UCD hooker James Tracy will make his first start in green on the occasion of his fourth senior cap, while St Mary’s College man Rhys Ruddock once again Captains the side from the blindside flank.
It is an all-Leinster back row and Ruddock is joined by Jack Conan at No.8 and Josh van der Flier at openside.
Devin Toner is paired with Kieran Treadwell in the second row while the front row has Tracy at hooker with Cian Healy at loose head and John Ryan at tight head.
Kieran Marmion starts at scrum-half to partner Paddy Jackson at fly-half. Luke Marshall comes back in having started against the USA to play alongside Garry Ringrose in midfield. Andrew Conway switches to fullback with Keith Earls and Jacob Stockdale named on the wings.
The replacements are Niall Scannell, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Sean Reidy, Rory Scannell, Tiernan O’Halloran and the uncapped former Leinster scrumhalf John Cooney.
The match kicks off at 14:40 local time (06:40 Irish time) and is being broadcast by eir Sport in Ireland.
IRELAND v Japan – Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
15. Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 2 caps
14. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 61 caps
13. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 10 caps
12. Luke Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster) 10 caps
11. Jacob Stockdale (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 1 cap
10. Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster) 24 caps
9. Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht) 15 caps
1. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 69 caps
2. James Tracy (UCD/Leinster) 3 caps
3. John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 8 caps
4. Kieran Treadwell (Ballymena/Ulster) 1 cap
5. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 49 caps
6. Rhys Ruddock (c) (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 15 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 8 caps
8. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 3 caps
Replacements
16. Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) 6 caps
17. Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 19 caps
18. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 1 cap
19. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 1 cap
20. Sean Reidy (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 1 cap
21. John Cooney (Connacht)
22. Rory Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) 2 caps
23. Tiernan O’Halloran (Buccaneers/Connacht) 5 caps
