Two-time defending champions Kawasaki Frontale moved to within striking distance of the top spot in the J. League first-division standings on Saturday, beating Kashima Antlers 2-1 on early goals from Akihiro Ienaga and Yasuto Wakizaka.
The victory at Todoroki Stadium lifted Toru Oniki's men to third place on 46 points, two behind leaders Yokohama F. Marinos after 24 games.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima defeated Cerezo Osaka 3-0 to remain second on 47 points, having played three more games than both Kawasaki and F. Marinos.
Antlers started the day one point ahead of Frontale in third, but had no answer for the hosts on a steamy night in Kawasaki.
Ienaga coolly netted the opener from the penalty spot in the eighth minute after Diego Pituca tripped the veteran attacker at the edge of the area.
Wakizaka made it 2-0 six minutes later, deceiving Kashima keeper Kwoun Sun-tae with a diagonal, long-range free kick that stayed low and skidded into the far corner.
Hayato Nakama pulled one back for Antlers early in the second half, finding the net from distance with a curling shot that took a deflection off a defender.
At Yodoko Sakura Stadium, Yusuke Chajima, Taishi Matsumoto and Pieros Sotiriou netted for Sanfrecce, who handed Cerezo their first J1 loss since being beaten by 2-1 by Hiroshima on June 18.
In other J1 action, struggling Gamba Osaka notched their first win under new manager Hiroshi Matsuda, 2-0 away to Nagoya Grampus on goals from Patric and former Japan forward Musashi Suzuki, who came off the bench late to register his first goal since returning to the J-League.
FC Tokyo beat 10-man Kashiwa Reysol 6-3 on the road, while Shimizu S-Pulse continued their resurgence, beating visiting Kyoto Sanga 1-0 on former Japan winger Takashi Inui's first goal for the club.