Former Juventus and AC Milan coach Alberto Zaccheroni was appointed to lead Japan's national football team on Monday.
The Japan Football Association has made Zaccheroni the first Italian and the sixth foreigner to coach Japan.
The 57-year-old Zaccheroni takes over from Takeshi Okada, who stepped down after taking Japan to the round of 16 at the World Cup in South Africa.
Japan plays Paraguay and Guatemala at home on Sept. 4 and 7, with more friendlies against Argentina and South Korea scheduled in October.
Zaccheroni's first competitive tournament will be the Asian Cup in Qatar in January.
A news conference has been scheduled for Tuesday to present Zaccheroni, who won the 1999 Serie A title with Milan.
The appointment of Zaccheroni ends a search that extended beyond an initial deadline of Aug. 15. JFA team director Hiromi Hara has been criticized in Japan for not finalizing a deal sooner.
Hara has been in temporary control of the team and is expected be in charge for the friendlies against Paraguay and Guatemala.
