A total of 20 players are seeking to secure places in Japan's 15-player squad at the Olympics, which were postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The training session at the main Tokyo 2020 softball and baseball venue was attended by 18 players with two currently nursing injuries.

The team had not been active since being forced to cancel a training camp in March.

"I would like to raise the level further to win the gold medal and develop a new strategy," said head coach Reika Utsugi, a two-time Olympic medallist.

"First of all, I want to have fun and create a sense of unity as a team.

"I am thinking of returning to zero and rethinking everything because the Olympics were postponed.

"All 20 players have a chance to make the final 15-player roster."

The training camp includes pitchers Yukiko Ueno, Nozomi Ozaki, Misaki Katsumata, Miu Goto, Yukari Hamamura and Yamato Fujita, as well as catchers Haruka Agatsuma, Nayu Kiyohara and Yukiyo Mine.

Infielders Mana Atsumi, Yuka Ichiguchi, Hitomi Kawabata, Natsuko Sugama, Minori Naito and Yu Yamamoto are also included, along with outfielders Mikiko Eguchi, Nodoka Harada, Sayaka Mori, Saki Yamazaki and Eri Yamada.

The training camp is due to continue until November 25.

The Japanese squad will then reconvene in Kochi City for their next camp from December 1 to 15.

The Tokyo 2020 softball tournament consists of a single round-robin opening round, before the medal games are played on July 27, 2021.

The top two teams at the end of the round-robin will progress to the gold medal match, with the third and fourth-place finishers contesting the bronze medal.

Japan, United States, Italy, Mexico, Canada and Australia will compete in the tournament.

Japan won gold at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the last time softball featured at the Games.