1. Early Life and Background
Haruhisa Hasegawa's early life and educational journey laid the foundation for his future football career, culminating in his early selection for the national team.
1.1. Childhood and Education
Hasegawa was born on April 14, 1957, in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. For his high school education, he attended Hokuyo High School from 1973 to 1975. Following high school, he continued his studies at Osaka University of Commerce from 1976 to 1979.
1.2. Formation of Early Career
While still a student at Osaka University of Commerce, Hasegawa's talent was recognized, leading to his selection for the Japan national football team. He made his debut for the national team on November 19, 1978, in a match against the Soviet Union.
2. Playing Career
Hasegawa's playing career was marked by his contributions to Yanmar Diesel and his appearances for the Japan national team in various international competitions.
2.1. Club Career
After graduating from Osaka University of Commerce, Hasegawa joined Yanmar Diesel in 1980, where he played as a forward. His tenure with the club lasted until his retirement in 1987. During his time with Yanmar Diesel, the club achieved significant success, winning the Japan Soccer League championship in 1980. They also secured victories in the JSL Cup in both 1983 and 1984. Individually, Hasegawa's performance was recognized when he was named to the JSL Best Eleven in 1982.
Throughout his career in the Japan Soccer League First Division, Hasegawa played 75 games and scored 24 goals. His overall club statistics, including appearances in the JSL Cup and Emperor's Cup, are detailed below:
| Japan | League | JSL Cup | Emperor's Cup | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Club | Div. | Games | Goals | Games | Goals | Games | Goals | Games | Goals | |
| 1980 | Yanmar Diesel | JSL 1st Div. | 12 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 6 | |
| 1981 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 4 | |||
| 1982 | 15 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 14 | |||
| 1983 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 25 | 12 | |||
| 1984 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 7 | |||
| 1985 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |||
| 1986-87 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | |||
| JSL 1st Division Total | 75 | 24 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 6 | 108 | 46 | |||
| Career Total | 75 | 24 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 6 | 108 | 46 | |||
Hasegawa also participated in the JSL East-West Match three times (in 1980, 1982, and 1983), scoring two goals in the 1982 and 1983 editions. In 1983, he was part of the JSL Select Team, playing 3 games without scoring.
2.2. National Team Career
Haruhisa Hasegawa represented the Japan national football team from 1978 to 1981, earning 15 caps and scoring 4 goals. His international debut occurred on November 19, 1978, against the Soviet Union. He was part of the Japan squad for the 1978 Asian Games. He also participated in the qualification rounds for the 1980 Summer Olympics and the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
His national team appearances are detailed in the table below:
| No. | Date | Host City | Stadium | Opponent | Result | Coach | Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | November 19, 1978 | Tokyo | National Stadium | Soviet Union | 1-4 loss | Hiroshi Ninomiya | International Friendly |
| 2. | November 23, 1978 | Tokyo | National Stadium | Soviet Union | 1-4 loss | International Friendly | |
| 3. | November 26, 1978 | Osaka | Nagai Stadium | Soviet Union | 0-3 loss | International Friendly | |
| 4. | December 11, 1978 | Bangkok | Kuwait | 0-2 loss | Asian Games | ||
| 5. | May 31, 1979 | Tokyo | Nishigaoka Soccer Field | Indonesia | 4-0 win | Yukio Shimomura | Japan Cup |
| 6. | March 24, 1980 | Kuala Lumpur | Philippines | 10-0 win | Olympic Qualification | ||
| 7. | March 28, 1980 | Kuala Lumpur | Indonesia | 2-0 win | Olympic Qualification | ||
| 8. | June 9, 1980 | Guangzhou | Hong Kong | 3-1 win | Tadashi Watanabe | Guangzhou International Football Tournament | |
| 9. | June 11, 1980 | Guangzhou | China | 0-1 loss | Guangzhou International Football Tournament | ||
| 10. | June 18, 1980 | Guangzhou | Hong Kong | 2-0 win | Guangzhou International Football Tournament | ||
| 11. | December 22, 1980 | Hong Kong | Singapore | 1-0 win | Saburo Kawabuchi | World Cup Qualification | |
| 12. | December 26, 1980 | Hong Kong | China | 0-1 loss | World Cup Qualification | ||
| 13. | December 28, 1980 | Hong Kong | Macau | 3-0 win | World Cup Qualification | ||
| 14. | December 30, 1980 | Hong Kong | North Korea | 0-1 loss (AET) | World Cup Qualification | ||
| 15. | March 8, 1981 | Tokyo | National Stadium | South Korea | 0-1 loss | Japan-Korea Regular Match |
Hasegawa scored 4 goals for the national team:
| # | Date | Host City | Venue | Opponent | Result | Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 24, 1980 | Kuala Lumpur | Philippines | 10-0 win | Olympic Qualification | |
| 2 | ||||||
| 3 | June 9, 1980 | Guangzhou | Hong Kong | 3-1 win | Guangzhou International Football Tournament | |
| 4 | December 28, 1980 | Hong Kong | Macau | 3-0 win | World Cup Qualification |
3. Post-Playing Career
After retiring as a professional player in 1987, Haruhisa Hasegawa initially worked for a company affiliated with Yanmar. He returned to the football world in 1994, taking on various front office roles within J.League clubs.
His staff career includes:
- November 1994 - October 1997**: Operations Committee at Cerezo Osaka
- October 1997 - August 2000**: Team General Manager at Vissel Kobe
- December 2001 - January 2005**: Formation Manager at Nagoya Grampus
- January 2005 - November 2005**: Youth Development Manager at Avispa Fukuoka
- December 2005 - December 2006**: Team General Group Manager at Avispa Fukuoka
From 2007 onwards, Hasegawa began working as a football commentator for Sky PerfecTV!, primarily covering home games for Cerezo Osaka and, in recent years, Vissel Kobe.
4. Personal Life
Haruhisa Hasegawa shares a notable connection from his youth: Akihisa Okada, a former professional baseball player, former manager of the Orix Buffaloes, and current manager of the Hanshin Tigers, was his classmate during high school.
5. Evaluation and Impact
During his playing career, Haruhisa Hasegawa was known for his exceptional goal-scoring instinct in front of the net, leading to him being dubbed "Kamamoto the Second" (釜本2世Japanese), referencing legendary Japanese forward Kunishige Kamamoto. However, his performance saw a significant decline after 1984, as he struggled with an extreme slump until his retirement.