At the World Challenge Cup held in Tokyo this June, Japan's men's team beat leading wheelchair basketball nations Australia, Germany and Canada to win their first major international trophy. At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, Japan had focused on teamwork but were overcome by more powerful opponents. A revamped approach focusing on speedy transitions has led to rapid improvements. We explore the team's current success and look back on their half-century of history, starting with the 1964 Tokyo Games.