Japan's World Cup ended at the hands of Belgium on Monday with the Samurai Blue going down 3-2 in Rostov-On-Don. Here are five things we learned.

Japan must learn how to take a punch

After a first half in which the Europeans had long periods of dominance, Japan took a shock two-goal lead at the start of the second. The Asian team, however, were knocked off balance when Belgium began to fight back, with Akira Nishino's team giving up their lead and along with it their hopes of advancing to a first-ever quarterfinal. To stop history repeating, the Samurai Blue must learn how to better deal with adversity.

Nishino proved his worth, beyond a doubt

When Vahid Halilhodzic was shown the door just two months before the World Cup, Japan's local soccer community went into meltdown with many questioning the football association's decision to fire a coach who had got the team to the big dance. But over the four games Japan played in Russia, Akira Nishino proved, through his pursuit of positive play, his good relationship with the players, and even his interaction with the media, that he was indeed the man for the job.

Killing a game can also keep a team alive

After being roundly criticized for blatantly accepting a 1-0 loss in their third group game against Poland, Japan may have been wary of settling again in Rostov-On-Don. But after going two-up against the might of Belgium, the smart move would have been to park the bus. It may have proven futile against the Red Devils' firepower, but Japan's World Cup depended on their ability to defend for their tournament lives.

Japan's Euro-based stars showed their worth

A number of Japanese players recently inked new deals with European teams, and after fine performances in Russia, they have shown they are likely to be worth their hefty price tags. Yuya Osako is off to Werder Bremen, Takashi Inui to Real Betis and Yuto Nagatomo is returning to Galatasaray on a permanent deal. If they can carry their World Cup form to their clubs, the signings will prove to be smart business.

Belgium may have what it takes

After flicking the switch against Japan and completing such an impressive comeback, Belgium showed they have the horses to run with anyone. And with a quarterfinal against the might of five-time champions Brazil approaching, they are going to need everything they can muster. But with a 12-goal total in their four matches so far, the lowlanders have to be in with a shout of continuing their run deep into the tournament.