Japan Football Association technical director Masahiro Shimoda returned to Japan from his search overseas for a new national team coach on Saturday, but did not take questions from media awaiting his arrival at Haneda Airport.
The JFA's technical committee will meet soon to check the information Shimoda has gathered on his trip and is expected to make a formal offer after narrowing down the list of candidates.
Shimoda said earlier this month the technical committee had a shortlist of around five candidates before he left for Europe to try and find a replacement for fired Mexican Javier Aguirre.
The JFA has been hoping to find a new coach in time for the start of the J. League season on March 7, but president Kuniya Daini suggested last week Japan may have to go with an interim manager for the two home friendlies against Tunisia and Uzbekistan on March 27 and 31.
Former Barcelona star and current Qatari club Lekhwiya manager Michael Laudrup is one of the candidates the JFA is believed to have short-listed to succeed Aguirre, who was fired on Feb. 3 after being named as a defendant in a criminal complaint over match-fixing in Spain.