Japan national team head coach Moriyasu Hajime, who led the side to the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup. [Getty Images]
Japan national team head coach Moriyasu Hajime, who led the side to the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup. [Getty Images]

Moriyasu Hajime, who guided Japan to the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, has signed a six-month contract with the Japan Football Association and will lead the national team through the 2027 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup.

Major Japanese sports outlets including Nikkan Sports and Sports Hochi all reported Thursday on Moriyasu's reappointment.

The Japan Football Association held a board meeting in Tokyo on Thursday and officially confirmed Moriyasu's retention as head coach. The decision makes him the first manager in Japanese football history to lead the national team across three consecutive World Cup cycles.

Moriyasu first took charge of the national team in July 2018. He was retained after guiding Japan to the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, and this time led the side to the round of 32 at the North and Central America tournament.

After deliberating over a successor, the association decided to keep Moriyasu in charge through the 2027 Asian Cup, scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5, 2027.

Once the Asian Cup concludes, Oiwa Ko, who currently heads the under-21 national team, will take over as senior team head coach from March next year.

Oiwa led Kashima Antlers to the AFC Champions League title in 2018 before taking charge of the U-21 side in December 2021. He went on to win the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, securing Japan's berth at the Paris Olympics.

At the Paris Olympics, Oiwa guided Japan to the quarterfinals without using any wildcard players. He further cemented his reputation in January 2026 by leading the U-21 squad to back-to-back titles at the U-23 Asian Cup.


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