Cooper will take over the Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars, a second-division side in Japan, and will be assisted by former Highlanders and All Black prop Carl Hoeft.
Hoeft is in his fifth season with the Chiefs but will link up with Cooper, who is already in Japan.
The Dynaboars have ambitions to get into the Japan top league and have also recruited Crusaders loose forward Jordan Taufua and former Blues speedster Matt Vaega for the forthcoming season.
When contacted, Cooper said the club had been in the second division for the past 11 years and wanted to make an impact and get into the top division.
Cooper said he had a lot of respect for Hoeft and he was a quality person and a quality coach.
Hoeft was the scrummaging coach at the Chiefs and the forwards coach at Waikato.
Former Chiefs loose forward Nick Collins was the club's strength and conditioning coach.
Shawn Webb, who has played for Japan, and also for Otago early in his career, would be an analyst with the side.
Cooper said he was feeling positive about the move and was keen to get started.
With the World Cup set to be played in Japan next year, the club season is expected to finish just before Christmas this year. The next season is not expected to kick off until January 2020.
Cooper (52) had spent seven seasons coaching with NEC in Japan and said he enjoyed rugby in Japan.
The former All Black fullback had joined Stade Francais in 2016 and then been promoted to head coach last year.
But he had returned to New Zealand earlier this year due to a family illness.
He said the shorter playing season in Japan and its relative closeness to New Zealand meant it was easier to commit to a coaching stint there.
Former Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer will take over at Stade Francais.
Meanwhile, Marty Banks will leave Italian club Benetton and play in Japan next year. Banks will line up for the NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes next season.
