Japan powered to the first World Cup win in their history today with a deserved 1-0 defeat of Russia in Group H.
A second-half goal from English-based midfielder Junichi Inamoto sealed the win for the tournament co-hosts who are now within touching distance of a place in the last 16.
Japan top the group with four points from two matches and can book their place in the second phase against Tunisia on Friday, when Russia face Belgium.
Japan took the lead six minutes into the second half with a slick attack launched in midfield by Parma star Hidetoshi Nakata.
Nakata's ball was met by Feyenoord's Shinji Ono, whose superb first-time pass left Inamoto with the task of hammering a shot into the roof of the net past Russian goalkeeper Ruslan Nigmatullin.
Man-of-the-match Inamoto, who has yet to start a game for English champions Arsenal after spending a season on the bench, worked tirelessly throughout, tracking every inch of the Yokohama Stadium with a dynamic display.
Russia sought vainly for an equaliser but were unable to break down a resolute Japan defence.
Substitute Vladimir Beschastnykh should have levelled the scores soon after Inamoto's goal, rounding Japan keeper Seigo Narazaki easily but somehow contriving to smash his shot into the side netting with the goal at his mercy.
Russia also tested Narazaki midway through the second half when Dmitry Sychev let fly with a 30-yard shot which Narazaki needed two attempts to gather.
Sychev saw another firm shot well saved by Narazaki in the closing minutes but Japan were not to be denied a famous win.
Nakata meanwhile came agonisingly close to doubling Japan's lead with what would have been one of the most spectacular strikes in World Cup history.
Picking the ball up deep in midfield, the Serie A-based player advanced on goal and unleashed a blistering drive which flew past Nigmatullin and rattled the bar.
It was one of the highlights of an entertaining second half which followed a terrible opening 45 minutes which had been disjointed by 36 freekicks and which saw neither side manage to get a shot on target.
Japan came closest to breaking the stalemate on 28 minutes, when good work down the left flank by Takayuki Suzuki ended with Nakata smashing a shot over the bar from ten yards out.
For Russia, Marat Izmailov had alarm bells ringing in the Japanese defence after 15 minutes, when a shot from just outside the area flew inches wide.
Before that Russia had announced their presence with several full-blooded challenges on Japan's players, Nakata and Naoki Matsuda both on the receiving end.
A late tackle on fullback Matsuda earned Ruslan Pimenov the first of four bookings awarded by German referee Markus Merk.
Japan saw skipper Tsuneyasu Miyamoto - playing in a striking black face mask to protect a broken nose - and Koji Nakata also get booked while Andrei Solomatin was Russia's other player to see yellow.