Japan moved within one victory of lifting a record fourth Asian Cup as Alberto Zaccheroni's side defeated South Korea 3-0 in a shootout to reach the final on Tuesday evening.
After a 2-2 draw over an intense 120 minutes, Yasuyuki Konno struck the winning penalty as Eiji Kawashima kept out South Korea's first two shots before Hong Jeong Ho fired wide.
Japan, which beat South Korea for just the 12th time in 71 meetings, will face Australia in Saturday's final at Khalifa Stadium.