7–2 win over Bulgaria. Following this, he spent the rest of 2016 on the substitute bench, as Nishikawa was preferred as the starting goalkeeper instead. On his return as a starting goalkeeper against UAE, he kept the two clean sheets in the process in the World Cup qualification Asia. In May 2018, Kawashima was named in Japan's preliminary squad for the World Cup in Russia. Eventually, he made it to the final cut of the 23 men squad. After being selected for the World Cup, Kawashima started as the first choice goalkeeper for the side and helped the side beat Colombia 2–1 on the matchday 1 of the group stage. His performance against Colombia earned him the lowest rating by Web Gekisaka. In a 2–2 draw against Senegal, Kawashima was at fault when he attempted to clear the ball, only for Sadio Mané to score. Despite the criticism, Manager Akira Nishino gave confidence in Kawashima and gave him the captaincy against Poland. Throughout the match, Kawashima captained the side, making many saves, though he conceded a goal from Jan Bednarek, which saw Japan lose 1–0. Due to receiving fewer yellow cards than Senegal Japan qualified to the knockout stage, becoming the only Asian team to do so in the 2018 World Cup. In the Round of 16 against Belgium, Japan were eliminated from the tournament after losing 3–2 despite Kawashima's fine performance. While receiving criticism for his performance, Kawashima was placed third place for number of saves in the World Cup, according to Opta Sports. In 2019, he made it to the final cut of the 23 men Copa América's squad. He was part of 2022 FIFA World Cup. He announced his retirement from the national team in 15th December 2022. Style of play At Lierse, Kawashima received praise from the club. CEO Neil De Kewler said of him: "The movement within the goal is quick, the processing of the ball on the line is skillful, furthermore, the player with the leadership that can lead the defense line", while technical director Root Kelzer said: "I can not think of any bad points about him, I will not have anyone who dislikes him, He is a very professional athlete, seriously and disciplinedly open for everyone, every time he looks up, he asks for a handshake with a friendly smile, not only as a player but also as an individual." Prior to