A ruthless Japan moved to the brink of qualifying for its eighth straight World Cup after beating old rivals China 3-1 away on Tuesday.

Headers from Koki Ogawa and Ko Itakura put runaway group leader Japan two goals up at half time before Lin Liangming pulled one back for China early in the second half.

Ogawa snuffed out China's hopes of a comeback with his second of the game six minutes later to silence the crowd of 45,000 in Xiamen.