The appointment of the 40-year-old is due to ratified at the All Japanese Judo Federation's (AJJF) Board meeting in Tokyo tomorrow, where they will also discuss the findings of an investigation into allegations of violence against top female players and whether to introduce a series of reforms.

Tanabe is currently filling in after disgraced ex-coach Ryuji Sonoda resigned in January for physically and verbally abusing 15 athletes on the national team. 

Tanabe, along with female coaches Hitomi Kaiyama and Midori Shintani, had remained at the AJJF despite 15 Japanese women judokas accusing Sonoda and his staff of slapping, kicking and beating them during training in the run-up to London 2012.

But earlier this month they all offered to resign, claiming that a cloud had been placed over them following the scandal after the AJJF had found them guilty by association - even though they had cleared them on charges of physically and verbally abusing the athletes.

Tanabe and his assistants changed their mind after the reprimand was dropped.

"We held them responsible out of habit, without looking into what was what," said AJJF President Haruki Uemura said.

"It's an undeniable fact that we were at fault."

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