Japan's national team captain Makoto Hasebe said Monday the players are keeping those affected by the Osaka earthquake in their thoughts as they prepare for their World Cup opener in Saransk.

Speaking at the team's official press conference ahead of their Group H match against Colombia on Tuesday, Hasebe immediately addressed the magnitude-6.1 temblor which left four dead and more than 300 injured on Monday.

"I'd like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the people who have been affected, and also I hope that the damage can be limited as much as possible and the recovery is as quick as possible," Hasebe told the packed press conference at Mordovia Arena.

Japan manager Akira Nishino also addressed the quake in the western Japan prefecture, one of the largest the area has experienced since the 1995 Great Hanshin quake that killed 6,434 people, saying the players were profoundly affected by the early-morning news.

"Some players were a bit shocked about this incident and they were slightly concerned about their relatives and family members," the recently-installed manager said.

"There are some players who were affected by this, therefore, the psychological impact is something I am slightly worried about at this point."

Hasebe also hinted that the quake might impact the team's build-up to the match against the South Americans.

"There are players whose relatives or families live around the affected area and they are worried about their safety. Emotionally, they might have been negatively impacted."

"The team as a whole would like to support them and if there is anything I can do as the captain I'd like to do that."