the three, only Yokoyama has been confirmed for the MX2 class, while Okura—the current champion and leader in the IA1 class—and Oshiro, who is in third place, have not yet been confirmed for either the MXGP or OPEN classes.
Japan’s highest finish in the Motocross of Nations was sixth place in 2000 and 2003. Last year, Okura, Soya Nakajima, and Jo Shimoda competed, advancing to the final for the first time in nine years and achieving a solid 11th-place finish overall. In preparation for 2026, they will take on the challenge with the goal of “making it through the qualifying round and finishing in the top 15 in the final.”
