The 2023 AFC Asian Cup starts on January 12, with defending champions Qatar on hosting duty for the tournament, following their staging of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The race to be crowned as Asia's top international team will be a fascinating watch in the coming weeks with four-time winners Japan tipped as early favourites alongside rivals South Korea and 2015 champions Australia.
Japan are the most successful team in the competition's history, but they have dropped off in recent tournaments. They lost the 2019 final to Qatar and went out at the quarterfinal stage four years earlier.
The Samurai Blue have rallied in the past 12 months following a strong run to the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup, and their squad for this tournament includes Premier League trio Kaoru Mitoma, Wataru Endo and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Should they enjoy a strong run over the next month, Tomiyasu is likely to miss a handful of key Premier League matches for title hopefuls Arsenal.
MORE: Premier League players at Asian Cup 2023: List of stars missing club games
When is Takehiro Tomiyasu back from Asian Cup?
Tomiyasu has been used regularly by MIkel Arteta this season, rotating between positions across the Arsenal defence, and his absence will be something of a blow for the Gunners.
A poor start to 2024 could force a change in team selection from Arteta in the weeks ahead, but he will not have the option of Tomiyasu for the Premier League home clash with Crystal Palace on January 20.
With the Asian Cup group stages ending on January 24, Tomiyasu would be in contention to feature in Arsenal's Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest on January 30, if Japan are knocked out early on.
However, he will miss that game if Japan progress to the Round of 16, and he is likely to miss out against Liverpool on February 4, if Japan reach the quarterfinals.
Arsenal head to West Ham on February 11 and Tomiyasu will only miss that if Japan go all the way to the final.
Games Takehiro Tomiyasu could miss while at 2023 AFC Asian Cup
| Date | Competition | Fixture |
| Jan. 20 | Premier League | vs. Crystal Palace |
| Jan. 30 | Premier League | at Nottingham Forest |
| Feb. 4 | Premier League | vs. Liverpool |
| Feb.11 | Premier League | at West Ham |
When is the 2023 AFC Asian Cup?
The group stages end on January 25, with the knockout rounds starting three days later, and the final is scheduled for February 10.
The full details are listed below.
| Stage | Dates | Nations |
| Group Stage | Jan. 12 — 25 | 24 |
| Round of 16 | Jan. 28 — 31 | 16 |
| Quarterfinals | Feb. 2 — 3 | 8 |
| Semifinals | Feb. 6 — 7 | 4 |
| Final | Feb. 10 | 2 |
When is Takehiro Tomiyasu playing at 2023 AFC Asian Cup?
Arsenal star Tomiyasu is a key part of Japan's plans for the AFC Asian Cup and he is the most capped defender in the squad.
Japan have been drawn in Group D of the competition alongside Indonesia, Iraq and Vietnam.
| Date / Time | Fixture |
| January 14 (11:30 a.m. GMT / 6:30 a.m. ET) | Japan vs. Vietnam |
| January 19 (11:30 a.m. GMT / 6:30 a.m. ET) | Iraq vs. Japan |
| January 24 (11:30 a.m. GMT / 6:30 a.m. ET) | Japan vs. Indonesia |
How to watch Takehiro Tomiyasu at 2023 AFC Asian Cup: TV channel, live stream
Below are the full details on how watch Tomiyasu and Japan in action across the world's major regions:
Japan vs. Vietnam: January 14 (11:30 a.m. GMT / 6:30 a.m. ET)
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | — | CBS Golazo, Paramount+ |
| Canada | — | — |
| UK | — | TrillerTV |
| Australia | — | Paramount+ |
| India | — | FanCode |
Iraq vs. Japan: January 19 (11:30 a.m. GMT / 6:30 a.m. ET)
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | — | Paramount+ |
| Canada | — | — |
| UK | — | TrillerTV |
| Australia | — | Paramount+ |
| India | — | FanCode |
Japan vs. Indonesia: January 24 (11:30 a.m. GMT / 6:30 a.m. ET)
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | — | Paramount+ |
| Canada | — | — |
| UK | — | TrillerTV |
| Australia | — | Paramount+ |
| India | — | FanCode |