Japan heads into its first game of World Cup qualifying next week on a high after knocking off Paraguay 2-0 Thursday in a friendly.
Yuya Osako scored Japan's 23rd-minute opener and Takumi Minamino added the second seven minutes later as the hosts kept Paraguay on its back feet for the first half an hour.
"We were able to keep a clean sheet and win 2-0, but the best scenario would have been to add another goal and win 3-0," Samurai Blue head coach Hajime Moriyasu said after the game at Kashima Stadium. "But that is a task for us to solve starting from our next game."