The Japan Football Association board of directors on Monday approved Takeshi Okada as national coach to take over from Ivica Osim, who suffered a stroke last month.
The latest procedure paves the way for the association to finalize the appointment of Okada, 51, who guided Japan to its debut at the World Cup finals in 1998, at an Executive Committee meeting on Friday.
JFA officials said Okada has formally accepted an offer for the Japan job that makes him the first Japanese to steer the national team for the first time in nine years.
Following Monday's meeting of the Board of Executive Managing Directors, JFA President Saburo Kawabuchi held a press conference and quoted Okada as saying he thinks Japanese soccer is in a crisis situation and he is determined to fulfill his mission as Japan coach.
"I'm grateful that he accepted our offer in extremely difficult times and our association will provide full support for him," Kawabuchi said. "Expectations are high that Mr. Okada will assemble a good national side and produce results based on the foundation laid by Mr. Osim. And I believe he is capable of doing it."
Okada, a former Japan international defender, was promoted to national coach during the final Asian qualifiers for the 1998 World Cup in France after head coach Shu Kamo was fired.
After stepping down as national coach in July 1998, he was appointed manager of Consadole Sapporo in the J. League second division in 1999 and guided the team to promotion to the first division the following year.
Okada took the helm at Yokohama F. Marinos in the top flight in 2003, leading the club to two consecutive league titles. He left F. Marinos in the summer of 2006 and had since had a special assignment at the JFA.