In 2014 he became a manager for Japan U-23 national team and an assistant coach for Japan national team. In 2016 AFC U-23 Championship held in Qatar, he managed U-23 Japan to win the Asian U-23 tournament for the first time, thus qualifying to join 2016 Summer Olympics as the champions of Asia. In 2016 Summer Olympics, he and his U-23 men obtained as many as four points at the group stage, nonetheless ending up at only the third place behind Nigeria and Colombia in group stage. This was not sufficient for them to qualify to the next stage.