The Spanish giants face Brazil's Santos in this year's final in Yokohama on Sunday but former Japan coach Okada, who was appointed on Thursday, has bold plans for the future of his new club.
"I want to win the Asian Champions League, go to the Club World Cup and beat Barcelona," Okada told Japanese media at the Japan Football Association on Friday.
"I told the players and they laughed. But it's not impossible." Having only signed a one-year contract it is highly unlikely, however.
Okada made the Japanese nation cringe in the build-up to the 2010 World Cup by sticking to his audacious target of reaching the semi-finals while his team were suffering regular defeats.
To the astonishment of many, the Blue Samurai stunned Cameroon and Denmark to reach the last 16 in South Africa before bowing out on penalties to Paraguay.
Okada's deal with the Chinese Super League club came as a bolt from the blue with J-League side Urawa Reds also chasing his signature.
"It was a gut instinct," said Okada, whose move could mark a watershed not unlike the ping pong diplomacy which brought about a thaw in American-Chinese relations in the 1970s.
Many Chinese still harbour bitter resentment over Japan's military invasion and brutal occupation of parts of the country from 1931 to 1945 when tens of millions died.
Japan's controversial win over China in the 2004 Asian Cup final in Beijing sparked riots and Chinese fans burned the Japan flag at the East Asian championships.
"I told the owner he had guts naming a Japanese coach," Okada said. "He told me he's already getting stick and admits it's a risk but the team has potential.
"Hopefully it can be the start of something big," added Okada, who coached Yokohama F-Marinos to back-to-back J-League titles in 2003 and 2004.
"I gave it a lot of thought," said the 55-year-old, who also led Japan to their first World Cup finals in 1998.
"A job in the J-League would be easier and less risky, but it just didn't feel right. This challenge excites me."
