Hajime Moriyasu was Japan's manager at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

He took over in 2018 after serving as an assistant in 2018 and led the Samurai Blue to a historic group stage win over Germany and Spain, reaching the Round of 16 before Croatia eliminated them on penalties.

Quick Facts

  • Appointment : Named head coach post-2018 Olympics; first to stay after a World Cup since 1998.
  • Key Wins : Upsets vs. Germany (2-1) and Spain (2-1); topped Group E.
  • Prior Managers : Vahid Halilhodžić (pre-2018 qualifiers, sacked); Akira Nishino (2018 interim).

Tournament Highlights

Japan stunned the world with tactical discipline under Moriyasu, who built on his Sanfrecce Hiroshima success (3 J.League titles). Their run sparked global buzz, proving Asian football's rise—still trending in 2026 forums as a "miracle" moment.

Manager| World Cup| Achievement
---|---|---
Hajime Moriyasu| 2022 Qatar| Round of 16 15
Akira Nishino| 2018 Russia| Round of 16 3
Vahid Halilhodžić| Qualifiers only| N/A 5

TL;DR: Hajime Moriyasu guided Japan to their best-ever group stage finish at the 2022 World Cup.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.