Tanaka has signed a contract until 2030 with Schalke, having swapped Sanfrecce Hiroshima for Düsseldorf in December and making 13 Bundesliga 2 appearances last season.
Youri Mulder, Schalke's director of professional football, said: "Satoshi has exactly the qualities we were looking for in that holding midfield role. He is aggressive without the ball, dynamic and agile, while his work rate and intensity fit our game really well. We're confident he can help us in the Bundesliga."
