Seigo Narazaki saved Japan's blushes with a late penalty stop to salvage a 0-0 draw with China in the opening game of the East Asian Football Championship on Saturday.
An 82nd-minute handball from Yuto Nagatomo gave China — which has not qualified for this summer's World Cup — the chance to take all three points after matching Japan at Ajinomoto Stadium, but the Nagoya Grampus goalkeeper kept out Yang Hao's strike to grab a point for the home side.
Atsuto Uchida hit the post for Japan's best chance, but China gave as good as it got to leave Takeshi Okada's side without a goal in two consecutive matches after a friendly stalemate with Venezuela earlier in the week.