After 2006 World Cup, Hasebe was capped for Japan under new manager Ivica Osim soon. Although he played three matches under Osim in 2006, he could not play at all in 2007. Osim suffered a stroke in November 2007 and Takeshi Okada became a new manager in December. In May 2008, Hasebe played for Japan against Ivory Coast for the first time in one and a half a year. After that, he became a regular player and played many matches as defensive midfielder with Yasuhito Endo.