Japan will meet Korea Republic while China PR will take on Group A winners DPR Korea in Thursday’s semi-finals.

With both sides having already secured their semi-final berths with a match to spare, the tie was to decide the group winners with Japan having the first look at goal in the fifth minute, Sato Momo receiving a long cross from Hina Hirakawa before firing from outside the box, only to see her attempt blocked by custodian Hou Shumei.

Japan opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Momo’s shot off a well-placed pass from Sugawara Chihiro hit the left post, with Fukushima Noa coolly slotting the rebound home from the left.

China PR’s search for the equaliser proved elusive with Japanese keeper Fukuda Mao easily cancelling out attempts by Yuan Chenjie and Lin Yuya.

Both sides sought to stamp their superiority after the break, with Japan’s Momo proving a constant threat to the opposing defence.

Hana Kikuchi, however, scored their second goal in the 75 minute when she ran down the right and unleashed a left-footed shot that gave keeper Shumei no chance.

Kikuchi got her second goal, and Japan’s third, in the 86th minute when she robbed a defender of the ball at the centreline and ran down the middle before driving home her shot past a lunging Shumei.

Japan got their fourth in the very last minute of stoppage time when Nezu Ririka headed the ball in from a corner.