Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu will stay in his job after leading the Samurai Blue to the last 16 at the World Cup in Qatar, the Japan Football Association (JFA) said on Wednesday.

There had been speculation about his future after a roller-coaster performance by Japan, who again failed to reach the quarterfinals but produced stunning wins against Germany and Spain.

"This is really the happiest job," Moriyasu said of his reappointment.

"It's a job that gives me a chance to compete on a global stage with the pride of being Japanese. That's why I decided to accept the offer."

It was the fourth time Japan had exited at the first knockout stage and ­denied them a much-coveted quarterfinal debut in their seventh straight World Cup appearance.

The 54-year-old becomes the first ­Japan coach to stay on after a World Cup.

His new contract will run "until the next World Cup," said JFA head Kozo Tajima, who lauded Moriyasu for "elevating the international status of Japan's football."