The Japanese team believes that they have found the formula to become a football superpower, and the core of that philosophy is joy.
4 years ago, the Japan Football Association (JFA) announced a 58-page strategy called The Japan Way, outlining the goal of bringing this team to win the World Cup by 2050, and also becoming the host country of the tournament.
The difference of this document appears right from the first page with an ambitious declaration: "Become the happiest country in the world through football".
At first glance, this seems to be an ideal slogan. However, behind that message is a systematic football development system, where joy, initiative and positive spirit are considered the foundation of success.
Throughout the strategy, JFA continuously emphasizes concepts such as "proactive play", "proactive thinking" or "ending the attack with a goal". Although the expression is sometimes general, the core philosophy is still very clear: building a positive, fast and always forward playing style.
Initial achievements have appeared. Before the 2026 World Cup, Japan defeated Brazil and had a convincing performance against England at Wembley. Coach Hajime Moriyasu's team impressed with their ability to switch states extremely quickly between attack and defense, which coach Thomas Tuchel assessed as "very methodical".
At the 2026 World Cup, Japan continues to show that identity. Despite falling into a difficult group and being affected by injuries, the "Blue Samurai" are still undefeated after two legs, very close to the ticket to the knockout round before facing Sweden.
In Moriyasu's philosophy, speed is the most important factor, whether there is a ball or not. When defending, they immediately put pressure to regain control. When attacking, players prioritize passing the ball quickly, moving continuously and bringing the ball to the finishing position in the shortest time.
JFA also built very specific criteria for each position on the field. They admitted physical limitations compared to many opponents, but affirmed that the concept of "Japanese people are physically weak" is no longer appropriate. Instead of just focusing on pure speed, their philosophy emphasizes using speed at the right time, in the right position and in the right way.
The development of Japanese football is also driven by more and more players playing in top European leagues. However, JFA does not see it as a destination, but considers the ability to adapt and innovate according to modern football trends as the key to maintaining long-term success.
Since taking over the national team in 2018, Moriyasu has built a playing style based on the 3-4-3 formation with the particularly important role of full-backs. However, they are not bound by any fixed tactical systems. The most important thing is to maintain the philosophy of proactive football and speed.
Notably, this document also affirms: "We oppose the view of pursuing victory at all costs. True victory is the process of perfecting people while still constantly striving for success.
Meanwhile, Moriyasu chose a more realistic way of expressing himself: "We want to get better every day and pave the way for the future. Victory is very important in football, and we will grow through victories.
Japan is participating in the seventh consecutive World Cup, but has never won a match in the knockout round. Therefore, passing the round of 16 will be an important milestone on the journey to realize the ambition to become the first non-European and South American country to win the World Cup.
Closing the strategy, JFA emphasized: "We are happy to find our own way to enjoy football, to cheer for an attractive team in the international arena. We will become a country with a football culture strong enough to always aim for the World Cup championship and spread that joy to more and more people.
Perhaps Japan still has a long way to go to reach that peak. But with what they are showing, not many people will feel surprised if one day they turn that dream into reality.
