Tanaka has so far trained the world champions such as Erik Morales, Lorenzo Parra, Edwin Valero, Jorge Linares, Román González, Takahiro Aō et al. In March 2011, Tanaka's hometown Higashimatsushima was devastated by the Tōhoku earthquake. His two-story family home's first floor was submerged by the tsunami. Although his family was safe, his nearby relatives were swallowed by the tsunami. However, since Aō's first defense was scheduled in early April, Tanaka remained in Tokyo saying nothing about it, and continued training. Tanaka had been chosen for the twenty-second Eddie Townsend Award in 2011, but declined it for personal reasons.