He has led Japanese soccer as a "fighting general" since the Japan League era in the 1980s. In the 1990s, he introduced the fun, harshness, and splendor of soccer to the world through the creation of the J.League and his struggles in the World Cup final qualifiers, and after retiring as an active player, he closely watched the changes in Japanese soccer while coaching in all categories, including high school, university, JFL, J3, J2, and J1.